Civil War 1917-1922 Reasons why the Reds won Flashcards
What cities did the Reds hold
Petrograd and Moscow
Why was it an advantage that Moscow was at the hub of the railway network
Made it easier to transport men and munitions to the battle fronts
As the Bolsheviks has access to the main armament factories. What did this allow them to do?
Carry on producing war materials
They also had access to other military equipment from the old Russian army
What did the large population of the cities allow the Bolsheviks to do
Conscript large numbers to fight. Outnumbered the whites vastly
Where the white located
Around the edges of the central areas. Separated by large distances
What did the whites bad location mean
Communication was difficult
Moving men and coordinating attacks
As the Whites had no access to telephone links what did they have to use instead
Horses
How were the Bolsheviks United
They had a single, unified command structure
What did the organisation of the red army by Trotsky to do
Turned them into an effective fighting force
What were the different aims that different groups in the white army had
Monarchism, republicanism, fighting for the constituent assembly
What did the lack of a clear aim to do the whites
Made co-operation hard
Impossible to develop a political strategy
Spilt on national minorities
As the white generals did not trust each other what happened
Often they would not work together
Who led the Red army
Trotsky
What did Trotskys charisma allow him to do for the soldiers
Inspire and rally the men
What punishment was used frequently in the red army
Death penalty
Which group did the Reds largely conscript from
Peasants
What were the white leaders criticised for being
Cruel
Treating their men with contempt
What did the bad leadership of the whites lead to
Little natural warmth
Many soldiers deserted
Who was the main body of support for the Reds and Whites
Peasants
How was the Reds able to keep the peasants content compared to the whites
Lenin legitimised their right to the land The whites said it would be returned to their previous owners
As the whites wanted to restore the Russian empire. Who did this antagonise
National groups such as the Ukranians and Georgians
How did the Reds maintain popular support
War communism and management of the cities and food
What did Urban workers and peasants want to protect
The gains of 1917- Reds seemed the most likely to protect these gains
Which side gained the most foreign support
The whites
