Civil War

Question 1

Why did the Reds win the civil war? (5 factors)

Answer 1

Trotsky's Leadership
Unity and Organisation
Geographical Factors
Support
Other Factors

Question 2

Where did Japanese forces occupy?

Answer 2

Vladivostok

Question 3

Where did Churchill send British forces?

Answer 3

Murmansk

Question 4

When were all foreign armies withdrawn by?

Answer 4

1920

Question 5

What areas of Russia did the Reds hold?

Answer 5

The central area including
Petrograd
Moscow

Question 6

Why was it beneficial that the Bolsheviks moved their capital to Moscow?

Answer 6

It was at the hub of the railway network so it was easier to transport men and munitions to battle fronts

Question 7

When was the Russian Civil war?

Answer 7

1918 - 1921

Question 8

Why was it beneficial that the area of Russia the Bolsheviks held contained the main armament factories?

Answer 8

They could carry on producing war materials.

Much of the artillery, rifles and other military equipment of the old Russian army fell into Bolshevik hands

Question 9

Why was it beneficial that the central area was heavily populated (more so than White held areas)?

Answer 9

Reds could conscript larger numbers to fight.

Red armies often vastly outnumbered the Whites.

Question 10

Why was the Whites being scattered around the edges of the central area an issue? (3 reasons)

Answer 10

They were separated by large distances so communications were difficult (No telephone links - had to use officers on horseback to convey messages)

More difficult to move men and weapons

Harder to co-ordinate attacks of different White armies

Question 11

How were the Reds better organised?

Answer 11

Had a single unified command structure

Question 12

Who organised the Red Army into an ‘effective fighting force’?

Answer 12

Trotsky

Question 13

Who were better organised? Reds or Whites?

Answer 13

Reds

Question 14

Why were the Whites unorganised?

Answer 14

Made up of different groups

Different aims and beliefs (couldn’t agree if they were fighting for Monarchism, Republicanism or for the Constituent Assembly)

Split views on national minorities

Question 15

Why was the Whites being unorganized an issue?

Answer 15

Hard to co-operate and impossible to develop a co-ordinated military strategy due to divisions

Question 16

Why would the White leaders often not work together? Give an example.

Answer 16

Did not like or trust each other

E.g. Other generals suspicious of Kolchak’s motives and intentions

Question 17

Why was Trotsky a superb leader?

Answer 17

Brave - took his special forces by train to parts of the Front where fighting was fiercest

Inspirational - Able to rally men

Question 18

What did Trotsky do in terms of Army Discipline?

Answer 18

Tough discipline.

Death penalty used frequently
(Unwilling peasant conscripts knew certain death lay before them if they retreated in battle - would be machine gunned by their own side)

Question 19

What were the issues with the White leaders?

Answer 19

Second rate.

Several were cruel - treated men with contempt.

Reminded soldiers of worst aspects of Russian Army + Tsarist rule.

Question 20

What were the effects of White leadership on soldiers?

Answer 20

Little natural warmth or support for White Leaders.

Many soldiers deserted.

Question 21

What were the consequences of indiscipline and corruption in White Armies?

Answer 21

Uniforms and munitions supplied by foreign interventionist governments were sold on black market

Officers lives in brothels in a haze of cocaine and vodka

Question 22

Why was support of peasants a crucial factor? Who did they support?

Answer 22

Peasants supplied the main body if soldiers for both sides.

But they had little love for either side - just as inclined to desert from Red as from White armies they had been conscripted into.

Question 23

What did Lenin do to gain peasant support?

Answer 23

Lenin legitimized their right to the land - Peasants inclined to support Reds

Question 24

What did the Whites do to lose peasant support?

Answer 24

Made it clear land would be restored to its former owners

Question 25

What did Kolchak do to lose peasant support?

Answer 25

Gave estates to landlords who hadn’t owned them before the revolution

Question 26

Who else did the Whites lose the support of and why?

Answer 26

Nationalist groups (separatists) like Ukranians and Georgians who wanted more autonomy in their affairs or complete independence.

White leaders wanted to restore Russian Empire with pre-1917 borders - antagonised national groups

Question 27

Why did Reds have core support of some workers and soldiers but not widespread support?

Answer 27

1) War Communism + the way they managed cities and food supply

Question 28

Why did urban workers and peasants support the Reds?

Answer 28

Wanted to protect the gains if 1917. Reds seemed to offer them their chance of this

Question 29

What were the Whites associated with that limited their support?

Answer 29

The old system of government

Question 30

What was the benefit of foreign intervention for the Whites?

Answer 30

Brought them supplies and weapons

Question 31

Why did foreign intervention fail?

Answer 31

1) Their attacks weren’t co-ordinated- little co-operation between interventionists
2) No concerted attempt to unseat Bolshevik regime
3) Effort to co-operate with White armies failed
4) After a token display if aggression troops began to withdraw
5) Nations had different interests for intervention

Question 32

How did the Bolsheviks use foreign intervention to their advantage?

Answer 32

Presented themselves as the defenders of Russia against foreign forces

Used this as propaganda

Question 33

How did the Reds and Whites use propaganda?

Answer 33

Both used propaganda

Whites, particularly Denikin, Didn’t see how valuable it was

Reds used imaginative, powerful images (Whites woukd take away land from peasants, Reds protecting Russia from foreign invaders working with Whites, Reds offered wonderful new society for workers and peasants)

Question 34

How many men did the Reds have in 1919?

Answer 34

1.5 million

Question 35

How many men did the Reds (Trotsky) have by 1920?

Answer 35

3.5 million

Question 36

How many men did Yudenich have in his army?

Answer 36

Around 14,000

Question 37

How many officers did Denikin have in his army?

Answer 37

Never more than 100,000

Question 38

What effect did Trotskys train have on the soldiers?

Answer 38

Boosted morale

Question 39

How did Trotsky ensure the loyalty of the former tsarist officers he brought back?

Answer 39

Held their families hostage

Question 40

What was War Communism?

Answer 40

Policies adopted during 1st years of Communist rule.

Lenin introduced decree of nationalisation- established strong centralised control over all areas of production and distribution in areas under his control

Question 41

How did War Communism help the Reds win the Civil War?

Answer 41

1) Rapid deterioration of economy spring 1918
2) Industry fell apart (workers incapable of running factories)
3) Shortages of raw materials and food - bread rations
4) Inflation - value of rouble collapsed
5) Industrial output decrease
6) Workers leaving cities
7) Peasants withheld resources
8) Food riots many cities early 1918

Question 42

Statistic for Workers leaving cities due to War Communism

Answer 42

Petrograd lost 60% of workforce April 1918