Defending the Bolshevik Revolution - civil war

Question 1

Red Army figures

Answer 1

• 1 million at the end of 1918
• 5 million in 1921
• 250,000 deserting every month

Question 2

Reds - geography of the war

Answer 2

• Controlled central, north and western areas of Russia
• Had the hub of rail communications, so troops and supplies could be moved quickly
• Red areas contained the main armament factories, Tsarist army depots and artillery parks

Question 3

Population of the Reds

Answer 3

70 million

Question 4

Tsarist stockpile of the reds

Answer 4

2.5m Rifles

12,000 artillery

28m shells

Question 5

Geography of the whites

Answer 5

Scattered around the central area and strategically in weak locations

Isolated from means of manufacturing and relied on foreign supplies - messagers on horse were used

Question 6

Population of the whites

Answer 6

20 million

Question 7

Why did the right SR’s oppose the Bolsheviks?

Answer 7

• Unhappy with the dissolution of the constituent assembly

Question 8

General Kolchak

Answer 8

• Late 1918, took over leadership of the White forces in the Urals-Siberia region
• Poor administrator thin-skinned and had no experience with land warfare

Question 9

Kolchak & British assistance

Answer 9

Built up a fighting force, with British help, of 150,000 men - 1919, went on to the offensive and pushed the Red Army back more than 250 miles