Reasons for Red Army Victory Flashcards
How did geography aid Red victory?
The Reds occupied the most densely populated areas of Russia.
They held the administrative, industrial and symbolic capitals, which meant a hub of communications and armaments factories.
The Whites were widely dispersed in less developed regions. Their lack of an industrial base forced them to rely on foreign aid
How did Red unification/organisation aid Red victory?
The Reds were united in their aim to survive and spread Bolshevik ideology: a ‘do or die’ mentality.
The Reds also had an established command structure
The Whites operated independently, had few objectives in common and lacked a central command
How did leadership aid Red victory?
The Whites had few competent leaders and were plagued by ill-discipline and corruption.
The Red Army became an effective fighting force under Trotsky’s leadership
Why did the Bolsheviks win more popular support?
Their land policies tended to be more popular than the Tsarist policies with which the Whites were associated
They were more popular with workers in the cities
How did foreign intervention actually help the Reds?
Foreign support to the Whites was insufficient and sporadic.
It gave the Reds a propaganda platform upon which they could paradoxically claim to be both revolutionaries and defenders of the nation from foreign aggression
Why were the national minorities suspicious of the Whites?
Their motto was ‘Russia, One and Indivisible’
How did the use of terror aid the Reds?
The Cheka was used behind lines to shoot and discourage deserters.
The death penalty was reinstated.
Conscription used in some areas
Massacres, summary executions and torture
