Reasons for the Communist victory and the importance of War Communism

Question 1

Why did the Reds win the Civil War?

Answer 1

• White weaknesses
• Red military strengths
• War Communism
• Red Leadership
• Foreign Intervention

Question 2

How did the white weaknesses allow the Reds to win the Civil War?

Answer 2

• lacked unified command structure, strategy
• Whites spread out over large areas
• failed to co-ordinate attacks e.g. General Denikens forces failed to co-ordinate attacks with Kolchak in south-east of Russia and was defeated
• lacked support from many russians, identified them as tsarist supporters, foreign invaders
• whites failed to work effectively with the greens. Greens controlled peasant army

Question 3

Who were the Greens led by?

Answer 3

Nestor Makhno

Question 4

How did the Red military strengths allow the Reds to win the Civil War?

Answer 4

• Trotsky used officers who had fought for the tsar, experience
• Red Army controlled important railway routes - easier to transport troops
• Red army prevented each white army from co-ordinating with the others

Question 5

How did the war communism allow the Reds to win the Civil War?

Answer 5

• Communists controlled industrial centres
• Industry nationalised, factories converted to produce military supplies and equipment
• involved policy of requisitioning food from peasants by force - make sure industrial workers and Red Army fed

Question 6

What is war communism?

Answer 6

the economic policies the communists introduced during the Civil War to help achieve victory

Question 7

What did War communism allow the Bolsheviks to do during the Civil War?

Answer 7

to maintain war supplies essential for Red Army

Question 8

How did red leadership allow the Reds to win the Civil War?

Answer 8

• unified leadership under Lenin
• Trotsky effective leader of Red Army
• Trotsky enforced strict discipline and used political officers within army to ensure loyalty
• Trotsky used an armoured train to visit and support areas under threat
• Lenin used the Cheka to eliminate political opposition

Question 9

How is Trotsky’s ability as army leader demonstrated?

Answer 9

sent reinforcements to Petrograd and prevented General Yudenich from seizing control of Petrograd

Question 10

How did foreign intervention allow the Reds to win the Civil War?

Answer 10

• British, French, US forces left Russia by end of 1919
• Foreign forces stopped supporting whites after armistice had been signed with Germany to end WW1
• Foreign leaders realised Whites could not win war - weakened whites even further