Russian Civil War + Impact

Question 1

Who were the ‘whites’?

Answer 1

-anger at concessions of TBL March 1918 merged with existing political opposition to create force of ‘whites’
-both right + left wing political groupings
-tsarists, conservatives, moderates, some EMs, liberals + SRs

Question 2

Why did the Whites emerge during the civil war?

Answer 2

-Russias previous allies BR FR + USA gave support to whites
-as capitalists nations allies opposed doctrine of communism
-desire force Russia back into fight against Ger WW1

Question 3

Why else did the allied support the whites?

Answer 3

-defend interest in Russia
-B’viks refused lay back money borrowed by tsar + nationalised foreign owned Ind

Question 4

What was created to oppose B’vik rule?

Answer 4

-spring 1918 anti-B’vik volunteer army created in south Russia partly financed by Ger
-anticipating growing threat B’vik moved capital from Petrograd to Moscow March 1918

Question 5

What was the spark that caused the war?

Answer 5

-outburst in Czech legion western Siberia
-Czech legion formed from Czech nationalists during war against Ger + A-H
-by 1918 had 45,000 soldiers

Question 6

How did the fighting break out?

Answer 6

-B’vik gave permission for army travel east through Siberia to continue fight against enemies western front
-may this force travelled along trans Siberian rail + B’vik officials tried arrest some soldiers + fighting broke out

Question 7

What was the result of some of the soldiers getting arrested?

Answer 7

-Czech legion seized railway through most of western Siberia
-abandoned original plans + joined anti-B’viks + advanced towards Moscow

Question 8

How did the civil war turn into a nationalist struggle against polish armies?

Answer 8

-poles invaded western Ukraine reaching Kiev May 1920
-under orders from Lenin marshal Tukachevsky mounted successful communist counter attack
-but Lenin hopes of communist counter rev in Poland + would spread Westwood was false

Question 9

When did the poles rise again?

Answer 9

-rose again 1921 + defeated red army
-led to Treaty of Riga March 1921

Question 10

What did the treaty of riga do?

Answer 10

-granted Poland self rule along with Galicia + parts of Belorussia
-independence of Estonia, Latvia + Lithuania also confirmed
-Lenin’s order to ‘drive into Poland’ controversial + split B’vik ranks

Question 11

How did the Russian civil war impact the gov + party?

Answer 11

-brought greater decentralisation + party control
-party structure based on annual congresses elected by mass membership

Question 12

But how were actual policies + decisions made?

Answer 12

-actual policies + decisions shaped by central committee

Question 13

What was created in 1919 + what was it?

Answer 13

-politburo created in 1919
-sub- committee + real centre for party policy

Question 14

Who was in the politburo?

Answer 14

-first elected on incl Lenin Trotsky + Stalin
-were key gov officials

Question 15

What was the impact of having key government officials in the politburo?

Answer 15

-gov increasingly became instrument for carrying out policies made in politburo + central committee

Question 16

What was created in 1919 following the Politburo?

Answer 16

-the orgburo created 1919

Question 17

What did the Orgburo do?

Answer 17

-supervised work of local party committees
-and supervised permanent Secretariat

Question 18

What was the Secretariat?

Answer 18

-concerned with day to day running of the party

Question 19

What was the role of the central committee?

Answer 19

-1921 Lenin banned factions + any decision made by committee had be agreed by whole party
-difficult criticise party decisions

Question 20

What was the decree made on local soviets?

Answer 20

-local soviets where peasants + workers could show their voice in elections was to only consist of party members

Question 21

What was the post of the general secretary and when was it created?

Answer 21

-April 1922 created to coordinate party’s workings
-Stalin filled this post but was already acting like this before as only member have seat on Politburo + Orgburo

Question 22

What was introduced in 1923?

Answer 22

-the Nomenklatura system to party’s domination

Question 23

Who were the Nomenklatura?

Answer 23

-category of people held key administrative posts in areas like gov, agri, Ind + edu
-granted only with approval of communist party in the region

Question 24

How were the people appointed to these positions?

Answer 24

-official lists of key party + gov posts
-appointment depended on agreement of party central committee
-intended ensure people in posts trustworthy

Question 25

What was the impact of the Nomenklatura?

Answer 25

-new loyal party elite created 1923 to impose party control
-although Lenin sought ‘democratic centralism’ instead one party state was tightened

Question 26

How did the civil war impact the national minorities?

Answer 26

-communist gov abandoned earlier ‘national self-determination’ decree Nov 1917
-independence movements denounced as ‘counter rev’ e.g. demands from Georgia brutally crushed on orders of Stalin

Question 27

What was permitted amounts the national minorities?

Answer 27

-displays of national culture + native languages permitted

Question 28

What was the new constitution?

Answer 28

-changed dec 1922 but made minimal difference in practice
-union of soviet socialist republics - USSR

Question 29

But what did change with new constitution?

Answer 29

-states that made up Union kept under strict control
-gov of republics regarded as regional branches of sovnarkom - could be coerced from capital