The Civil War Flashcards
1
Q
Causes
A
- Annoyance at end of war
- Bols were a threat to own govs
- fear of permanent revolution
2
Q
Formation of whites
A
- Bols seized Moscow in 1917 - right wing claimed they had no right - centrists state there should’ve been an election - left wing believed they had alienated groups
- Bol ideolog alienated bourgeois and the Mensheviks
- some wanted the return of the tsar
- SRs hated bols for BL and attempted to assassinate Lenin
- national minorities wanted independence
- some just wanted to oppose bols
- some were annoyed at the poor economy (losing so much in BL)
- Groups had very little in common - just didn’t like Bols
- Denikin in south, Kolchack in Siberia and Yudenich in Estonia
3
Q
Outbreak of war
A
- spring 1918, an anti-bolshevik volunteer army created in the south
- financed by Germany
- Czech Legion attacked bols in Western Siberia
4
Q
1918-1920
A
- no coordination from whites
- Bolsheviks held central area
- Denkin attacked the Don in summer 1918 but reds pushed back
- Kolchack captured Kazan and Samara but were halted
- Denekin almost reached Moscow but were forced back
- Yudenich was in close proximity to Moscow and Petrograd
- Kolchack was in retreat by autumn- shot in 1920
- Wrangle replaced Denikin in 1920
- British and French ships left
- 10 mil deaths
5
Q
Role of Trotsky
A
- skilful organiser and propagandist
- In charge of 3 mil men
- covered 65000 miles in agitprop train
- visited fronts to enthesis and inspire
- recruited 50000 tsarist army officers for experience
- appointed political commissars
- Discipline was harsh and punishment of death
- Conscription in some areas or labour battalions
- Atrocities committed
6
Q
Wartime gov
A
- increased power centralisation
- Petrograd replaced with Moscow
- 500000 party members fought for Red Army
- Soviet beurocracy grew - nomenklatura
- Party was structured well
- Politburo grew more than Sovnarkom
- More terror ‘siege mentality’
