The Civil War 1918-21 Flashcards
Which parts of Russia were held by the Bols and how was this an advantage for them
Bols held central areas, including Petrograd and Moscow. This benefited them as they were heavily populated areas, making recruitment to the Red Army far easier and these areas contained the main armament factories in Russia, allowing them to continue to produce war materials.
What fell into the hands of the Bols and who had it previously belonged to
Much of the artillery, rifles and other military equipment of the old Russian army fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks.
Which city did the Bols make there capital and why was this beneficial during the Civil War
Bols moved their capital to Moscow, at the hub of the railway network, allowing them to transport men and munitions to the battle fronts more easily.
Which city became the Capital under the Bols
Moscow
Which side had larger numbers in their armed forces and why
Reds armed forces often vastly outnumbered their White opponents. This was because the central, Bols held, areas had large populations, allowing the Bols to conscript large numbers to fight.
Where were White forces located in Russia
Scattered around the areas of central, Bols held, central areas.
What is another name for the Bolsheviks
The Reds
Who were the Bols fighting in the Civil War
The Whites, as well as the Greens
How did the positioning/location of the Whites benefit the Bolsheviks
The fact that the Whites were scattered around the central, Bols held, areas made white communications difficult, especially moving men and weapons, and also meant that white armies were seperated by large distances. These 2 factors made co-ordinating the attacks of different white armies extremely difficult, benefitting the Bols as white attacks were often uncoordinated and easy to defeat.
What methods of communication were used by the Whites and how did this compare to that of the reds/Bols.
The Reds had telephone links, making for quick and easy communication over large distances, whereas the Whites had no telephone links and had to use the far slower and less effective (as well as being risky as could be easily intercepted if know about) method of officer on horseback to convey messages
Describe the command structure of the Bols
The Bolsheviks has a single, unified command structure
What was Trotsky’s role in the civil war
Organised the Red Army into an effective fighting force that was stronger that that if the whites. He had turned the Red Army from a ‘flabby, panicky mess’ into a better organised army that the Whites.
He was able to keep morale high and rally men by being an inspiring leader and speech maker. Also played a role in being fierce by bringing his troops to fight at the fiercest parts of the front line. Also agreed with Lenin on restoring discipline to Red Army and frequently used the death penalty.
What did different White groups believe and what problems did this cause for the Whites. How did this differ from Reds
Different groups with entirely different aims and beliefs. They could not agree on whether they were fighting for monarchism, republicanism or for the Constituent Assembly. This made it hard for the different armies to co-operate and impossible to develop a political strategy. They were also split by their views on national minorities. Reds were opposite, they benefited as they were all unified under 1 common goal- to keep the Bolsheviks in power.
Why would white general often refuse to co-operate or work together. What impact did this have on Whites
Wouldn’t work together as they did not trust or like each other. Impacted Whites as it meant that they had little chance of developing a co-ordinated military strategy.
Give an example of a White general who other generals refused to co-operate with
Other generals were suspicious of Kolchak’s motives and intentions therefore wouldn’t co-operate with him.
Who was the leader of the Red Army
Trotsky, who has proved to be a superb leader.
Why was Trotsky considered to be a superb leader of the Red Army
- He was personally brave and took his special forces to the the parts of the Front where the fighting was the fiercest.
- He was able to inspire and rally men.
Who agreed with Trotsky over the controversial issue of restoring discipline to the Red Army
Lenin and Trotsky agreed over this issue
Which form of discipline/ punishment was frequently used in the Red Army and who was it used against
Death penalty was frequently used against those who attempted to dessert or refused to fight in the Front Line.
Which class did Red Army conscripts come from and how did this I compare to that of the whites.
Both the Reds and the Whites used unwilling peasant conscripts, however the Bols held central areas and so were able to force more people to conscript and fight. Less likely to desert from Red Army as unlike the whites their leader was inspiring and disciplined
What would happen to peasant conscripts if they retreated in a battle
Unwilling peasants knew that certain death lay before them if they retreated as they would be machine-gunned by their own side.
What were the White leaders often described as being
Second rate. Several were cruel and treated their men with contempt
What did White leaders remind the soldiers of. What was the impact of this
The worst aspects of the Russian army and tsarist rule. Therefore, there was little natural warmth or support for the White leaders and many soldiers deserted.
What did Denkin say about the discipline of his White army
‘I can do nothing with my army. I am glad when it carries out my combat orders’
What was a great problem within White armies
The level of indiscipline and corruption in the White Armies was extraordinary
Give an example of a corrupt and undisciplined White army
The Omsk (Kolchak’s base) was corrupt with uniforms and munitions, which had been supplied by foreign interventionist governments who supported the whites, being sold on the black market. Meanwhile, officers lived in brothels in a haze of cocaine and vodka. Furthermore, units of the Red Army sometimes ended up in English army uniforms and prostitutes in English nurses’ uniforms.
Which class was crucial in terms of support for both sides
The support of the peasants was crucial since they supplied the main body of soldiers for both sides.
Were the peasants more likely to support the Reds or the Whites
Unwilling peasant conscripts had little love for either side and were just as inclined to desert from Red as from White armies.
How was Lenin able to increase support of the conscripted peasants for the Reds.
Lenin had legitimised their right to their land, where as the Whites made it clear that land would be restored to its previous owners (ex-Tsarits/ Bourgeoisie). Kolchak evem gave estates to landlords who had not owned them before the revolution.
What was the aim of many white leaders and from where had they lost support.
The Whites had lost support of nationalist groups and Wjite leaders wanted to restore the Russian empire with its pre-1917 borders. This anatgonised nationalist groups (separists) such as the Ukrainians and Georgians who were looking for more autonomy in their affairs or complete independence. Therefore, separists would not support the Whites when they were in their territory.(helped the Bols).
Who made up the core group of Bolshevik supporters
The Bols had a core support group of some workers and soldiers but they did not enjoy widespread popular support. War Communism and the way they managed the cities saw to that. However, urban workers and peasants wnated to protect the gains of 1917 and the Reds seemed to offer them their best chance of doing this.
What were the Whites associated with
The old (Tsarist) system of government.
