The Reasons for the Red Victory Flashcards
How were numbers a strength for the Reds?
They were a disciplined fighting force and in 1918 introduced conscription so by 1920 they had 5 million soldiers
What did Trotsky then use to strengthen the Reds further?
Military ranks and discipline and utilised the experience of ex-tsarist officers
How did leadership strengthen the Reds?
Trotsky’s leadership was crucial to the Reds success - he travelled around the front like on his armoured train and his ruthlessness and dedicated encouraged the troops
How did the Reds present war?
An ideological conflict, to ensure loyalty and commitment to the cause for which they were fighting
How did Red controlled areas strengthen them?
Controlled industrial areas as well as hub of railway system therefore able to produce and transport materials for the war effort
Throughout war Reds controlled Moscow and Petrograd - enabled to draw on the heartland of the Russian population(70 million) to supply men for the war effort
Central areas - whites had to operate around
The Whites received allied support - how did this become a weakness?
The support dried up after the end of WW1 as the need to change the Russian government to reopen the Eastern front was no longer needed and countries were war-weary
Lenin used the Allied intervention as a Propaganda tool suggesting white armies were puppets of allies
What was a key weakness of the Whites surrounding division?
The White armies fought as separate detachments and were divided among themselves as unlike the Bolsheviks they didn’t have a united ideology or common purpose
Why was geography a weakness for the Whites?
They were geographically scattered - made communications problematic and make it difficult to mount a united attack against the Reds (Leaders of Kolchak’s and Denikin’s forces often had to hold their meetings in Paris
What else did the Whites suffer from?
Desertions and lacked centralised leadership to instil discipline into the forces
What were some of the main allied interventions in the civil war?
France established a base around the Black Sea port of Odessa
British troops fought at Archangel and British warships entered Russian waters in the Baltic and Black seas
Japanese troops occupied Russia’s far eastern port of Vladivostok
Czech, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish and Romanian troops crossed into Russia
US troops occupied parts of Siberia
The Cheka and Red army played complementary roles in the civil war, what were these roles?
Cheka sought to eliminate political opposition in communist controlled areas and the Red army defended communist controlled areas from attack by opposition forces based outside communist territory
Red army attacked opposition forces to gain more territory - the Cheka enforced discipline inside the army and were authorised to shoot deserters
What was Lenin’s main method of ensuring victory and what was the problem with this?
Centralising power - this took away power from the workers, soldiers and peasants that Communists claim to represent
How did Lenin justify the continued centralisation after the civil war?
He argued that the revolutionary government still faced threats and therefore centralisation must continue
In march 1918 what did the Bolshevik party officially change their name to?
The All-Union Communist Party, from then on they were called the Communist party and Lenin’s followers ‘Communists’ - the term Bolshevik died out
What were the six main reasons that the Reds won?
Ruthlessness of Bolsheviks Failure of allies to provide sufficient help to whites Positioning of the Bolsheviks Bolshevik leadership War communism Trotsky's reorganisation of the red army
How did War communism win the war for the Reds?
Government controlled all industries with more than ten workers, private trade banned, illegal to go on strike and peasants only keep the grain they needed (enforced by Cheka) - ensured the reds had enough supplies and food - grain collecting squads
How did Bolshevik leadership win the war for the Reds?
Trotsky = brilliant organiser and inspirational figure who moved from front line to front line - no such white figure
Reds had a driving sense of purpose and dedication and due to Trotsky’s extreme methods a capable force was raised
How did the reorganisation of the Red army win the war for the reds?
Accepted former Tsarist officers willing to serve which saved time and money on training
Ensured discipline by holding family hostages
Created an effective fighting force
How did the ruthlessness of the Bolsheviks help win the war for the Reds?
Terror was employed against opponents (Cheka) Red Terror
Former officials, priests, landlords and whites were all executed
Killed former Tsar to eradicate possibility of his return
Held power at all costs
How did the failure of the allies to provide sufficient help to the whites win the war for the Reds?
Help largely dried up at end of WW1 as reluctant to continue fighting
Although received money and military equipment , made Bolsheviks seem good against foreign intervention
Attempts to cooperate with Whites were unsuccessful and troops began to withdraw - lack of support
What were five key reasons why the Whites lost?
Geographical positioning (lack of supplies and communication difficult)
Divided on the end goal - only united by anti-Bolshevik
Lacked centralised leadership
Major recruitment and desertion issues (too small a force)
Often fought independent battles
How crucial was Trotsky in terms of discipline?
Anyone found guilty of Cowardice and treachery were executed (reintroduced the death penalty)
Ensured loyalty by placing political commissar along side every officer and made all commands invalid unless signed by both
Families would be help hostage
Placed blocking units at rear of front line shooting deserters (Cheka)
How key was Trotsky in terms of recruitment?
He was responsible for recruiting 50,000 officers from the old army and found recruits when army was on the point of disintegration
Conscription introduced in some areas
How crucial was Trotsky in terms of morale?
He personally took command of areas under threat to inspire them to victory and personally visited front lines reminding them of the revolution they were protecting
When was the Civil war?
Nov 1917 - Oct 1922
What else did Trotsky introduce?
Labour bataillions (sometimes made up of bourgeoise) and we’re used on the front line to clear debris and remove bodies and the wounded
Civilians in occupied areas badly treated in order to encourage rest of population to keep in line
