The Role of Trotsky in the Civil War Flashcards
What prior experience did Trotsky have?
He organised Bolshevik operations in October 1917 and had an unquestioned role as a speaker and theorist.
He had no military background
To what number did Trotsky raise the Red Army?
3 million
When was Trotsky appointed head of the Red Army?
March, 1918
What was Trotsky’s main role?
Boosting the morale of troops and other Bolshevik leaders, as well as organisation
Who was Trotsky’s White equivalent?
There was no leader amongst the Whites who matched Trotsky’s effectiveness
How many former Tsarist officers did Trotsky recruit?
50,000
For what did Trotsky use former Tsarist officers?
Training recruits
How did Trotsky ensure that former Tsarist officers remained loyal?
He attached political commissars, committed Party loyalists, to these groups whose responsibility it was to countersign orders and instil ideological principles.
How was harsh discipline employed?
The death penalty was reinstated for desertion or disloyalty
Summary executions were held to discourage waverers
The Cheka was used behind lines to shoot deserters
How did Trotsky help make the Red Army a professional fighting force?
He reintroduced traditional ranks and practices and abolished the Soldiers’ Soviets that had been set up after the revolution
He introduced conscription in some areas
He used labour battalions to clear debris/wounded/dead
How did the Reds indulge in brutal atrocities?
They engaged in torture and massacres
They often treated civilians badly to keep them in line
