The Russian Civil War Flashcards
What was War Communism and why did Lenin introduce it?
. War Communism was effectively the government taking direct control of all industry in Russia as well as requisitioning grain from the peasants to feed the workers and soldiers.
. Lenin introduced this to ensure that the Red Army’s had all the food and equipment they needed to win the war.
Who was involved in the civil war and what did they want?
. The Reds - These were the Bolshevik government and they wanted the full implementation of a communist regime.
. The Whites - Led by former Tsarist Generals such as Kornilov, this group wanted the Royal family returned to the ruling seat of Russia.
. The Greens - These were a variety of different groups who wanted independence from Russia e.g. The Georgians and the. Ukrainians.
. Foreign intervention - Countries such as the US, UK and France did not want a Bolshevik government in power, so they supplied the whites with money and equipment.
What were the strengths of the Reds?
. Munitions and Railways - The Bolsheviks controlled the key industrial areas of Petrograd and Moscow which meant they had a ready supply of equipment, also they had access to the railways which gave them better manoeuvrability than the Whites.
. Morale - The Reds were united by a common cause while the Whites were a collection of a variety of different ideas which meant they were split. The Reds had strength through unity.
. Terror - The Reds made use of terror to effectively get all they wanted and the newly created Cheka was effective in hunting down and eliminating opponents of the Bolsheviks which lowered internal opposition.
What were the weaknesses of the Whites?
. Divisions - Apart from there obvious desire to defeat the Reds the white army’s were never truly unified and as a result did not maintain similar aims and as a result rarely fought together, this along with the fact they were geographically far apart allowed the Reds to defeat them one by one.
. Lack of Allied support - After white weaknesses were made apparent to the allies, they quickly withdrew support and the Whites collapsed soon after. Also many allied nations were unwilling to be dragged into another war so soon after WW1.
How was Trokskys leadership pivotal?
. Trotsky was able to turn a tired collection of old red guards into a formidable army of 3million men which under training from ex Tsarists officers and his leadership were able to defeat the White army’s one after another.
. He also introduced Conscription under the slogan ‘Everything for the front’ which enabled the army to replace its losses and continue fighting.
. Trokskys strong leadership also enabled the army to maintain a high morale which enabled it to keep fighting effectively.
