Civil War: Part 2

1
Civil War Part 2
2
Summary Reasons for the Civil War

• Collapse of the Russian Empire
• Political Opposition
• Allied Opposition
• Breakdown of Law and Order
• Food Requisitioning

3
What were the key events of the Russian Civil War?

• 1918-20

4

• Long term factors (events, changes that had been
  increasing tensions in Russia)
• Bolshevik policies to create one-party state
  alienate allies (e.g. Soc Revs Mensheviks)
• Liberals Conservatives opposed closure of
  Const. Assembly Sovnakom

• Short term factors (events that sparked the Civil
  War)
• Clashes between Bolsheviks Czech Nationalists
  who were suspicious of Bolsheviks attracted
  White support

5
Why were the Reds successful?

• The Russian Civil War, 1918-1920

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? Your task
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Factors favouring Reds

• Support from abroad, e.g. Germany some cities set
  up Communist govt. e.g. Munich
• Russo-Polish War (1919-21) enabled Bolsheviks to
  portray themselves as defenders of nation
• Personality of Trotsky reorganised the Red Army
  along hierarchical lines, brought back Tsarist
  officers political commissars attached to each
  unit labour battalions of former people
  formed inspirational figure use of technology
  e.g. war train
• Red Army drew on workers peasant conscripts
  5 million troops by 1921 strict discipline, e.g.
  death penalty for deserting
• Geography Reds controlled key cities, moved
  capital to Moscow at centre of railway network
  centre of industrial production heavily
  populated
• Propaganda Reds won propaganda war as defenders
  of Russian territory, defenders of peasant land,
  prospect of new society
• War Communism provided food supplies

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Factors against the Reds

• Terms of the Treaty of Riga very harsh
  surrendered large areas of White Russia Ukraine
  to Poles
• Personality of Trotsky imprisoned families of
  White officers to ensure their loyalty betrayal
  of Bolshevik ideals return of hierarchy, use of
  Tsarist officers, ending of soldiers committees
• Red Army peasant conscripts were uncommitted,
  regular uprisings or joined Greens 1 million
  desert in 1918, 4 million deserted by 1921
  resentment of burzhui officers and anti-Semitism
  strict discipline led to poor morale
• War Communism favoured army, peasants resented
  requisitioning

9
Factors favouring Whites

• Allied troops based in Russia in theory to reopen
  E front against Germany
• Churchill sent 100 supplies to help Whites
• Expertise of military generals, e.g. Deniken
  Yudenich Admiral Kolchak

10
Factors going against them

• Opposition abroad, e.g. Lloyd-George PM British
  Labour Party
• French were anti-Bolshevik, but troops lacked
  commitment French fleet mutinied on Black Sea
• Japanese interested in gaining territory on
  Pacific coastline
• US troops preoccupied with stopping Japan
  annexing territories
• Divisions Soc Revs who set up Komuch (Comm. Of
  Membs. Of Const. assemb.) formed an unhappy
  alliance with Omsk govt. of conservatives
  appointed Kolchak as C-in-C, who then executed
  leading Soc Revs. Souther Volunteer Army fought
  with Cossacks, but in separate units and Cossacks
  unwilling to fight outside their territory
• Brutality ethnic cleansing, esp. by Cossacks
  pogroms against Jews
• White Army peasant conscripts uncommitted since
  Whites wished to restore land to landowners poor
  disciple, e.g. uniforms equipment sold on black
  market, alcoholism rife amongst officers
• Geography large distances between armies v.
  poor communications

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Question

• Did the people support the Communists in the
  Civil War?
• Source Exercise
• Oxley, p.122-3