Russian Civil War

• What 5 reasons caused the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War?

  1. Disunity of Opposition
  2. Organisation of Bolsheviks
  3. Leadership of Leon Trotsky
  4. Bolshevik control of infrastructure
  5. Effectiveness of Bolshevik Terror
• Disunity of Opposition

  • Ideological disunity, some Whites wanted a return to Tsarism, some Whites wanted a democracy.
  • Opposition infighting, anti-Bolshevik forces wasted resources fighting eachother, Ukrainian nationalists fought Whites and Reds.
  • Failure of White armies to combine, 3 separate White armies: Yudenich had 14k, Denikin had 100K, Red Army numbered over 3.5 million soldiers
• Organisation of the Bolsheviks

  • War Communism, nationalisation of all industry and agriculture, economy directed towards war effort.
  • Strong central leadership under Lenin and Trotsky, Bolsheviks were ideologically united
• Leadership of Leon Trotsky

  • Military leadership, recruited Tsarist officers to ensure military experience, ensured military control of railways.
  • Created the Red Army, so successful that it numbered 5 million by 1921
  • Charismatic public speaker, train covered 70K miles, delivered rousing speeches
• Bolshevik control of infrastructure

  • Controlled railway system, able to move soldiers easily, prevented opponents from getting supplies.
  • Controlled industry, control of industrial cities such as Petrograd, able to produce military weapons, conscripted people to work in military factories.
  • Set up War Commission to organise industrial and agricultural efforts
• Effectiveness of Bolshevik Terror

  • Created the Cheka, secret police force, killed opponents of Bolsheviks,
  • Intimidated opponents, Oryol ice statues, burned entire villages, Cheka responded to 118 peasant uprisings in February 1921 alone