The Civil War.

• Why did the Reds win the Civil War?

  • The Red Army was more disciplined and in 1918, Conscription was introduced by the Bolsheviks.
  • By 1920, the Red Army numbered in five million = a much stronger force.
  • Trotsky and Lenin were successful in getting a number of ex-Tsarist officers with experience, meaning they had a big army led by very experienced officers.
• Why did the Reds win?

  • Trotsky was a highly successful leader. He travelled to the frontlines, encouraging discipline and support from his troops = boosting morale.
  • Bolsheviks saw the war as an ideological conflict - against the capitalist/bourgeois class, made them more unified.
  • a crucial way to present the war, it further encouraged discipline and support. Showed that the Reds were fighting for a common cause.
  • The Reds had a greater control of the railways and industrial areas. They had more resources to utilise and the railways meant they could be coordinated and get places quicker.
• Why did the Reds win?

  • They had control over Moscow and Petrograd.
  • The majority of the population lived here.
  • This meant that there were probably more people who would be willing to fight and more people that they could conscript.
• Weakness of the Whites:

  • Whites gained more support from allies/foreign support, but this caused problems.
  • There was a pressure to prove to them that Russia could do well (Kolchak's attack in Spring, 1919) and as soon as WW1 ended, the allies didn't see much point in supporting the Whites.
  • The Bolsheviks used their allied help as a propaganda spin, which created more unity among the Reds.
  • No unity among the Whites (loads of different groups), so they had no unity ideology.
  • They were scattered geographically (compare it to the Bolsheviks' united force), making communication difficult.
• Weakness of the Whites (2):

  • They had no central leadership (unlike Lenin as a Red figurehead), stemming from no unity within the army.
  • And they had a problem with desertation - coming from no discipline in the army.
  • They were dotted all over Russia, and were not in control of areas with large populations, or areas with high industrial outputs and railroads.
• The impact of government and centralisation:

  • The Red army and the Chekka (secret police) played roles in supporting the regime during the war.
  • The Chekka eliminated political opposition in Bolshevik-controlled areas, which ensured Bolsheviks had 100% control. Therefore, there would be no chance of an uprising in Moscow/Petrograd.
  • Discipline was enforced by using the Chekka within the Red Army.
  • Deserters from the Red Army were shot (unlike the White army were desertation was a huge problem).
• Lenin's Centralisation (consolidating power within one person in order to strengthen control over a region/country):

  • Red victory could be mainly due to Lenin's ability to centralise power.
  • In theory, centralisation was against Communist ideals because Communism was more about collective ownership.
  • But centralisation continued long after Red victory.
  • At first, it was seen as a need for victory, but when it continued Lenin justified it by saying that the revolutionary government was still in danger (maybe this was true - there was an assassination attempt on Lenin in August 1918).
• There have been historical debates about how justified Lenin's centralisation was, but at the time of the civil war, it was probably highly necessary.
• State Capitalism:

  • Generally seen as a pragmaticc way of responding to the problems faced in Russia, 1918. They had been through a lot: two revolutions, a world war, a civil war was about to happen.
  • Some economic policy had to be implemented for the economy to recover.
  • Lenin believed that by nationalising the industry, he'd be making the government and economy more efficient. By nationalising the industry, he was able to employ professionals to run the economy, which would make it more able to deal with the problems at the time.
• Under State Capitalism, control of the nationalised industries were centralisation.

  • All nationalised industries became run by the Vesenkha - "Supreme Soviet of the National Economy", a group of economic experts that were put in charge of running the national eonomy.
• The Vasenkha:

  • Used to re-establish worker discipline.
  • Ensure factories were properly managed.
  • Co-ordinated economic production to improve efficiency, which was VERY important going into the Civil War.
  • The Reds won the war mainly because of this centralisation of economic production, and the efficient discipline within the Red Army and workers.
• How did the Vesenkha improve efficiency?

  • Offered higher pay to the more productive workers = incentives.
  • Placing factories under the control of well-paid specialists.
  • However, not all factories were nationalised - the smaller ones were seen to run better/be more effective if they were run by the workers OR if they were given back to the capitalists to run.
  • This wasn't as big of a deal to give back to the capitalistss because the factories were smaller.
• War Communism:

  • Perhaps the most significant economic policy that took place during the Civil War.
  • The Soviet Regime needed to re-organise the economy in order to survive the Civil War - a Red Victory WAS NOT inevitable.
  • The economy needed to meet the needs of the war economy. By May 1918, the economy was on the brink of collapse (hyperinflation) and Government intervention was necessary to ensure the survival of the economy and the regime.
• War Communism was brought it to help the Russian economy survive. Its aims were threefold:

  1. Ensure that high levels of industrial production were being met.
  2. Ensure that there were efficiently allocated workers to implement the means of economy.
  3. To increase and maintain food production to feed everyone (especially our soldiers and workers).

  In order to achieve these goals, several policies were put into place to implement War Communism.
• War Communism: Grain Requistioning (not communist):

  • Carried out by Chekka squads and Red Army soldiers.
  • They went around seizing Grain and other foods from peasants and agricultural workers, though the peasants resisted.
• War Communism: Rationing (element of communism: giving the class enemy less - motivated by a desire to punish the class enemy and wipe them out):

  • The stolen grain from the peasants was then rationed. The Supply Commisserariet rationed the foods stolen by the Chekka.
  • Red Army soldiers and the labour force were given priority rations.
  • Smaller rations were given to people like doctors - civil servants and professionals.
  • The smallest rations were given to the Bourgeois.
  • This was a class based system of rationing.
• War Communism: Abolotion of Money:

  • More of a necessity.
  • Before War Communism, the government tried printing more money, but this only led to hyperinflation.
  • Money became worthless, so soldiers and workers became paid in rations.
  • This effectively led to the Abolition of paper money.
• Banning of Private Trade (communist):

  • All private Trade and manufacturers were banned.
  • But the industry was not producing enough consumer goods (clothing, shoes).
  • So a black market developed. Without it, most people would not have survived.
• Nationalism of Industry (communist):

  • All businesses were taken over by the state.
  • Administered by the Vesenkha.
  • A decree in June 1918.
  • Workers Committees were replaced by single, former bourgeois, managers known as "specialists".
  • This was a development from state capitalism.
  • But did not do much to improve the industry production.
• War Communism: Conscription:

  • workers were assigned to either work or fight.
• Labour Discipline: not communist - more capitalist, the left-wing Bolsheviks would've likely dissaproved of this.

  • Discipline was brought back into the workplace.
  • There were fines for lateness and absenteeism.
  • Internal passports were produced to stop people from fleeing to the countryside.
  • Piece-work-rates and bonuses were brought back along with a workbook that was needed to get rations.
• Piece work rates: you get paid per item you produce. It means that you're probably not likely to get paid as much (for example, if you have a bad day, this could affect your work: you won't make as much, so you won't be paid as much).
• War Communism was relatively successful in its AIMS, which were keeping the Red Army well supplied.

  However, it also eventually led to economic collapse and political crisis.
• RED TERROR:

  • Following an assassination attempt on Lenin's life on the 30th August, 1918, a campaign of violence began.
  • As the Bolsheviks' control spread across Russia into 1921, the violence, known as "Red Terror" followed.
  • Not much is known about the impact of Red Terror, however. Official estimates say that there were 13, 000 deaths at the hands of the Chekka. However, historians argue that it is higher - around half a million deaths.
• War Communism: June 1918 - March 1921.