Role of Leon Trotsky

• Became commissar for War in the Bolshevik government in March 1918
• He created the Red Army out of the Red Guards from the old Tsarist army
• Had a very tough system of discipline and control over the Red Army


  Officers who were found guilty of cowardice or treachery were executed while those who were initiative and had courage were promoted rapidly
• He created the Red Army out of the Red Guards from the old Tsarist government


  This means they had experienced soldiers
• Travelled in armoured trains to front lines to encourage troops and successfully encouraged troops to greater efforts and eventually, victory.