Issue 5: THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR

• Trotsky was Commissar of the war, what was his reasonability?


  it was to keep the armed forces in check and make sure they were ready incase of the war.
• Trotsky organised the armed forces into a effective fighting force why?


  because incase of a war, Trotsky wanted to organise the Red Army into a effective fighting force who were better organised than the Whites by using harsh discipline and gave the chance for ex-tsarist officers the chance to train with the Reds.
• Trotsky used harsh discipline on the Red Army and used the death penally for desertion or cowardice why?


  Due to Trotsky's energy and determination rubbed off on the Red Army and his presence on the front line was known to have a positive effect on morale and created on important sense of unity.
• Lenin's support of Trotsky against the likes of Stalin and Zinoviev, his leadership, although he was more risk averse than Trotsky why?


  Lenin was driven and ruthless leader whose determination helped drive the Reds Army to victory.
• The White Generals never worked well together and could never agree on certain things or trust each other why?


  The whites lacked leadership as the leaders could not unite their forces which made it unclear what they were fighting for.
• At the beginning, the Volunteer Army (3,000) largely an officer's army and much better organised why?


  Trotsky was able to use the strength of the red army to launch a successful counter attacks which gave the whites a disadvantage as they did not have the best leadership to fight with.
• Reds used propaganda for Reds exploitation of the Whites weaknesses why?


  they used propaganda as the bolsheviks were seen as 'defenders of Russian motherland', they used propaganda to warn people the chance of the return of the days of hated tsarist regime if the white army won the civil war.
• The Reds had a clear goal of not only winning but also turning Russia into a socialist state which meant they were united behind a common ideology, why? 


  unity and sense of purpose to spread into the reds, as they shared the same goal of establishing a communist state in Russia, morale remained high through speeches and talk which reminded the Reds what they were fighting for.
• whites faced factionalism, they were made up of little groups within the party with different aims and beliefs, why?


  this made it hard for the whites to co-operate and impossible to develop a political strategy. they failed to forge a common purpose or military front against the reds due to them not being able to agree on what they were fighting for.
• the reds controlled Russia's rail network which was vital to the Bolshevik's war effort and the reds made it priority to protect the vital links between Petrograd and Moscow, why?


  the control of the railways meant the red were able to transport troops, protection and supplies to the front line as well as industrial resources to the cites.
• the reds took over the factories in Russia when they remained in control of the concentrated areas during the war, they were able to maintain the high level of industrial production during the war which helped them to make sure there was enough supplies and armaments, why?


  bolsheviks control of the railways meant it was extremely difficult for the whites forces to move troops and supplies effectively.
• central area was heavily populated (much more so than white-held areas), so the red armies outnumbered their white opponents, why?


  the bolsheviks controlled the concentrated areas, the white armies had to rely on supplies from abroad: these were often unreliable and insufficient quantities to sustain the white war effort.
• the white army was spread out across Russia which resulted in a lack of communication due to the no telephones links and had to use officers instead to horseback and covey messages, why?


  the whites were geographically isolated from one another meant that they were, in effect fighting their own individual wars with the reds.
• Lenin recognised the need for an organised centralised state and so introduced war communism. this is where he forced peasants to sell their own grain to the reds for a fixed price so they could ensure the army were always supplied and well fed which gave the army strength, why?


  superior economic resources led to red victory as in the areas they controlled, they had access to raw materials required to make armaments for the war effort.
• the bolsheviks too control over all industries for the production and distribution of goods in an attempt to, in line with socialist thinking, abolish the use of money and ban trade in the cities, why?


  the bolsheviks had a core support group of workers and soldiers but did no enjoy widespread popular support, war communism, and the way they managed the cities and food supply saw to that, if it had not been for other factors, they may have lost support because of this policy.
• the reds support from the peasants was crucial since they supplied the main body of soldiers on both sides, they had little love for both side and were just as inclined to desert from the red as from white army into which they had been conscripted, Lenin had promised them the right to their land 'Decree on land' which meant they would've private land ownership abolish, why?


  peasants were inclined to support the reds.
• peasants believed that if the whites won the war, the would be return to tsarist and landlords, they already had land from the bolsheviks whereas they feared the whites would restore land to former landowners, which meant the whites had less support, why?


  the peasants supported the reds , they just saw the whites as an even worse alternative.
• Robert service


  believes that the reds won due to Trotsky's ruthlessness as he rebuilt and transformed the red army into an effective fighting force.
• Evan Mawdsley


  argues that 'the bolsheviks held the Aladdin's cave throughout the civil war' when regarding the terrority held by the reds.