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Reasons for a Bolshevik Victory in the Civil War - Coggle Diagram
Reasons for a Bolshevik Victory in the Civil War
Enemy's disunity
Ex-radicals found it hard to work with former right-wing tsarist generals
Tsar's assassination deprived them of a uniting figurehead
Contrast with the Bolshevik's single programme and unifying cause and goals
White generals did not tolerate separatism while relying on Polish and Finnish armies
Bolshevik's geographical advantage
Possessed all key arms industries and factories
Distances between White bases were enormous; coordinating attacks was difficult
Bolsheviks had the heart of the railway system; it was easy and fast to transport troops
Central Russia had a much larger population pool; they could recruit more people
White terror
Loss of 'green' support
Peasants came to realise that only a Bolshevik victory would enable them to retain the lands they had taken
Foreign Intervention
Withdrawal of crucial foreign troops at the end of 1919 crippled White forces
Bolsheviks were able to portray theselves as defensors of the motherland
Trotsky's leadership
Trotsky was responsible for much of the reorganisation of the Red Army
He would travel all of Russia in a train that served as his headquarters, visiting the front lines and inspiring the troops
Reorganisation of Red Army
By August 1918, the size of the red army had increased from 100,000 to 500,000 men. By January 1920 5 million men had been enlisted
Early experiments with soldier's soviets were removed; replaced with ranks and harsh military discipline (reintroduction of the death penalty)
Effective propaganda
Propaganda trains carried media to the front lines to spread the Bolshevik message
Solders had something they believed in to fight for
War Communism