Russian Civil War
Overview
very complex
many forces operating over a large territory
confusing
sides were not clearly defined
White forces made substantial gains in late 1918 and autumn 1919
put the Bolsheviks in a crisis situation
by October 1919, the Bolsheviks began to beat the Whites (one army by one army)
Oct 1919 onwards the pushed the Whites back continuously until their final defeat at the end of 1920
Reds in a stronger
centred and concentrated
stronger position geographically
better organisation, communication and clear command structure
still had problems - high desertion rate
Weakness of Whites
lacked good leadership, unity and coordination
Trotsky was good at organising Red Army - he had energy and bravery
lacked support from peasants and minorities (they preferred policies of Bolsheviks)
War communism
adopted by Lenin to meet the needs of the army and conduct a civil war on the internal front
Communists saw this as the route towards a Socialist state
most people's experience of War Communism - a terrible time of privations and chaos
Terror essential component of this internal civil war to defeat counter-revolution
The Civil War
by Spring 1918, armed opposition to the Bolsheviks was developing in many parts of Russia
most army commanders were anti-communist
now they were pulled out of the war, they could overthrow the Bolsheviks
General Kornilov and General Denikin led an anti-Bolshevik army in the South
Admiral Kolchak commanded the White army in Western Siberia - became the most important White General
General Yudenich led a White army in Estonia
White Army
a diverse group
ex-tsarist commanders, Kadets, some SRs and right-wing political organisations
often clashed with each other
e.g. in June 1918, Victor Chernov set up an SR government in Samara. Admiral Kolchak clashed with Chernov
Nov 1918 - communists relaxed their treatment of Mensheviks and SRs and joined forces with them
Green army fought whites and reds
they were a nationalist peasant group - e.g. Ukraine
Use of Terror
Causes
Consequences
Why did Bolsheviks War
Weaknesses of Whites
Strengths of Reds
Trotsky
lacked political unity or unified leadership
never co-ordinated their attacks
some wanted to restore the Tsar
others wanted to set up a Republic or Military dictatorship
White commanders had their forces spread over thousands of miles- they filed to link up
the nearer they got to Moscow, the more strained communication became
more unified
better leadership
united behind Lenin
Lenin
shared Lenin's ideology
Trotsky
were ruthless and pragmatic
able to push through controversial but necessary politics
e.g. reintroducing one-man management in the factories
employing ex-Tsarist officers into the Red army
controlled a more coherent and compact area
communists were defending a central region
which was well served by railways
used by Reds and Whites
Red Terror
began September 1918
but had existed since July
during Civil War, Cheka executed at least 50,000 suspected counter revolutionaries
Czech Legion
dates of civil war tricky - usually said to be when the Czech Legion revolted in May 1918
Czech Legion consisted of Austro-Hungarian prisoners
who were returning via the trans-siberian railway to Wester Europe to fight against the Central Powers
with the hope of being awarded an independent Czech state
clashed with the Bolshevik forces in May
joined the White troop to overthrow Bolsheviks
ended in end of 1920
Foreign Intervention
Whites
USA
France
Britain
Italy
Japan
help was half-hearted and soon withdrawn
Interventionist powers were:
worried about the possibility of a communist revolution spreading to their own countries
angry that the Bolsheviks refused to pay back foreign loans
initially hoped that, if they helped overthrow the Bolsheviks, Russia might rejoin the war against Germany
British intervention helped to ensure that the Baltic states were able to break away from Russia and become independent
little more was achieved through this foreign aid
Communist Party had won the Civil War
brutality of War Communism had made it deeply unpopular
economic and social programme
enabled them to attract and keep mass (if not majority) support
powerful instruments of force
Red Army
Cheka
the heartland of the Russian state - around Petrograd and Moscow
their opposition were restricted to the periphery amidst competing political and ethnic interests
Britain and France
severely short of troops to spare
requested that President Wilson provide American soldiers for the campaign
July 1918, Wilson agreed to the limited participation of 5,000 US Army troops in the campaign
against the advice of the US Department of War,
knowns at the 'American North Russia Expeditionary Force (AKA the Polar Bear Expedition)
a further 8,000 soldiers were in the American Expeditionary Force Siberia
sent to Arkhangelsk
shipped to Vladivostok from the Philippines and from Camp Fremont in California
when Lenin planned the 1917 revolution, he believed it would be impossible to create a socialist state in Russia
due to its lack of industry
unless help from more advanced countries was achieved
Lenin assumed that Communism would spread to other areas of Europe
bu 1921, Lenin realised Russia was going to be the only Communist country for a while
Communist revolutions had failed in Germany and Hungary (1919-1920)
Lenin knew a strong army and secret police were necessary to defend his government from internal and external threats
dictatorship would have to continue indefinitely
War Communism
Events
internal passports introduced
to stop industrial workers from moving to the countryside
discipline reasserted into factories - abolishing 1917 decree
Trotsky wanted to tighten control and even create a labour army under military discipline
Lenin overruled him
nationalism of industry saw a return to one-man management in place of worker's councils
after 1918 (onwards)
food
rationing introduced
Zinoviev: they were given 'just enough bread so as to not forget the smell of it'
biggest rations went to Red Army soldiers and worker in heavy industry
next were the civil servants and workers in light industry
then were the capitalists, landlords and middle classes (at the bottom)
requisitioned from peasantry by the state
in practice, requisitioning meant the straightforward theft of grain
Food brigades sent out from towns to extract grain from the peasantry
where necessary, the Red Army and Cheka were also used
nationalised industries operated under the overall supervision of the Supreme council of National Economy (Vesenkha)
Vesenkha had been formed in December 1917
in the course of 1918, industry was brought under state control
Results
brutality of war communism made Communist Party deeply unpopular
GDP, industry and exports decreased
war communism ensured that the Red Army was fed and equipped
took the majority of resources
70% of shoes
60% of food
War communism did not prevent the continuing fall in industrial and agricultural output
economic crisis was equally as bad in white controlled areas
by 1921
industrial production had fallen to 20% of the 1913 level
grain harvest was 50% of the 1913 level
peasants decided it was not worth growing food to have it taken
therefore, they reduced their sowing
led to a terrible food shortage
led to large-scale migration from the cities
1917-1920, urban population fell by 33%
Key Features
Old inflation ridden country was abandoned
trade was by barter
instead wages were paid in food and fuel
food and grain seized from peasants by Red Guards to feed the workers and troops
military discipline was applied to the factories
middle class managers, accountants and engineers brought back to run the factories
most had been placed under workers' control in the months after the revolution (usually with disastrous results)
all factories of any size were nationalised
War with Poland (1920-21)
In January 1920, the Reds recaptured Ukraine
Poland then invaded Ukraine to expand its borders
Red Army then pushed them out and invaded Poland
Lenin anticipated Communist revolt in Poland - it did not happen
Red Army withdrew and the Treaty of Riga was signed in March 1921