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RED VICTORY??? - Coggle Diagram
RED VICTORY???
Disunited nature of the White Army
Different aims
Return of the tsar
Dictatorship of the military
Return of the Constituent Assembly
Not one particular leader
Poor communication and teamwork
Territorial
Leaders wanted to control land and win Russia for themselves
e.g. Kolchak in Siberia, Deniken in Don region
Independent in their attacks
Defeated as they are fighting on too many fronts with small armies
Reliant on foreign support for money and weapons
Desertions
Initially had more forces than the Reds
Increasingly unpopular with peasants and workers
Reinstated landlords and harshly punished peasants who had seized land
Trotsky's military leadership
Made sure troops stayed loyal and did not desert
Used the death sentence for desertion
April 1918: Socialist Military Oath
Introduced the term 'Comrade'
Socialist ideology within the army
Employed ex-tsarist officers to train the troops
Reds didn't have military experience required
Took family members hostage to ensure loyalty
Maintained a large number of forces
Introduced the Red Banner (a medal)
Improved morale by rewarding troops
Kept communication lines open
Easy to take advantage of munition and transportation to keep the troops where they were needed most
Lenin's leadership
Moved capital from Petrograd to Moscow
Further from the Whites in the North
More secure from attack
Used CHEKA to remove opposition
1918: 50,000 killed
Tsar killed in 1918
No focus for tsarists
Did not get rid of Deniken and others
May 1918: Introduced conscription to Red Army
3 million --> 5.4 million by 1920
Arguably a less important factor
If Whites were united, Lenin's improvements would not have been able to match their large numbers.
Geographical placement of the Reds
Controlled key cities
More land power
More people
Control of factories
Munitions
Control of railways
Easier, quicker transportation
Trotsky was able to visit battle fronts on an armoured train
Kept soldiers up to date
Kept morale high
Reserves left from WWI
2.5 million rifles
28 million shells
Whites fighting on periphery of Russia
Harder to unite
Impact of foreign intervention
Made Whites appear to be fighting against "Mother Russia"
Divided
Lack of a single aim
Initially interested in Russia's commitment to WW1
US and Japan wanted to protect trade
Poland wanted independence