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Why were the Bolsheviks able to defeat their domestic enemies in the…
Why were the Bolsheviks able to defeat their domestic enemies in the Russian Civil War?
Geography
Access to facilities for the Red Army that the White's don't have and have to rely on foreign power for.
Controlled densely populated areas.
Bolshevik territory had a population of 70 million 1918-19
White Army territory had a population of 20 million so the Bolsheviks had the numerical advantage in battle.
The White army were geographically dispersed and their generals launched attacks at random sporadic times which allowed the Red Army to move around them and defeat them one by one. At first they depended solely on volunteers in Russia such as the Cossacks but because of the smaller population in the areas they controlled they needed help from the foreign powers and relied on that.
Access to factories for making munitions.
could produce more munitions than the White forces.
Giant Putilov factory was one of the largest factories in Petrograd in the Putilov region and it granted the Bolsheviks permission to use it to make munitions and armaments. The Whites relied on handouts from the foreign powers such as Britain, France, USA and Japan.
Also inherited the entire Tsarist forces munitions stockpile from WW1. The Red army are estimated to have acquired 2.5 million rifles, 12,000 artillery pieces and 28 million shells.
Access to the Trans-Siberian railway network.
The White forces had to operate around the Bolshevik held territory so they were much slower at sending reinforcements to the battle fronts.
The Trans-Siberian railway system radiated outwards from Moscow and allowed the Bolsheviks to move their reinforcements and soldiers quickly to and from the battlefronts.
It is what allowed Trotsky to able to visit the battle fronts as Commissar of War so that he could take personal command.
The White’s were also disadvantaged when it came to sending communications between armies especially with so many different foreign powers sending troops to Russia to help fight the Bolsheviks. It was almost impossible for commanders to coordinate their activities.
size of the red army
White army relied on allied forces of Britain, France, USA and Japan for troops and supplies/equipment
Trotsky and the Red Army
Red army
Conscription
The Discipline in the Red Army was vicious and violent
Those who deserted or found guilty of unjustified retreat were liable to execution.
Compulsory Military Service for Mass of the Population was reintroduced in May 1918.
Elections of the Red Army
Trotsky was able to choose people with some experience such as ex-Tsarist officers .
Some of these Military specialists choose to Join the Red Army while others were forced to Join to earn money while others were forced through Conscription and were often threatened that if they deserted they Family could face Reprisals.
The hopes of electing the Officers were completely scrapped and so where chosen via the Traditional system of being appointed by senior positions in power.
This was so that they had officers who were only loyal to the Bolsheviks and the Bolshevik leaders such as Trotsky and Lenin to make for a more efficient fighting force.
Problems with the Red Army
Poorly trained units and poorly equipped army units
However, they were better equipped than the White army as the Bolsheviks inherited almost the entire munition stockpile of the ex-Tsarits forces from WW1 when the Bolsheviks took over Petrograd in 1917 October Revolution.
Big issues of Disease- in 1920 1/3 of the red army had typhus
This was due to poor hygiene conditions on the battlefront.
big ongoing issue of Desertion -Mid 1919- 250,000 deserted every month
This was despite the death penalty awaiting anyone who was caught.
The desertions usually took place around harvest time as many soldiers came from peasant villages where they were needed for farm labour
Monitoring of the Red Army
Every order made by a Military commander had to be Countersigned off by a Political Commissar before it came into force.
Up to 1921 about 50,000 ex- Tsarists officers served in the Red Army and most of them stayed Loyal to the Bolshevik regime.
Trotsky monitored them using a system of ‘Dual Command’ in which every ex-Tsarist Commander was supervised by a political Commissar or Minder who had been proven to be loyal to the Bolshevik regime
The Bolsheviks needed the ‘Military Specialists’ but they didn’t trust them due to their links to the Tsarist regime.
End of 1918- 1 Million men
by 1921- 5 Million men
Trotsky
Trotsky was appointed the People’s Commissar for War in March 1918 until November 1924
Trotsky's role was to build a successful Army- was named the 'Red Army'
Trotsky played a large role in the success of the Bolsheviks in the civil war.
Inspirational figure
travelled across the home front in his armored train to rally soldiers with speeches
Trotsky was great at Tactical skills
Not great at Battlefield skills
He was often backed by Generals in the Red Army
Semyon Budenny ( a farm labour who rose through the ranks after being conscripted in 1903)
Mikhail Frunze ( a fully committed Bolshevik)
Mikhail Tukhachevsky (a former Tsarist officer)
Before the Red Army
After the October Revolution the Bolsheviks had a collection of poorly organised army units at their disposal.
After threats of Civil War they wanted to ensure was in a good condition so that if they did go to war they would be able to fight successfully.
They wanted a ‘Socialist Guard’ of all Volunteers with elected officers. However this view was too idealistic and ultimately didn’t occur so Lenin appointed Trotsky to start building a traditional army called the ‘Red Army’.
Bolsheviks controlled Northern and Central European Russia
They had more effective communication because their territories were continuous and they did not lose any significant territory to the Whites. This also meant that they could coordinate attacks more efficiently.
The Defeat of Kochak, Denikin and Yudenich
Kolchak
Experience
former leader of the Black Sea Fleet
lack of land warfare experience
Army
150,000 men
Events
pushed the Red Army back 250 miles
loses all ground he has gained
captured and executed by the Bolsheviks
Denikin
experience
had been a Russian Lieutenant General in the Impeial Russian Army
Army
over 150,000 soldiers
called the Armed Forces of Southern Russia
Events
Forces reached Orel (250 miles outside Moscow)
then they were pushed back by Bolshevik forces
Denikin resigns in March 1920
Baron Peter Wrangel
replaces Denikin as general
Warngel and the AFSR get trapped in the Crimean peninsula until November of 1920 when they are evacuated by a fleet of Allied warships alongside 150,000 civilian and military refugees.
shows that it wasn't just Denikin who was forced to retreat
Yudenich
Experience
Commander of the Russian Imperial Army during WW1
The commanders of the Russian army in WW1 were notoriously ill experienced and lacked imaginative strategies
Army
15,000 men
smallest army compared to the other three
Events
army managed to get within sight of Petrograd
however, Lenin had made Moscow the Bolshevik capital a yer prior to Yudenich's advance
Bolshevik forces commanded by Trotsky defeated Yudenich's army despite initial success
conclusion
Declining importance of SR in politics
Conservatives in the Provisional All-Russian Government expelled Right SR leaders from Russia
since they were mainly supported by peasants thye wouldnt work with the whites who were firm believers in property rights and didnt condone peasant land seizures
Left SR were mainly active in peasant (Green) groups, majority of groups were only concerned with defending their locality, not the end to Bolshevikism as a whole
The Whites
had 4 different leaders
some generals were monarchists whilst others wanted a dictatorship
They were political conservative
strong believers in property rights which alienated the peasantry as in circumstance of white victory all land seized by peasants would be returned to landowners
were nationalists, wanted old Russia's borders this meant they werent willing to make concessions to the national minorities so there was no chance of co operation
whites were divided and wouldnt work with other opponents to the bolshevik regime
White armies controlled by ex chiefs of the tsarist armed forces
They hated the Bolsheviks
each leader wanted russia for himself so the whites didnt have a real motivation for fighting
Three main armies
The forces led by Admiral Kolchak
AFSAR led by General Anton Denkin
Northwest army led by General Nikolai Yudenich
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