“Learning to Lead our Lives”

Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War?

Skill: Knowledge and Understanding, Problem Solving

NGfL: Russia 1900-1924

What is happening in this picture?

Why has this happened?http://www.greenleft.org.au

What is ‘Civil War’?

•Which countries have experienced a civil war?

•For what reasons can civil war break out?

Russia in 1917…

Lenin and the Bolsheviks have

declared victory and control

over Russia.

But some people do not agreedo not agree with this takeover.

Which groups of people were enemies of the Bolsheviks?

• Tsar Army officers

• Local peasants and villagers

• Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks

• The Allies fighting in the First World War

http://www.sozialistische-klassiker.org/index.php

Free documentation licence

WHY?

What reason might spark a What reason might spark a civil war?civil war?

Who were the leaders in the civil War?

www.mrxists.org creative Commons Licence

Lenin

Trotsky

Denikin

Yudenich

Kolchak

www.nestormakhno.info no copyright

www.mrxists.org creative Commons Licence Courtesy of the David King Collection, London

REDS! WHITES!

Where were the Red and White armies?

                                                                                                                         

Moscow

Petrograd

French and British troops

British and American troops

Yudenich

Kolchak

Denikin

Which side has the potential to win the Civil

War?Red Advantages: White Advantages

Russian Civil War Top Trumps. Play the game.

Following slides are cards…

Rules:

•The Object of the game is to reduce your opponents cards to zero!

•Pick a category that you think might compare favourably and if you have a higher value, you win the opponents card.

•Values are from 0 (weakest) to 10 (strongest).

•If you lose, you lose the card and your opponent gets to choose the next category.

•Won cards are placed at the bottom of your deck.

•A draw results in the drawn cards being placed in a stack to be won on the next card.

•The winner of the next comparison gets to choose.

LENIN GENERALKOLCHAK

REDSREDS WHITESWHITES

Aims 10

Total Bolshevik control of all Russian territory

Leadership

10

Confident and disciplined. With Trotsky they devised a plan to pick off the White Armies one by one.

Geographical position

5 Took over factories of Moscow and Petrograd, controlled the two key cities. Controlled communication and transport lines and troops could move quickly by rail.

Peasant support

3 Forced peasants to hand over grain and other food to feed Red troops and people in the cities. Known as War Communism.

Unity 9 Lenin kept population under control through making lots of arrests and executions. Known as the Red Terror.

Foreign support

0 The Allies hated the Bolsheviks for taking Russia out of the war and signing a separate peace treaty with Germany.

Aims: 5 Restore the Royal family to position as Monarch of Russia, throw out the Bolsheviks.

Leadership:

4 It was difficult to communicate with other White Generals leading other armies, because Whites were so spread out.

Geographical position:

5 marched on Moscow from the South. Captured a place called Ufa.

Peasant support

0 Peasants thought the Whites would make them give up their land and allow the landlords to return

Unity 3 There was lots of squabbling between Tsarists and Socialist Revolutionaries who wanted different things. They didn’t want the Tsar back, just a change of government.

Foreign support:

7 Troops sent from Britain, France and America to help the Whites defeat the Reds.

WHITESWHITESREDSREDS

GENERAL YUDENICH

Aims: 10 To make sure the Bolsheviks stay in power, get rid of any opposition.

Leadership:

10 Trotsky ruled over his officers with an iron fist, he would shoot those who dared to question him.

Geographical

position:

5 In central western Russia they could move quickly to attack, using the railways

Peasant support

3 The Reds seized grain form peasants to feed themselves. ‘War Communism’.

Unity 9 Trotsky wanted to use these officers to lead the Red Army. He would often kidnap their families to make sure they did a good job.

Foreign support:

0 No support. The Allies wanted to overthrow the Bolsheviks.

Aims: 5 restore the Royal family to position as Monarch of Russia, throw out the Bolsheviks.

Leadership:

4 It was difficult to communicate with other White Generals leading other armies, because Whites were so spread out.

Geographical position:

6 In western Russia. surrounded Petrograd in 1919, but did not succeed in invading. The Reds pushed Yudenich back

Peasant support

0 Peasants thought the Whites would make them give up their land and allow the landlords to return

Unity 3 His commanders were cruel and set a bad example, drinking, fighting and taking drugs.

Foreign support:

8 Allied troops and equipment was sent to help is army.

Thousands of loyal ex-Tsarist officers

REDSREDS WHITESWHITES

COMMISSAR FOR WARTROTSKY

GENERAL DENIKIN

Aims: 10

Total Bolshevik control of all of Russia.

Leadership: 10

Trotsky was an outstanding commander! Trotsky recruited nearly 5 million former Tsarist officers, workers, sailors and soldiers into the Red Army

Geographical position:

5 Occupied central Russia and controlled key cities, but were quickly surrounded by hostile White forces.

Peasant support 3 Peasants had been given land by the Bolsheviks, but now they were seizing grain.

Unity 10

Trotsky used his special train to quickly communicate with the Red Army and deliver orders.

Foreign support: 0 The Allies wanted to stop Bolshevism from controlling Russia and spreading to other countries.

Aims: 5 restore the Royal family to position as Monarch of Russia, throw out the Bolsheviks.

Leadership: 5 Denikin was an excellent speaker, but treated his men with disrespect.

Geographical position:

6 In southern Russia. Got within 250 miles of Moscow, but did not succeed in taking control.

Peasant support

0 Raided lots of villages and committed POGROMS (killing Jews)

Unity 3 The Whites did not trust each other and would not co-ordinate their attacks, so the Reds could pick off the white armies one by one.

Foreign support:

7 Troops sent from Britain, France and America to help the Whites defeat the Reds.They sent him weapons and equipment worth £100 million.

WHITESWHITESREDSREDS

The Allies (America, Britain, France)Aims: 10 Total Bolshevik control of

all of Russia.

Leadership:

10 Lenin and Trotsky employed leaders that were fanatical and loyal, including 74, 000 women

Geographical position:

5 Central western Russia, in the industrial centres

Peasant support

3 The Bolsheviks had given peasants their own land, but were now seizing the grain they grew by force, to feed the Red Army

Unity 10 Every leader was loyal and they all shared one aim. There were even some female machine gunners

Foreign support:

0 The Allies wanted to throw out Bolshevism in case it spread to the rest of Europe.

Aims: 8 Stop Bolshevism spreading to Europe. Japan had its own idea to seize territory for itself.

Leadership:

5 Had to work with the White Generals and tried to control the decisions they made.

Geographical position:

4 Allied troops scattered all over Russia.

Peasant support

0 Peasants hated the Allies as much as the Whites because they were supported by the landowners

Unity 3 Allied troops were sick of fighting and many mutinied.

Foreign support:

6 sent only 250,000 troops, mostly gave weapons and equipment worth £100 million.

Alexandra Kollontai

Why did the Reds win?Red Advantages: Main problems

facing the Whites

Unified and disciplined

leadersTrotsky was personally courageous

Single aim: to stay in power

The Reds held the central area of western Russia,

which was where most large industries were

Controlled train and communication lines, so

the Reds could act quickly

Scattered around central Russia,

hundreds of miles between armies

Communication was difficult

Rivalry between generals

Different aims amongst the Whites

Lacked good leaders

Whites fought amongst themselves and didn’t trust

each other

Exam style question:

‘‘It was inevitable that the Bolsheviks would It was inevitable that the Bolsheviks would win the win the

Civil War’.Civil War’.

Is this a valid interpretation?Is this a valid interpretation?

In your answer you must use exam technique and evidence from your own knowledge.

Test your partner…

Describe the following events in the

Russian civil war to your partner, but

without using the actual words!

See how many they get right, then

swap over.•Lenin

•Trotsky

•Reds

•Whites

•Allies

•War Communism

•Socialism

•Peasants

•Tsarist officers

•Civil war