Russian Civil War

Name the three main White generals in the Civil War

Yudenich, Denikin, Wrangel

Which side had more soldiers in the Civil war, the Reds or the Whites?

The Reds

The peasants were not keen supporters of the Reds. What action by Lenin made them prefer the Reds to the Whites?

The Land Decree

After the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918, it is estimated that there were about 18 White Governments in different parts of Russia. What were the political beliefs of these governments?

They varied greatly, a massive weakness: some were SRs, some Mensheviks, a few Cadets, some Romanov supporters and some who wanted a military dictatorship

Who was in operational command of the Red armies in the Civil War?

Trotsky and his armoured train

What did Lenin promise to the non-Russian nationalities at this time, and what was the result of this promise for Finland, the Baltic States, Georgia and the Ukraine?

Freedom: only the Balts and the Finns got it

Which foreign country played the biggest part in the allied intervention?

GB (£100 million worth of WWI equipment)

What was the main motive for British intervention in Russia in 1918, and why did this motive soon become obsolete?

To restore a second front against Germany, but by the time they arrived WWI was almost over Murmansk particularly, and Vladivostok

Another British motive for intervention was to prevent Russian military stores from falling into German hands. Where were these stores?

Murmansk particularly, and Vladivostok

Which member of the British Cabinet believed that "it would have been better if Bolshevism had been strangled at birth" and how wholeheartedly did he try to achieve this aim?

Churchill. Not very: it would have needed 30,000 men and a lot of money

How did an action by Fanny Kaplan in August 1918 help to trigger off the Red Terror of 1918-20?

She shot Lenin

What was the name and nationality of the leader of the Cheka from 1917-26?

"Iron Feliks" Dzerzhinsky, the incorruptible and totally trustworthy Pole

The Reds had the military advantage of interior lines during the war. Why was this an advantage?

It is always a military advantage to be inside a circle: you can move troops to danger spots on the edge very easily. The opposition has to move around the circumference

Who were murdered at Ekaterinberg in July 1918 and why?

The Royal family. To put blood between the reds and their enemies: to show that there was no going back

Which Legion took over 2,000 miles of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1918, and where was this Legion supposed to be travelling to?

The Czech legion, which was former Austrian POWs which were moving to Vladivostok on the railway on their way to France to fight against the Germans as part of the plan for a Czechoslovak state Wilson thought the Legion needed rescuing from the Reds. Some say that he was deliberately misle

How did the alleged problems of the Czech Legion lead to US intervention in Russia?

Wilson thought the Legion needed rescuing from the Reds. Some say that he was deliberately misled by the cunning LG

Which nation was the last interventionist power to leave Russia in 1922, and what was the attitude of the USA to this nation's intervention?

Japan. The USA wanted them out, because they were just trying to grab land in Siberia and did not intend to fight the Reds

What did British PM Lloyd George think of the White armies?

They were brutal and corrupt. LG thought that if they were any good, they would win on their own, and if they weren't there was no point in helping them. He also wished to restore trade with Russia

How can it be argued that Allied Intervention was more of a handicap than a help to the Whites in the Civil War?

The Reds could say that they were Russian patriots fighting a foreign invasion, and the foreigners didn't help the Whites much anyway

Who was the leader of the Whites in the Civil War?

Kolchak

Where was Kolchak the White leader based during the Civil War?

Omsk

How much control did Kolchak have over events from his base in Omsk?

Very little