Civil War (1918-1920 or 1921)

Dates

23rd February 1918
- Trotsky founded the 'Workers an Peasants' Red Army.
- Red Armies opposed the White (anti Bolshevik) and Green (opposed white and red, mostly families) and Foreign Armies.

May 1918
- Legion distrubuted along the Trans-Siberian Railway but couldn't move due to transport shortages. Czech Legion soldiers, with over 40 000 well armed mene were impatient, and there was massive tension and they began to become hostile towards Bolshevik officials.

May 4 1918
- they rebelled and killed several Bolsheviks and seized control of Chelyabinsk.
After the weeks, Legion began to revolt against Bolsehvik authority, seized control of towns and stations along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

What happened?

- Outbreak began from the Czech Legion, contain Czach and Slovak heritage within the Russian Imperial Army that grew since the Ocotber coup while Bolsheviks maintained power in major cities.

Whites + Dates

- The Volunteer Army under the white resistance was made up of Kadet politicians, Patrios who were appled by the Treaty, Members of the upper class and former tsairst generals, P.G armies.

- Two first White government were formed by SRs:
The Provisional Siberian Government in Vladivostok,
The Commitee of Constituent Assembly Members in Samara

White Armies (Kolchak's, North and Cossaks didn't come together)

Armed forces of Southern Russia
- Led by General Denikin, with over 150 000 members
Came within 300 km of Mosocw, but were outstretched and outnumbered.
-Retreated in early 1920

Kolchak's Siberian Forces, a civilian army
- Led by Admirial Kolchak, he was a poor military commander
- Counter offences successful, but forced to retreat in 1919

North West Army
- Led by General Yudenich, with over 14 400 men at its peak
- Led over two campaigns against May and Nov 1919.
- Nov offensive reached suburbs of Petrograd before turning back after Trotsky's arrival and internvention
- Army disarmied and interned in Estonia in late Nov 1918.

Cossacks
- Supported white armied and sought indpenence from Russia
- Defeated in 1920

Weaknesses lead to the Whites

White general had trouble motivating troops and maintaining discipline.

Never had a united front against Bolsheviks

"If I raise the republican flag, I lose half my volunteers, and if I raise the monarchists flag, I lose the other half. But we have to save Russia."
Denikin, there was no unified purpose.

Never countered Bolshevik propaganda
Instituted tsarist policies like taking back land from the peasants.

Green + Dates

Peasant army that rose up against white and red armies

Guerrila fighters led by anarchist Nestor Makhno held south-east of Ukraine,

Held province of Tambov, with SR Alexksandr leading 40,00 partisans (ordinary ppl that are like soldiers) that drove away Bolsheviks until mid 1921.

"Far more dangerous than all Denikins, Yudeniches and Kolchaks put together."
- Lenin

Foreign Threats

Germany
- Sent troops to Russia

British and Commonwealth
- Took control of northern port cities.
"Strange Bolshevism at birth."
- Churchill

Japan
- Landed in far east, wanted to define its territory
- Sent 70 000 soldiers into eastern Siberia by Nov 1918

America
- Troops were sent to the east to keep Japan in check

French and British Navies
- Offereed support to Deikin's troops along the cities in the Black sea

Red + Dates

By 1920, there were more than 200 000 imperial army veterans
- It was a ruthless and discilpined red army, with 'blocking units' who shot any retreating soldiers. There was a harsh disciplinary policies, death pentalties for mutineers

- Bolsheviks controlled European Russia → larger population to draw it's recruits from
- Soviet territory held major cities, factories and acces to ammunition supplies
- Controlled extensive railway system, able to move troops quickly.
- White Armies geographically scattered, resulted in irregular and very few coorindaated attacks.
- The Bolsheviks were all united one united purpose, to save the revolution.
- Drew on Nationalism

Impacts

- wages bought 25 of what it could buy in 1914
- Prices of everyday goods rose to 6920 of what it was in 1914.

Workers led fled to rural areas desperately in seach of food.
- This led to demographic conqeuence, with Petrograd in 1920 falling by 70% and Moscow's population falling by 50%
- Then led to a decline in dustrial output
- "Down with Lenin and Horsemeat! Give us the tsar and Pork."
Petrograd graffiti 1919
- The worker population went from 2.6 million workers in 1917, to 1.2 million by 1920.
- The decline in workers caused a decline in production.
- Large scale production fell to 13% , steel output was 4% of 1913 levels andi ron ore was 1.5%, copper procution stopped entirely.

Quotes

"The Reds could claim to be defending the revolution."
- Orlando Figes

"This foe is attacking Russia."
- Lenin, Primary

'By 1921, the grim economic situation had undermined the original justification for War Communism.'
- Michel Lynch

"Their actions provided the incentive for other groups to organize mass armed opposition to the Soviet regime."
- Tom Ryan

"This was a disposed generation who had nothing to lose in a civil war."
- Orlando Figs