Why Did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)

What Caused a Civil War in Russia? - Summary

When the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in October 1917, they did not have control of Russia. In the ten months of 1917, there had been three changes in government. Many opponents of the Bolsheviks believed that this would be the first of many political groups that attempted to rule Russia.

The Bolsheviks created many enemies. In March 1918, Trotsky met with German delegates to negotiate Russia's withdrawal from the First World War. Many Russians wanted this but the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was incredibly harsh.  The treaty forced Russia to give up around 1 million square miles of land and over a third of its population.

Aspects of the Bolshevik rule were also unpopular. Lenin openly stated that his government was a "dictatorship of the proletariat". Non-Bolshevik newspapers were banned and the secret police, the Cheka, was created. Opposition groups could no longer express criticism of the government without facing arrest.

Opponents of different political backgrounds came together to fight the Bolsheviks. Their differences would contribute significantly to their defeat.

How did Lenin Establish Power?

• Lenin knew the importance of establishing power quickly in Petrograd

  • Lenin had some support from the workers and the army

  • From Petrograd, Lenin could extend his power eastwards across the Russian Empire

Tactics that Lenin Used to Gain Power

• The methods above show that to gain control, Lenin used:

  • The element of surprise

    • The speed of the Bolshevik takeover forced Soviet representatives to either support the uprising or play no part in their government

  • Exclusion

    • The Mensheviks and right-wing SRs felt they had to walk out of the Congress of Soviets. Trotsky declared they would go into 'the dustbin of history'

    • The Sovnarkom only had Bolshevik members

    • The Constituent Assembly was immediately closed down due to their lack of Bolshevik representation

  • Fear

    • Similar to Tsarist Russia, Lenin used censorship and secret police to repress his enemies

  • Reform

    • The decrees tackled the key issues that the Provisional Government had avoided

    • The Bolsheviks progressed women's rights. Alexandra Kollontai became the Commissar for Social Welfare

• Despite these actions, by the summer of 1918, enemies of the Bolsheviks had declared war

Leadership of the Reds

• Lenin placed Trotsky in total control of the Red Army

  • This showed Lenin's trust in Trotsky's abilities

  • Trotsky quickly raised an army of 300,000 men

• By 1921, Trotsky had created a strong military force of over three million men

  • Trotsky enlisted ex-tsarist officers to train the army

    • Political commissars monitored these officers closely and authorised all military orders

  • Red Army soldiers of all ranks were called 'Comrades'

    • This created a sense of unity between troops

  • Trotsky reinstated the death penalty for desertion or disloyalty to the Red Army

  • Trotsky was a charismatic leader of the Red Army

    • He travelled in an armoured train to inspire his troops

• The Bolsheviks used a mixture of terror and propaganda to gain support

Leadership of the Whites

• The White Army was made up of different groups such as:

  • The SRs

  • The Mensheviks

  • Monarchists who wanted to reinstate the tsar

  • Nationalist groups

• General Yudenich and General Denikin commanded these combined forces

• By 1921, the White Army was weak

  • The various groups under the White Army fought separately from each other

    • In major attacks, the White Army did not have enough troops in reserve

    • This allowed Trotsky to defeat each army one by one

  • The members of the White Army did not have the same aim

    • The monarchists disagreed with the SRs and Mensheviks who did not want the return of the tsar

    • A hatred of Bolsheviks was not enough to unify these groups

  • Some generals treated their soldiers badly

    • This encouraged troops to defect to the Bolsheviks

  • The White Army's propaganda was not as effective

    • They could not persuade enough Russians to support their cause

Geography

Why was Geography Important for the Bolsheviks?

• The Red Army held significant areas of Western Russia

  • Moscow and Petrograd were key industrial centres

    • The Bolsheviks used this to gain troops and resources

  • The Bolsheviks controlled access to the Trans-Siberian railway

    • This allowed easy movement of troops and equipment across Russia

• The White Army did not have a base

  • Their armies were spread across Russia

    • This made coordination between divisions difficult

  • They had limited access to trains and industry

    • Moving troops to where they were needed quickly was impossible

    • Generals had limited and slow communication with each other

Influence of Foreign Powers

• The Allies supported the White Army

  • The Bolsheviks' Decree on Peace would pull Russia out of the First World War

  • The Allies hoped Russia would form a moderate government that would continue the war effort

• The White Army suffered from their connection to Britain and France

  • Many Russians did not trust Europeans or Western powers

  • Bolshevik propaganda stated that Europe was invading Russia