Zusammenfassung der Ressource
How far was Lenin
responsible for the
Bolsheviks growing hold on
power in the years 1917-24?
- Red Strengths
- Trotsky
- Commissar for war in
Bolshevik Government
- Brilliant organiser and
improviser
- Created Red Army from
remnants of old Tsarist army
- Tough discipline and
control. Cowards
Executed
- Initiative and courage
won promotions
- Lenin
- Lenin's leaderhsip never challenged
- Lenin had a strong view and vision for his Russia
- Energy and drive helped to motivate
- Lenin had seen Bolsheviks to victory in
October Revolution
- Geography
- Bolsheviks controlled central area of
Russia - Between Petrograd and Moscow
- Russia's railways in this
area
- Communication easier between
battlefronts
- Large population meant lots of
recruitment
- Supplies moved to endangered battlefront far
more easily
- Much of Russia's Industry and raw
materials located in this area
- Kept troops supplied with weapons, ammo and
supplies
- White Weaknesses
- Dvivided Leadership
- No one person in charge
- Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak and
Denikin ambitious and fighting for
control
- Little co-operation between white
armies - They fought
independently
- Geography
- Supplies and forces had to be
moved over large distances
- Lack of effective railways
meant added communication
difficulties
- Morale
- Whites had problems motivating
troops
- What were they fighting for? Just to make
Kolchak or Yudenich Master?
- Many soldiers deserted
- Brutality
- Towns burned, property stolen &
destroyed
- Very poor image in the peoples'
eyes
- Crops and livestock
seized
- Objection meant torture and
execution
- Bolshevik propaganda highlighted the Whites'
inability to get the people on side