Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Communist victory -
1918 Civil War
- Disunity of opposition
- Communists had a strong
central leadership under
Lenin.
- Vision and determination to
lead the Gov. through crisis.
- United
and well
organised.
- Anti-Communist forces
- Lacked clear
strategy or central
direction.
- White forces
fought for different
reasons.
- Tsarism/ PG
- Lack of unity made
it difficult to win
support.
- Fought
among
themselves.
- Green Army - political
and economic control
in hands of peasants.
- Geographic &
Organisation
- Communists dominated
the heartland of Russia.
- Produce more
munitions than white
army (relied of
foreign support).
- Use railways to
distribute munitions
and quickly send
troops.
- Communicate
effectively due to
continuous territory.
- White were
geographically
disperse.
- Reds were efficient
and well
coordinated.
- Maximise
production of
weapons - war
communism.
- Controlled
economic
activity.
- Grain requisitioning - taking
grain from peasants by force
(unpopular by peasants but
important for war effort).
- Terror
- Lenin
established
the Cheka -
political
police force
engaged in
terror
tactics
against
enemies.
- Terror tactis used
against anyone who
resisted the
communists in any
way.
- eg: many civilians and would-be opponents were
offered choice of joining red army or execution.
- eg: peasants who tried to
resist grain requisitioning
were executed and villages
hiding political opponents
burned.
- Trotsky and Red
Army
- 1918 - Trotsky founded Red
Army.
- End of civil war - 5 million
(many conscripted).
- Communists lacked members with
high level military experience.
- Introduce policy
of recruiting
former officers
of the Tsarist
army to fight for
the communists.
- Ensure
loyalty = held
families
hostage.
- Political officers to all red army
units to ensure they complied to
Trotskys orders
- Trotsky toured every Front -
stirring speeches.
- Ensured Red
Army fought
effectively.