Civil War And War Communism.docx

Civil War and War Communism Summary Notes – Civil War:  

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7 November 1917 – 25 October 1922 Causes: o The Bolsheviks did not have support from the people, this was evident in the election of the Constituent assembly, the Bolsheviks only getting 24% of the vote. Rather, it was the Socialist Revolutionaries that had the majority, receiving 42% of the votes. The dissolution of the Constituent assembly further angered people and turned them away from the Bolsheviks. o There was large amounts of political unrest because of food shortages and slump in industry. This was partially a result of the poor economy created after the cost of the WWI and the reparations paid because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918). These conditions were blamed on Lenin.  Conditions of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk:  One-third (1 million square kilometres) of European Russia was lost  Control over the fertile Ukraine region, Russia’s major grain source was lost  Iron ore and coal reserves, industrial enterprises and railways were also lost  Russia had to pay three billion roubles in gold as reparations  The Russian army was to be demolished and Russian warships to be disarmed  Prisoners of war were to be exchanged without negotiation o After the attempted assassination of Lenin on 30 August 1918 by Fanny Kaplan, Lenin became paranoid and angry, and introduced the policy of red terror on 2 September 1918. He attempted to enforce absolute power through the Red Army and the CHEKA. Kaplan was a radical anarchist who was from Ukraine which had been sacrificed to the Germans in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. People began to view Lenin’s power as similar to that of the Tsar’s. Groups in the Civil War: o The Reds: Were Lenin’s army – controlled by Trotsky; grew to 5 million men by 1920. They occupied the strategic centre of Russia. They made use of Czarist military officers and their military experience. Trotsky introduced strict military discipline.  Strengths:  Propaganda. The Bolsheviks could claim to be the ‘saviours of the nation’ as they conscripted workers and peasants. Bred patriotism which was amplified by the unity of purpose as it encouraged high morale and dedication.  Lenin conscripted ex-tsarist military officers to run the red army. However Lenin then had to appoint ‘loyal Bolsheviks’ to watch their every move.  Geographic strongholds. Remained in control of concentrated areas of western Russia including Petrograd and Moscow. They also controlled the rail networks.  Conscription was enforced in areas of Bolshevik control.  The CHEKA supported the Red Terror campaign and also requisitioned huge supplies of grain (taken from peasants). o The Whites: traditional conservative forces comprising of anti-Bolshevik forces including SRs, Mensheviks, kadets and monarchists. Received help from the involvement of allied troops and were supported by peasants, landowners, business men and ousted political groups. Led by Admiral Kolchak and Generals Deniken and Wrangel they occupied the fringes of Russia. They were ideologically fragmented and not one unified group, separate White armies were formed under the command of different leaders. War was the only way to challenge Bolshevik Absolutism. Motives included: monarchists who hoped to reinstate the Romanov dynasty and those who favoured a republic based on a restored constituent assembly.  Threats posed by the White armies:  General Millers northern threat (September 1918)  General Yudenich’s north-west threat (October 1919)  Admiral Kolchak’s eastern threat (1918-20)  General Denikin’s southern threat (December 1917-20)  Strengths:

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They had high numbers with experienced military generals and soldiers. Had access to sea-going and river-based naval forces Surrounded Bolshevik forces by obtaining territory around them Received assistance from Foreign powers Weaknesses: It was difficult to communicate between four armed groups They had no common unity of purpose as they had different motivation and political lack of cooperation or unification of leadership.  Each group attacked individually, most battles occurred one after the other and often months apart which meant the Red Army only had to fight several battles instead of on big battle.  The White armies did not present themselves as a better alternative to the Red Army. Many peasants considered the Reds as a lesser of two evils.  Some groups even hated each other  Bolsheviks had easier time to defeat each group  Russia’s size made it difficult to transport supplies and soldiers, especially because of the lack of an efficient railway system o Foreign Intervention: The catalyst for foreign intervention was Lenin’s dramatic declaration on 18 January 1918 that all foreign debts were cancelled. This resulted in foreign powers supporting the White armies.  April 1918 – British landed in several northern ports and provided physical and financial resources to Whites.  April 1918 – French landed  April 1918 – Japanese landed in Siberia hoping to gain territory  August 1918 – Americans went to restrain the Japanese  May 1918 – Czech legion threat – 30000 men that Lenin had approved to travel across Russia, but ended up battling against the Bolsheviks. o The Greens: National minorities, non Bolshevik socialists, mainly peasants. They were not a unified group but did not support the Reds or the Whites. They operated in the outer provinces and fought for national independence. Were a comparatively small force but their unpredictability was a complicating factor in the way the Civil War was fought. (See peasant uprisings/Tambov) Polish-Soviet War – February 1919 to March 1921. Poland was a new country formed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Lenin saw Poland as having a strategic importance because it would allow easier exportation of revolutionary ideas to other European nations. Poland wanted to expand their territory into Ukraine, a territory of Russia and took advantage of the chaos. The Red Army was defeated at the battle of Warsaw, which left the Russians feeling humiliating. As a part of the Treaty of Riga (signed in March 1921) Poland received parts of Belorussia and Ukraine. At Ekaterinburg on 17 July 1918 Tsar Nicholas II and his entire family were murdered by the local Bolshevik group. Lead by the chairman of the local CHEKA, Yurovsky, their murder was a definitive statement of the permanent rejection of the old regime and made it impossible for a return to Tsardom. The Red Terror was repression that accompanied that spread of Bolshevik control over Russia between 1918 and 1921. Enforced by the CHEKA and the Red Army, the Bolsheviks argued that it was the only possible response to the problems confronting the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. The CHEKA was a police force that committed atrocities against both White armies and dissident workers and peasants. The number of deaths that were a result of the Red Terror reached a minimum of 50000 but may have been as high as 500000. The decree on Red Terror, passed by Sovnarkom on 5 September 1918 allowed for the creation of concentration camps to imprison “class enemies”. It authorised CHEKA to execute “anyone involved in White Guard organisations, conspiracies and rebellions”. Thousands were summarily executed. Why did the Bolsheviks win? o Poor leadership and lack of unity amongst the whites o No coordination by foreign threats

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o The Whites were scattered geographically and depended on supplies from abroad o The Bolsheviks had control of Petrograd and Moscow and such had factories and munitions o Trotsky had a strong Red Army and was a good leader o The Bolsheviks used the Red Terror, the CHEKA and propaganda o The Bolsheviks had unity of purpose. Consequences: o Soviet land and the economy were devastated o Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania gained independence o Lenin created a program of economic reform known as NEP o Lenin also renamed his nation the USSR.

Summary Notes – War Communism:  

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June 1918 until March 1921 (the end of the civil war) Were polices introduced by Bolsheviks to stabilise the economy, maintain firm government control, mobilise the nation to fight the civil war and secure food for the cities as state capitalism was failing. The harsh centralised economic measures intensified the authority of the Bolsheviks and became a part of the Terror. The poor economy was partly a result of the cost of the WWI and the reparations paid because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918). Furthermore Russia had lost productive territory and trade was blocked between 1819 and 1921. As food and resources were scarce, the Red Army took precedence. On 28 June 1918 the Decree on Nationalisation was passed which put major industrial enterprises including metallurgy, textile, mining, tanning and railways under central government control. Features: o Unwieldy bureaucracy – decisions caught up in red tape o Lack of man power – due to military conscription and workers fleeing to the countryside o Militarisation of the workplace – longer working hours, harsh conditions o Voluntary work on the weekend was expected on the roads and trains. In November 1918 there was a ban of private trade with only the government allowed to supply consumer items. The aim was for the government to be the sole producer of food and goods. However, it led to the creation of a black market. Due to hyperinflation money was abolished as a means of exchange and the trade of goods was encouraged. The government provided free postal service, public transport, medical treatment and food rations – however thousands starved as there was not enough. Policies were introduced in an attempt to make the peasantry provide more food, however these were resisted by the peasants as they preferred to sell their grain (which they began to do so through the black market). Lenin was convinced that the Kulaks (rich peasants) were hoarding grain and causing the food shortages and sent the CHEKA grain requestion squads to the countryside to seize the grain in which brutal violent terror was used. Consequences: o Production dropped – industrial output dropped to 15% pre-war levels o Coal and electricity feel to 30 and 25% output since 1913 o Less food was produced as peasants only produced enough food for themselves o Agricultural output dropped to 60% of pre-war levels o By 1921 there was a severe famine due to the requisitioning, drought and war o 1/5 of the population were starving o Of the 10 million who died in the civil war, historian Oxley estimates that 9.5 million of these were from famine and disease. o Cannibalism became common, with salted human flesh being sold at markets. Horses, cats and dogs went missing. The dire situation led to international support, Britain establishing the “Save the Children” fund in Russia during 1921-22. Furthermore, medicine, food and seed distribution by the American Relief Administration saved 14 million peasants from starvation. This was humiliating for the communists and Lenin.

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There was much social unrest particularly in countryside areas such as the Tambov region and Ukraine. The central Russian province of Tambov was an army of 20000 peasants who were led by Alexander Antonov a SR. They attached and seized arms from the requisition squads and hunted, tortured, executed and mutilated Red sympathisers. This event was significant because it displayed the power of the peasants and their anger against the dictatorship of the Bolsheviks. The Red Army eventually defeated these peasant uprisings by mid-1921.

Example Questions: Explain the difficulties the White Armies faced in fighting the Civil War (5 marks) The White armies faced many problems fighting in the Civil War, most stemming from the fact that they were not one united army, rather multiple groups spaced around Russia who each fought their own battles. This made it easier for the Red Army to defeat their attacks as they only had to fight individual events rather than one large battle. Furthermore, the White armies experienced a lack of unity and purpose which resulted in a lack of cooperation. There were four separate threats posed by the White armies: General Miller’s northern threat, General Yudenich’s north-west threat, Admiral Kolchak’s eastern threat and General Denikin’s southern threat. Russia’s large size also created difficulties as there was a large distance between armies which made it difficult for any strong military leadership and to transport supplies and soldiers, especially because of the lack of an efficient railway system. Moreover, the White armies also struggled to gain support from the peasant population. Mostly comprised of old upper and middle class, the armies did not know how to capitalise on the struggle and despair of the peasant communities. As a result they experienced less commitment from peasant recruits and also greater desertion as the Reds were considered to be the lesser of two evils. Suggest reasons the Red Army were able to win the Civil War. (5 marks) The Red Army was able to win the Civil War for a number of reasons. Primarily, the Bolsheviks victory was a result of the many weakness of the White armies. Russia’s large size created difficulties for the White armies, as there was a large distance between armies which made it difficult for any strong military leadership and to transport supplies and soldiers. In comparison the Red Army held power in the concentrated areas of western Russia including Petrograd and Moscow. These geographic strongholds gave them factories and munitions and also allowed them to control the rail networks. They also made strong usage of propaganda, unlike the White armies, claiming to be the ‘saviours of the nation’ as they conscripted workers and peasants. This bred patriotism which was amplified by the unity of purpose in the Bolsheviks war campaign, peasants considering the Red Army to be the lesser of two evils. Furthermore, the Red Army was strictly run under the control of Trotsky who was ruthless against deserters and those who lost or lacked motivation. The army was made stronger by the ex-tsarist military officers Lenin conscripted to run the army. In this regard, the Red Army had an edge over opposing forces. Explain what led to the creation of War Communism. (6 marks) War Communism was introduced by Bolsheviks to stabilise the economy, maintain firm government control, mobilise the nation to fight the civil war and secure food for the cities as state capitalism was failing. The poor economy was partly a result of the cost of the WWI and the reparations paid because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) and partly because workers had seized the factories and the peasants the land. Furthermore Russia had lost productive territory and trade was blocked between 1819 and 1921. The policy was intended to work as both an economic campaign to focus the economy solely on producing goods for a military victory, and as a political campaign of terror to enforce Bolshevik authority in regions where it was being challenged by peasants and workers. War Communism led to an introduction of militarisation of the workplace which involved longer working hours, harsh conditions and expected voluntary work on the weekend. Furthermore, the CHEKA began grain requestioning because Lenin was convinced that the Kulaks were hoarding grain and causing the food shortages. The CHEKA were sent to the countryside to seize the grain in which brutal violent terror was used against the peasants. War Communism was maintained as the state’s economy from June 1918 until March 1921 which marked the end of the civil war.

Civil War and War Communism Explain what led to the Civil War. (6 marks) The Russian Civil War was a result of the people’s lack of support for the Bolsheviks. This was first made evident in the election of the Constituent assembly (5 January 1918), the Bolsheviks only getting 24% of the vote compared to the Socialist Revolutionaries who got 42% of the vote. Lenin’s dissolution of the Constituent assembly further angered people and turned them away from the Bolsheviks. Many Socialist Revolutionaries, who wanted a federal government, joined the White armies in their campaign against the Bolsheviks. On top of this there was large amounts of political unrest because of food shortages and slump in industry which was partially a result of the poor economy created after the cost of the WWI and the reparations paid because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918). These conditions were blamed on Lenin and people started to demand change. Furthermore, there were groups within Russia which opposed Bolshevik rule for political reasons such as members of the Russian Orthodox Church who were convinced the Bolsheviks would destroy religion and the liberal Kadets who objected the Treaty of BrestLitovsk and wanted to continue fighting in World War One. Finally, the White armies which formed to challenge Bolshevik Absolutism were supported by international assistance; countries who were angered at Russia’s Soviet rule after Lenin’s dramatic declaration on 18 January 1918 that all foreign debts were cancelled. As a result of these factors civil war broke out throughout Russia from 7 November 1917 until 25 October 1922. Historical interpretations – Civil War Volkgonov: “Threatened by danger, the Bolsheviks resorted to the most repugnant means of saving their state, mass terror against their own people”. Thomas and McAndrew: “The Communists might have controlled the railways, the large enterprises and the armed forces, but not the hearts and minds of the people”. Deutscher: “The single-party system became for the Bolshevik an inescapable necessity. Their own survival, and no doubt the survival of the revolution, depended on it”. Historical interpretations – War Communism Brovkin: “During the first months of Bolshevik rule there was little trouble between the new regime and the peasantry. This changed dramatically when the Bolsheviks introduced war communism in 1918… [It] brought the Soviet regime into conflict with the peasantry”. Figes: “War Communism was not just a response to the Civil War; it was also a means of making civil war… the policies of War Communism were seen by the Bolsheviks as an instrument of struggle against their social or “internal” enemies”. History of the CPSU: “War Communism had been an attempt to take the fortress of the capitalist elements in town and countryside by assault”. Historical interpretations – Red Terror Pipes: “The ‘Red Terror’ was not a reluctant response to the actions of others but a prophylactic measure designed to nip in the bud any thoughts of resistance to the dictatorship”. Volkgonov: “The leaders of the revolution had become priests of terror”. Figes: “The Bolsheviks were forced to turn increasingly to terror to silence their political critics and subjugate a society they could not control by other means”.