History- Topic 3- Control 5

• They controlled central Russia. This meant they had shorter suppy distances. Central Russia also contained most of the populatioin- who could be conscripted or used for labour
• The Red army was a very powerful fighting force,by 1920 it was over five million strong.
• The Red army became reknown for its discipline and unity. Trotsky was in command of the army and was an effective leader.
• The Bolsheviks controlled most of the railways and industry in Russia. This helped them manufacture weapons and move them.
• The Bolsheviks worked hard to win supporters. They used propaganda. A government organisation called Agitprop-spread the message.
• By making and breaking alliances with anarchists an Greens it meant that they did not have to fight all their enemies at the same time.

• As commander of the red army, Trotsky was more important than Lenin in winning the civil war. It was Trotsky in 1918 who organised the mass mobilisation of workers and peasants to form the Red army. He was immensly energetic and enthusiastic and travelled to the front lines alot in a special trian.
• Trotsky employed ex-Tsarist officers (which was unpopular amongst the Bolsheviks, but Lenin and Trotsky made sure of their loyalty by introducing Commissars and holding thier families hostage)
• Trotsky also introduced strict discipline into the Red army- deserters were shot and unts that retreated were decimated ( 1 in 10 killed ), However alongside discipline, Trotsky encouraged education in Red Army divisions, this included Literacy and the aims of the Bolsheviks.
• He made all Red Army soldiers swear an oath to ensure loyalty. He also introduced a special medal called the Red Banner to reward bravery.
• However even though Trotsky organised much of the action but it was Lenin who provided the vital leadership and direction.

• They were geographically too spread out. They had to travel much further to supply their armies than the Reds.
• They controlled few areas of industry or natural resources.
• There were fewer Whites than Reds; at the most the Whites had 250,000 men.
• White armies were usually linked to a particular area and would not fight outside of it.
• There was no single White Leader who the opposition coul unite against. Instead the different White leaders were all in competition with each other.
• The Whites had no common plans for Russia.There were divisions between monarchists, liberals and left-wing groups.
• The Whites were unpopular because they treated peasants badly and planned to force non-Russians back under Russian control. Many Whites wanted to turn back the clock, which frightened workers and peasants: if the Whites won, they would loose many advantages they gained under Bolshevik control.

• The whites were helped by; British, French, US and Japanese soldiers.The goals of the Intervention were to encourage the Whites to fight the Reds, and to prevent any loss of supplies.They also wanted to stop the spread of Bolshevism. The foreign aid had been withdrawn by the middle of 1919, but their intervention gave the Whites a boost for some time. However the Foreign support played into the Bolshevik Hands and allowed them to appeal to Russian pride, this meant that many patriotic Russians who would have helped the Whites were prepared to help the Reds after the Whites accepted Foreign support

• Victory in the civil war had confimed that the Bolshevik ideas were correct. Although the World Revolution had not started their confidence was boosted by the success.
• The Civil War had made the Bolsheviks more reliant on using force and terror to gain control. The Cheka arrested and shot anyone who was considered an enemy
• Fighting the Civil War also made the Bolsheviks more organised, with tight central control under a strong leadership. The war had accelerated the process od removing political opponents.
• The Civil War exhausted Russia: Millions had died, The economy was badly damged and the populations of major cities had dropped by half, as the people left to escape food shortages.
• In addition the Bolsheviks brutal behaviour had led to protests in the party and from supporters of the revolution. Across Russia, peasants protested at the way thier grain had been seized.

The Reds had won the Civil War- but it was not clear what kind of Russia would emerge in th 1920s.