Causes of the Civil War

The Reds - the Bolsheviks

• They had one aim: to stay in power
• The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was formed of Kronstadt sailors and Red Guards as well as workers and peasants who volunteered and soldiers from the former Russian army - later, peasants were also conscripted

The Whites - liberals, former tsarists, Socialist Revolutionaries and other moderate socialists

• Many of the Whites were unhappy with Bolshevik policies, for example, under the terms of the Land Decree, nobles had to give up their land to peasants
• Army generals were frustrated that Lenin had made peace with Germany
• The Kadets wanted…