English for Historians. The Greatest Historical Milestones = Английский язык для историков. Величайшие исторические события. Учебное пособие

controlled by the social revolutionaries supported the Provisional Government by standards, but could not assume a leading role in carrying out radical reforms in the country. However, at this stage the Soviets supported both the army and the revolutionists. Thus, in March — early July 1917 in Russia there was a so-called dual power in Russia, that is the modern existence of two powers in the country. But at this stage the Soviets supported both the army and the revolutionary people. Thus, in March — early July 1917 in Russia there was a socalled dual power — that was the contemporary existence of two authorities in the country.

Finally, the petty-bourgeois parties, which had then the majority in the Soviets transmitted power to the Provisional Government in result of the July crisis of 1917, at the end of June — early July on the Eastern front, German troops began a powerful counteroffensive. Unwilling to go to the front, the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison decided to organize a rioting under the leadership of the bolsheviks and anarchists. The giving up of some Ministers of the Provisional Government further inflamed the situation. There was no agreement among the bolsheviks about what was happening. Lenin and some members of the Central Committee of the party considered the uprising untimely.

OnJuly3,massdemonstrations started in the capital. In spite of thefact that thebolsheviks tried to guidetheactionofthedemonstrators in a peaceful direction, armed conflicts began between the demonstrators and the troops controlled by thePetrograd Soviet. The Provisional Government, interrupting the initiative, with the help of troops from the front, went to theuse of hard measures.

The demonstrators were shot. From that moment on, the leadership of theSovietgavefullpowertotheProvisionalGovernment.

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The period of dual power was over. The bolsheviks were forced to go underground. A crucial offensive power at all displeased with the policy of the government began.

By the autumn of 1917, a national crisis re-emerged in the country, paving the way for a new revolution. The crisis of the economy, the intensification of the revolutionary movement, the increased authority of the bolsheviks and support for their actions in various layers of society, the decay of the army, which suffered defeat after defeat on the battlefields of the World War I, the growing mistrust of the masses to the Provisional Government, as well as the unsuccessful attempt of a military coup, undertaken by the general Kornilov — these were symptoms of the brewing of a new revolutionary burst.

The piecemeal Bolshevization of the Soviets, the army, the disappointment of the proletariat and the peasantry in the ability of theProvisionalGovernmenttofindawayoutofthecrisismadeitpossibleto proposetothebolshevikstheslogan“AllpowertotheSoviets”,underwhich inPetrogradonOctober24–25,1917,theycopedtocarryoutacoupcalled theGreat October Socialist Revolution. At theII All-Russian Congress of SovietsonOctober25,itwasdeclaredthetransitionofpowerinthecountry tothebolsheviks.TheProvisionalGovernmentwasarrested.AttheCongress thefirstdecreesoftheSovietpower—“AboutthePeace”,“AbouttheLand” were published, the first government of the won bolsheviks — Soviet of People’s Commissars which was headed by V. I. Lenin was formed. On November 2, 1917 theSoviet power was established in Moscow. Almost everywhere the army supported the bolsheviks. By March 1918, a new revolutionarypowerwasestablishedthroughoutthecountry.

The creation of a new state apparatus, which at first encountered the persistent resistance of the former bureaucracy, was completed by the beginning of 1918. At the III All-Russian Congress of Soviets in January 1918, Russia was proclaimed the Republic of Soviets of workers’, soldiers’ and peasants’ deputies. The Russian Soviet Federal socialist Republic (RSFSR) was established as a Federation of Soviet national republics. Its Supreme body was the All-Russian Congress of Soviets; in between congresses All-Russian Central Executive Committee (CEC) worked, which had legislative power.

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The government — the Soviet of People’s Commissars — through educated people’s commissariats (people’s commissariats) exercised Executive power, people’s courts and revolutionary tribunals — judicial power. Special authorities were formed — the Supreme Soviet of the national economy (VSNH), responsible for the regulation of the economy and the processes of nationalization of industry, the All-RussianEmergencyCommission(Cheka) —forthe fightagainst the counter-revolution. The main feature of the new state apparatus was the fusion of legislative and Executive power in the country.

II. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions:

•autocracy

•Provisional Government

•peasantry

•the petty-bourgeois

•decrees

•emergency

•slogan

III. Fill in the gaps.

1.On March 1, 1917 in Petrograd was formed a _________.

2.Already on February 27, the power in the capital passed into the hands of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ Deputies ________.

3.By the autumn of 1917 ________.

4.Special authorities were formed ________.

5.At the Congress the first decrees of the Soviet power ______.

IV. Match up the words to get phrases.

V. Speaking activities. In groups, share your views and discuss the following topics:

•the causes of the revolution;

•the main events of the revolution;

•the results of the revolution.

VI. Creative writing. Summarize the ideas presented in the program of the new government — the Soviet of People’s Commissars. Use the Internet.

VII. Project activity. Search for the information about one of the other significant events of this time period and prepare a report. Make a presentation.

proletariat and the poorest peasantry. They were opposed by the motley in their social composition and often straggling forces of another (nonproletarian) part of Russian society, represented by numerous parties, movements and associations, often at enmity with each other, but which, as a rule, stuck to an anti-bolshevik orientation. An open clash in the struggle for power between these two main political forces in the country led to the Russian Civil War. The main instruments for achieving the set goals in it were: on the one hand, the Red Guard (then the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army), on the other, the White Army.

In November — December 1917, Soviet power was established in most of Russia, but in a number of regions of the country, mainly in the Cossack regions, local authorities refused to recognize the Soviet government. They broke out in riots. Foreign powers also intervened in the internal political struggle that unfolded in Russia. After Russia’s removal from the World War I, German and Austro-Hungarian troops in February 1918 occupied part of the Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States and southern Russia. In order to maintain Soviet power, Soviet Russia agreed to the conclusion of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).

II. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions:

•the Russian Civil War

•military intervention

•national separatist movements

•proletariat

•the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

•the Cossack

•the Red Guard

III. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and expressions:

•riot

•to break out

•to set goals

•to put into practice

•to oppose by the motley

•to break out in riots

•to refuse to recognize

text 2. stages of the civil War in russia

With its help, in May — July 1918, the Czechoslovaks captured the Middle Volga, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The Eastern Front was formed to fight them. The direct participation of the Entente troops in the war was limited. They mainly carried out guard duty, participated in the battles against the rebels, provided material and moral assistance to the White movement, and performed punitive functions. The Entente also established an economic blockade of Soviet Russia, seizing key economic areas, exerting political pressure on neutral states interested in trade with Russia, and imposing a naval blockade. Large-scale military operations against the Red Army were carried out only by units of the Separate Czechoslovak Corps.

After the revolution in Germany that took place in November 1918, the Soviet government annulled the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Ukraine and Belarus were liberated. However, the policy of

war communism, as well as “decossackization”, caused peasant and Cossack uprisings in various regions and made it possible for the leaders of the anti-bolshevik camp to form numerous armies and launch a broad offensive against the Soviet Republic. At the same time, the end of the World War I unleashed the hands of the Entente. The released troops were thrown against Soviet Russia. In Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Vladivostok and other cities, new parts of the invaders landed. Assistance to the White Guard troops increased sharply. As a result of a military coup in Omsk, the military dictatorship of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, a protege of the Entente, was established. In November — December 1918, his government created an army on the basis of the various White Guard formations that had previously existed in the Urals and Siberia. The Entente decided to deliver the main blow to Moscow from the south. To this end, large formations of invaders landed in the Black Sea ports. In December, Kolchak’s army intensified its operations, seizing Perm, but units of the Red Army, having captured Ufa, suspended its offensive.

At the end of 1918, the offensive of the Red Army started on all fronts. The left-bank Ukraine, the Don region, the Southern Urals, a number of regions in the north and north-west of the country were liberated. The Soviet Republic organized active work to disintegrate the interventionist troops. Revolutionary actions of soldiers began in them, and the military leadership of the Entente hastily withdrew troops from Russia. In the territories occupied by the White Guards and the interventionists, a partisan movement was active. Partisan formations were created spontaneously by the population or on the initiative of local party bodies. The partisan movement gained its greatest scope in Siberia, the Far East, the Ukraine and the North Caucasus. It was one of the most important strategical factors that ensured the victory of the Soviet Republic over numerous enemies.

At the beginning of 1919, the Entente developed a new plan of attack on Moscow, in which they staked on the forces of internal counter-revolution and small states adjacent to Russia. The main role was assigned to Kolchak’s army. Auxiliary blows were delivered: from the south — Denikin’s army, from the west — the Poles and

troops of the Baltic states, from the north-west — the White Guard Northern Corps and Finnish troops, from the north — the White Guard troops of the Northern Region. In March 1919, Kolchak’s army went on the offensive, directing the main blows in the Ufa-Samara and IzhevskKazan directions. It took possession of Ufa and began a rapid advance towards the Volga. The troops of the Eastern Front of the Red Army, having survived the blow of the enemy, went on a counteroffensive, during which in May — July the Urals were occupied and in the next six months, with the active participation of partisans, Siberia. In the summer of 1919, the Red Army, without stopping the victorious offensive in the Urals and Siberia, repelled the offensive created on the basis of the White Guard Northern Corps of the North-Western Army (General Nikolai Yudenich).

In the autumn of 1919, the main efforts of the Red Army were focused on fighting Denikin’stroops,whichlaunched an offensive against Moscow. The troops of the Southern Front defeated Denikin’s armies near Orel and Voronezh, and by March 1920 pushed their

remnants back to the Crimea and Anton Ivanovich Denikin. Фотография the North Caucasus. At the same взята с сайта «Хронос» time, Yudenich’s new offensive

against Petrograd failed, and his army was routed. The destruction of the remnants of Denikin’s troops in the North Caucasus was completed by the Red Army in the spring of 1920. In early 1920, the northern regions of the country were liberated. The Entente states completely withdrew their troops and lifted the blockade.

In the spring of 1920, the Entente organized a new campaign against Soviet Russia, in which the main striking force was the Polish militarists,whoplannedtorestorethe Polish-LithuanianCommonwealth withinthe bordersof1772,andthe Russianarmyunderthe commandof Lieutenant General Pyotr Wrangel. Polish troops dealt the main blow in

the Ukraine.By mid-May1920 theyhadadvanced as farasthe Dnieper, where they were stopped. During the offensive, the Red Army defeated the Poles and in August reached Warsaw and Lvov. In October, Poland withdrew from the war. Wrangel’s troops, that were trying to break into the Donbass and the right-bank Ukraine, were defeated in October — November during the counteroffensive of the Red Army. The rest of them went abroad. The main centers of the Russian Civil War in Russia were eliminated. But on the outskirts, it still continued.

II. Answer the questions.

1.When did the Entente troops land in Russia?

2.How did the Entente establish an economic blockade of Soviet Russia?

3.What regions were liberated by the Red Army at the end of

1918?

4.Where was Kolchak’s headquarter founded?

5.Wholedthe troopswhichlaunchedan offensiveagainstMoscow in the autumn of 1919?

6.Where did the rest of Wrangel’s army go after the defeat?

7.Whom were the partisan formations created from?

III. Give the English equivalents to the following words and expressions:

•моральная и материальная помощь

•политическое давление

•высвобождать

•главный удар

•контрнаступление

•снять блокаду

•открытое столкновение

IV. Fill in the gaps.

1. In May, the rebellion of _________________, which consisted mainly of former prisoners of war who were in Russia and were returning home through Siberia, began.

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