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5. April 18th 1917
E. Date Lenin secretly returned to
Petrograd
6. Georgy Lvov
F. Bolsheviks who planned the Oct
Revolution
7. 3–7th July 1917
G. Date of July Days
8. Order 1
H. First leader of the P.G.
9. Trotsky and Sverdlov
I. Order passed by P.S. that declared
they had control over the military
10. Pavel Milyukov, a Kadet
J. A. Kerensky
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Lecture 2. CIVIL WAR
PART 1
The Russian Civil War waged from 1918 until the beginning of 1921.
During this time the Bolsheviks faced massive opposition to their rule
in the form of the White Army. The White Army was led by former
officers of the Tsarist state. Another enemy of the Bolsheviks was
intervention by the forces of foreign countries. The Bolsheviks were
surrounded and outnumbered by their opponents. The Bolsheviks had no
experienced military commanders. By the start of 1921, the Bolsheviks
had defeated their enemies and gained a complete victory.
The Peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk had shown how weak the Bolsheviks
were. Lenin called for peace at any price and the Germans exacted very
strict terms – something that was held against them at Versailles in 1919.
This treaty put an end of Russia's role in World War I. At the end of 1917
the Bolsheviks effectively controlled only Petrograd, Moscow and
the territory between both cities. The Bolsheviks were made to fight for
control of the country. The White Army controlled significant parts
of the former Russian Empire for most of the war. Their military forces,
bolstered by conscriptions and terror and by foreign influence and led
by General Yudenich, Admiral Kolchak and General Denikin.
With the fall of Nicolas II many parts of the Russian Empire took
the opportunity to declare their independence. Finland did so in March
1918 and collapsed into a civil war. The Finnish Whites led by Mannerheim
were helped by the Germans. Ludendorff even contemplated putting
a German prince in power in Finland once the Finnish Whites had won.
The Finnish Whites with German assistance pushed back the FinnishRussian border and Petrograd was almost within artillery.
Those who opposed the Bolsheviks looked to the Western powers
for help. The Western powers wanted to re-establish an Eastern front
for their own benefit so that the German army would be split once again.
Thus, relieving the problems being experienced on the Western front.
In the South of Russia, the resistance to the Bolsheviks was led by general
Kornilov. He based with army in Rostov. Many former officers who had
survived the war went to join him.
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Socialist Revolutionaries, who had been members of the dispersed
Constituent Assembly, grouped in the Lower Volga under the leadership
of V. Chernov. A Socialist Revolutionary group had established
an autonomous regime in the East of Omsk which claimed to govern
the whole Siberia. They also seized the vital eastern city Vladivostok. The
monarchist colonel Semenov also established his own autonomous
government in Trans-Baikal where he ruled like a war-lord. Semenov
caused the Bolsheviks many problems. In Manchuria general Horvat, who
had been the tsar’s military-governor of the region, established another
conservative government.
The Bolsheviks were extremely fortunate in the quality of their
leadership: Lenin and Trotsky. Lenin had led the Bolsheviks to victory
in the October Revolution. During the Civil War, Lenin provided
the energy needed to inspire success. At all times, he had very definite
aims and objectives. His leadership was never challenged.
Trotsky became Commissar for War in the Bolshevik government.
A brilliant organizer and speaker, Trotsky created the Red Army from
the Red Guards (the Bolshevik workers militias) and from the remnants
of the old Tsarist army. Trotsky imposed a very tough system of discipline
and control over the Red Army. Officers found guilty of cowardice or
treachery were executed. Men who showed initiative and courage were
promoted rapidly. At times of crisis, Trotsky readily assumed personal
command of areas under threat, inspiring and encouraging the troops
to greater efforts, and to victory.
The Bolsheviks used the volunteer-based Red Guards as their main
military force. In January 1918 the future Commissar for Military and
Naval Affairs Leon Trotsky headed the reorganization of the Red Guards
into a Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in order to create a more
effective fighting force. The Bolsheviks appointed political commissars
to each unit of the Red Army to maintain morale and ensure loyalty. In
June 1918, when it had become apparent that a revolutionary army
composed of the workers would not suffice, Trotsky instituted mandatory
conscription of the peasantry into the Red Army. The Bolsheviks
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overcame opposition of rural Russians to Red-Army units by taking
hostages and shooting them when necessary in order to force compliance.
The same practice is used by the White Army officers. The Red Army
utilized former Tsarist officers as “military specialists”, sometimes their
families were taken hostage in order to ensure their loyalty. At the start
of the Civil war, former Tsarist officers comprised three-quarters
of the Red Army officer-corps.
Another significant force was an anarchist political and military
movement known as the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine
or the Anarchist Black Army led by Nestor Makhno. The Black Army,
which included Jews and Ukrainian peasants, played a key part in halting
General Denikin's White Army offensive towards Moscow during 1919.
Later the White forces were ejected from Crimea.
The Volga Region, the Ural Region, Siberia and the Far East was
favorable for the anti-Bolshevik forces. The Whites set up many
organizations in the cities of these regions. Some of the military forces
were based on illegal officers' organizations in the cities.
Czech prisoners-of-war had joined to the Russian army after being
captured from the Austrian army. It was these men known as the Czech
Legion during the Civil war. They fought against the Germans as a separate
unit under the leadership of T. Masaryk until Brest-Litovsk’ treaty ended
that fighting. The Czech Legion numbered around 30,000 troops by October
1917. They had an agreement with the new Bolshevik government to be
evacuated from the Eastern Front via the port of Vladivostok to France. The
transport from the Eastern Front to Vladivostok was in the chaos, and the
troops became dispersed along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Trotsky ordered
to disarm and arrest the legionaries, which had tension with the Bolsheviks.
The Czech Legion was made up of soldiers with plenty of fighting
experience. They captured the strategic city – Simbirsk, from May 1918
till August 1918 occupied so much territory that they controlled
the Trans-Siberian railway from Simbirsk to Vladivostok. The Czechs had
a serious problem with Trotsky as a Communist military commander. His
task of defeating the Whites was made more difficult by the Czechs.
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If Trotsky had kept his promise and let them move freely out of Russia
this problem wouldn’t have occurred. The politburo blamed this on Trotsky
and the man who led the critics was Josef Stalin.
The success of the Czech Legion have sealed the fate of the royal
family. The Romanovs had been sent by A. Kerensky to Tobolsk
in Siberia where they were under house arrest. As the Czechs had the
power to threaten Tobolsk, they were brought back to Ekaterinburg.
On the early stage of the Civil War the Whites captured this city. While
the royal family was alive, they could inspire the Whites. The Bolsheviks
had captured Tsar Nicholas and his entire family in 1917. On the 16th
July 1918, under the control of Cheka, the Tsar and his family were
executed by firing squad in the basement of a house in the Sovietcontrolled city of Ekaterinburg. The Romanov era was definitely over and
the potential threat of a future monarchist uprising had been ended.
The Western Allies armed and supported opponents of the Bolsheviks.
They were worried about a possible Russian-German alliance.
The Bolsheviks could make good on Imperial Russia's massive foreign
loans and the possibility that the Communist revolutionary ideas would
spread. Many European countries expressed their support for the Whites,
including the provision of troops and supplies. Winston Churchill
declared that Bolshevism must be “strangled in its cradle”. Britain and
France had supported Russia during World War I on a great scale with
war materials. After the Brest-Litovsk’ peace treaty, it looked like that
much material would fall into the German hands. After this intervention
began in Russia. During Civil War in Russia the United Kingdom and
France allied and sent troops into Russian ports.
The German Empire created some satellite states within its sphere
of influence after the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: the United Baltic
Duchy, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Kingdom of Lithuania,
Kingdom of Poland, the Belarusian People’s Republic, and the Ukrainian
State. After following defeat of Germany in World War I in November
1918, these states were abolished. Finland was the first republic that
declared its independence from Russia in December 1917 and established
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itself in the Finnish Civil War from January – May 1918. The Second
Polish Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia formed their own armies
after the abolition of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty in November 1918.
In the European part of Russia, the war was waged across three main
fronts: the eastern, the southern and the northwestern. It can also be
divided into the following periods.
The first period lasted from the Revolution until the Armistice.
During the October Revolution Cossack General Kaledin refused
to recognize new power and assumed full governmental authority
in the Don region, where the Volunteer Army began massive support.
The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk also resulted in direct Allied
intervention in Russia and the arming of military forces opposed to the
Bolshevik government. There were also many German commanders who
offered to support against the Bolsheviks. In 1918 the Bolsheviks
controlled the key central area of Russia – between Petrograd and
Moscow. This gave them a number of key advantages. Most of Russian
railways were in this area. This made communication between
the various battlefronts much easier. Trotsky was able to move troops
and supplies rapidly to areas under attack. As Commissar for War, he
was able to visit the battlefronts in an armored train, and to take personal
command. The large population of the major cities in this central area
was a key resource for the Bolsheviks. The cities provided fresh
recruitment for the Red Army. Furthermore, much of Russia's industry
and raw materials was located in this area. This made it possible for the
Bolsheviks to keep their troops supplied and equipped with weapons,
ammunition and supplies.
During the first period the Bolsheviks took control of Central Asia
out of the hands of the Provisional Government and the White Army. This
meant setting up a base for the Communist Party in the Steppe and
Turkestan, where nearly 2 million people live. The fighting in this first
period was spontaneous, involving only small military groups and rapidly
shifting on strategic scene. Among the Bolsheviks’ enemy were the Czechs,
known as the Czech Legion or “White Czechs” and the Poles
of the Polish 5th Rifle Division.
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The second period of the Civil war lasted from January to November
1919. The advances of the White army from the south under
General Denikin, the east under Admiral Kolchak and the northwest under
General Yudenich were successful. They forced the Red Army back
on all three fronts. In July 1919 the Red Army suffered another reverse
after a mass defection of units of the anarchist Black Army under Nestor
Makhno in Crimea. Leon Trotsky soon after that reformed the Red
Army. In June the Red Army stopped Kolchak's advance. The Red Army
defeated Denikin's and Yudenich's armies in October and November
assisted by a Black Army offensive against White.
The third period of the war was the extended siege of the last White
forces in the Crimea. General Wrangel had gathered the remnants
of Denikin's army, occupying the Crimea. An attempt of invasion
to southern Ukraine was rebuffed by the anarchist Black Army under
Nestor Makhno. Pursued into the Crimea by Makhno's troops, Wrangel
went over to the defensive in the Crimea. After unsuccessful move
to north against the Red Army, Wrangel's troops were forced to south
by Red Army and Black Army forces. Wrangel and the remains of his
army were evacuated to Constantinople in November 1920. By the end
of the Civil War in 1921 the Bolsheviks had succeeded in securing their
grip on power in Russia. Lenin had achieved his ultimate goal of steering
his small Bolshevik party to total control of Russia.
Why the Bolsheviks have won? During the Civil War, the Bolsheviks
had a number of key advantages over their opponents. Under Lenin's
leadership, the Bolsheviks displayed total ruthlessness in making sure that
they did not face rebellion and revolt in the areas they controlled.
1. The Constituent Assembly had been organized by the Provisional
Government, to draw up a constitution for Russia. In the election the majority
of delegates came from another revolutionary party, the Social
Revolutionaries. Fearing opposition, when the Constituent Assembly
attempted to meet, the Bolsheviks simply had it closed down.
2. When the Civil War had started, the Bolsheviks prohibited
the other political parties and arrested their leaders.
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3. The Bolsheviks closed down newspapers which opposed them.
4. The Cheka was created as the Bolshevik Secret Police. The Cheka
hunted down and arrested anyone who was suspected of opposing
the Bolsheviks.
5. The Bolsheviks organized a highly effective propaganda campaign
in the areas they controlled. Through speeches, newspapers, and leaflets,
the people were told that through the Soviets – life would be better,
the wealth would be distributed more fairly. In addition, they were told
that the White Armies and their leaders would destroy all the
achievements of the Revolution and bring back the old system. That’s
why support for the Bolsheviks was organized and built up successfully.
The White Armies had a number of advantages at the beginning
of the Civil War. Their leaders were experienced military commanders;
they controlled huge areas of Russia; they had the Bolsheviks surrounded;
and they had the active support of foreign countries, which intervened
in the Civil War on their behalf. As the Civil War developed, the White
Armies began to face major problems and difficulties in organizing their
campaigns. Against the drive and energy of the Bolsheviks, their
campaigns faltered and they faced defeat and failure. By the end of 1920,
the Bolsheviks were close to achieving total victory.
There are several reasons for the failure of the White forces.
The White forces had no one leader. Whereas the Bolsheviks had Lenin,
the Whites had several rival people, such as Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak,
Denikin. They were all ambitious men and each was determined to take
control of Russia for himself. As a result, there was virtually no cooperation
between the various White Armies – they fought independently, making it
easier for the Red Army to defeat them individually.
They had to move their forces and supplies over huge distances,
making difficult to maintain effective control. The lack of effective
railways was an added complication to the communication difficulties
between them.
The Bolsheviks were fighting for a very definite cause –
the establishment and survival of a Communist Russia. The Whites had
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problems with motivation of their troops and support. Many soldiers
https://stukidruki.com/authors/Kolchak.php
Alexander Kolchak – a Russian
naval commander, polar explorer and
head of the anti-Bolshevik fight
during the Civil War, one of the most
controversial figures of Russian
history.
Alexander Kolchak was born in
the village of Aleksandrovskoye,
near Saint Petersburg.
deserted from the White Armies. The Whites set up governments in areas
they controlled soon they became corrupt and inefficient. White Army
forces often behaved with great brutality and cruelty in areas they
controlled. Towns were burned, property destroyed or stolen, peasant
farmers' crops taken by force. The Whites became hated and feared
because of this. Given the choice between the Bolsheviks or the Whites,
it was hardly surprising that Bolshevik support increased dramatically.
Task. Answer the following questions:
1. When did Civil war start?
2. What were the reasons of Civil War?
3. What forces took part in Civil War?
4. How many periods was Civil War divided into?
5. Who were the leaders of the Red and the White forces?
6. Who was the winner in Civil War?
7. When did Civil War finish?
8. What were the reasons of the failure of the Whites?
9. Why the Bolsheviks have won?
10. What connections had Samara with the Civil War?
Alexander Kolchak (16 November 1874 – 7 February 1920)
PART 2
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He received primary education at home, and then studied in
a gymnasium. In 1894 Kolchak graduated from the Sea Cadet Corpus
in Saint Petersburg. After that he started his service in navy – as assistant
of watch officer on the ship “Ryurik” in the Far East, and then as watch
officer of the ship “Cruiser”. Then he spent a few years working
in the Pacific Ocean. In 1898 Kolchak received the rank of lieutenant.
The years of service were also the time of Kolchak’s self-education. He
was interested in oceanography and hydrology and published an article
about his scientific observations during cruises.
In 1899 Alexander Kolchak received an invitation to participate
in an expedition around the Arctic Ocean. Together with Eduard von Toll,
a German geologist and Arctic explorer, Kolchak sailed around the Baltic
Sea, the Northern Sea and the Norwegian Sea, spent some time
on the Taimyr Lake. Throughout this period, he continued his scientific
research. In 1901 Toll ensured the memory of Kolchak by naming
an island in the Kara Sea and a cape, discovered during the expedition,
after him. In 1902 Toll with three persons, decided to go on foot to the
north. Kolchak was sent back to Saint Petersburg to deliver new scientific
information. After a year, when there was still no news about Toll’s
group, Kolchak organized a new expedition in order to find the lost
scientists. 17 people on sledges took three-month trip to Bennet Island,
where they found the diaries and the expedition collections, which helped
to found out the tragic fate of Baron Von Toll and his companions.
In 1903 Alexander Kolchak came back from his adventure to Saint
Petersburg, where he hoped to marry. On his way home, he received
news about the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War. Kolchak’s
fiancée (Sophia Amirova) traveled to meet him in Siberia soon and after
the wedding he left to Port Arthur, where the first battles took place.
Alexander Kolchak served on different war ships. Because of his
suffering from rheumatism acquired during polar expeditions, he was put
in charge of artillery battery. He was wounded and a prisoner in Japan
for four months.
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