Political education was also undertaken by the Political Commissars, which was symbolised by the initial emblem of the army – a hammer and sickle with a rifle and book. This was later changed to the Red Star. Each unit of the army had a political department, which made leaflets, posters and newspapers to inform the soldiers. Mobile libraries, reading courses and rooms were introduces to fight illiteracy and to enable to soldiers to take an active part in the new society that the Reds hoped to achieve. By the end of the war there were 3000 Red Army schools for training new recruits, although their admission was restricted to those with Communist recommendation. Trotsky once said, “Ideas that enter a mind under fire, remain there securely and forever.”
Recruitment to the army was always a problem for the Reds. At the beginning the Red Army was a voluntary organisation, with recruits needing 2 letters of recommendation that also stated their allegiance to the Communist movement. This meant the size of the army was quite small in comparison to the extent of the Soviet Union, and only grew very slowly. In May 1918, conscription was introduced, which meant compulsory military service for men between the ages of 18 and 40. In reality however, men both much younger and much older were conscripted too. There were no birth certificates in Russia at the time, which meant ages were guessed from physical appearance. Women could legally fight in the army but were given to choice of factory work too, making ammunition and arms. As a result, the army grew from 331,000 in August 1918 to 600,000 by the end of the year. This was the beginning of the Red Army’s extensive force, which eventually became 5million strong.
The Reds ended up fighting battles all over the country. As a result, the supplies were limited that could be imported from abroad. Food, clothing etc. became in short supply, so Lenin introduced War Communism in 1919 as a solution to this problem. It is debatable whether this actually caused more harm than good, but it did result in the soldiers gaining vital provisions, and the majority of the country almost being frightened into adhering with Communist rule. All companies in Russia were nationalised, so that their profits went to the state, instead of private owners. This gave Russia a higher income as a country, leaving more money for crucial weapons and ammunition that were in extremely short supply. Some reports say that men were 3 to a gun, and tanks were captured rather than manufactured due to the lack of essential materials. War Communism also allowed the Government to force people to work in certain industries, to manufacture the products needed for the war effort. Soldiers were sent out to take vegetables and grain from peasants by force, as they were needed on the frontlines. Anyone found to be hiding excess food was severely punished, usually by death. This was quickly becoming a standard disciplining method used by the Bolsheviks. Many peasants revolted against this, cutting down sown areas of land. There were various uprisings of this sort, predominantly in Siberia. Despite this backlash from the people, Lenin insisted this was necessary in order to defeat the White Armies.
In summary drastic measures were used to ensure the Red Army was well equipped, funded and recruited for, and to many it seems that their successes were inevitable, given their leadership and geographical positioning. The Reds had control of the large cities and transportation routes, whereas the Whites were disjointed, not unified in cause of belief, giving the Reds a large advantage. Trotsky lost his powerbase when Lenin died and was eventually exiled in 1925. He was a disgraced man and engaged in a power struggle with Stalin and several others as a successor for the leader of the Bolsheviks. Voroshilov took Trotsky’s role after his death. The Red Army continued to exist until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
