The hostilities that sparked off the Civil War were caused due to conflict between Red Armies (that were established January 1918) and the Czech Legion (Czech nationalists hoping to win their nation’s recognition as an independent state). In May, 1918, a group of soldiers in the Legion were falsely accused of killing a man in Chelyabinsk, in Siberia. The rest of the Czech unit marched into town and freed their comrades being held by local . When (Commissioner for War) heard the news he gave orders for the Czech Legion to be disarmed. The legion rebelled against the army and captured a large section of the trans-Siberian railway; a vital communications source. The 100,000 men strong Czech Legion then joined in the war against the . By the summer of 1918, the Civil War was fully underway.
Leon Trotsky lead the Reds to victory, despite the criticism aimed at him over the Czech Legion issue, he was a brilliant War Commissar. Untrained in military matters, Trotsky used his natural ability as a leader of men. His beliefs were simple. If a Red commander was successful in combat, they were promoted. If a commander failed and survived, he was executed. Here is a quote that demonstrates his ruthless attitude: “Every soldier who voluntarily deserts will be shot.” Trotsky was also willing to use ex-tsarist officers, despite disagreement from several Bolshevik leaders; he knew that they had the military experience the Red Army lacked. However, with the support of Lenin, he knew that he could take action when he saw appropriate.
He was aware that the first time the Red Army lost a major battle; it would spell the end of the revolution and all that the Bolsheviks had fought for. He visited the Red Army at the front in his legendary armoured train to enforce this fact into the troops. The arrival of the train was a great morale booster for the troops where fighting was fiercest and it promoted unity for the Bolshevik cause. His leadership qualities proved to be a crucial factor in the Red victory.
The Whites in comparison, had leaders who have been described as “second rate.” Often cruel in their behaviour and treating men with contempt encouraged deserting due to the lack of co-operation and support in White ranks. There was an extraordinary amount of corruption and indiscipline, Denkin, a white military leader, was quoted “I can do nothing with my army. I am glad when it carries out my orders.” Units of the White army were reported to be involved with the black market, prostitutes and drugs. This in comparison to the strict organisation of Trotsky’s troops gives an insight into the reasons for Red victory.
As is demonstrated above, it is clear that Red organisation was far superior to that of the Whites. The Bolsheviks had a clear unified structure and Trotsky had transformed the army into an effective fighting machine. Whereas the Whites could not decide whether they were fighting for Monarchism, Republicanism or the Constituent Assembly and were divided by their views on national minorities. They therefore struggled to devise an effective political strategy. This conflict of interest did not only exist amongst the troops, but the officers as well, who often disliked and distrusted each other, for example, other generals were suspicious of Kolchak (who led the Whites in the east and was eventually executed in 1920) and his motives.
Both parties soon found that support of the peasants was crucial; as they made up the majority of the population. The peasants themselves had little love for either side and were equally like to desert either army. However, peasants were inclined to support the Reds due to Lenin’s intelligent decision to legitimise their right of land. The Whites, however, made it clear that land would be restored to its former owners. This proved to be a very unpopular policy amongst the peasants; Kolchak even gave estates to landlords who had not owned them before the revolution. Therefore, the Reds, through the clever tactics of Lenin, had an army consisting mainly of peasants who knew that deserting would result in death; they had more soldiers than the Whites. This would have proved to be a valuable advantage in battle, contributing to their success.
Without large amounts of peasants in their ranks, the Whites were severely lacking in support. Therefore the loss of support of national groups proved to be devastating. White leaders wanted to restore the Russian empire with its pre-1917 borders, antagonised nationalist groups, who had hoped for complete independence, then stopped supporting the Whites at a time when forces were based in their territories. This is another example of White policies and intentions causing a loss of much needed support, a more subtle or manipulative approach could have resulted in a negotiation.
Although the Bolsheviks had a core support group of some workers and soldiers, they did not enjoy widespread popular support. They way in which they managed the towns and cities was unpopular amongst many Russians, as was the controversial use of War Communism, as it increased Government control and limited wealth. Men flocked to join the Red Army, not necessarily because they believed in what the Reds stood for but because Lenin had ordered that supplies of food went first to soldiers, those living in towns and cities received what was left. Lenin was aware that this would encourage conscription. Many peasants were forced to conscribe, Lenin was aware that they made up the majority of the population. Urban workers and peasants wanted to protect their gains of 1917, and the Reds offered them a better chance of doing this that the unorganised Whites, who were associated with the unpopular old system of government. Although neither party had large widespread support, the Reds had the advantage.
Due to the location of the Reds, in the central area of Petrograd and Moscow, they were situated near the hub of the railway network, therefore allowing the quick transport of men and munitions to battle when needed. The area also included the main armament factory in Russia; they could therefore produce war materials at a rapid rate. The large population of the area also allowed the Bolsheviks to conscript large numbers to fight. Therefore Red armies often vastly outnumbered their White opponents.
Certain factors that should have benefited the Whites did not, such as the role of other countries that were keen to stop the spread of communism. Their efforts were half-hearted, and even allowed the Bolsheviks to promote propaganda of protecting Russia from foreign forces. This use of propaganda proved to be important for both sides, the Whites never made full use of the technique, unaware of its value in gaining support. Whereas the Reds used powerful and imaginative slogans and images degrading the White forces and promoting the communist regime.
To conclude, there were many factors that contributed the victory of the Reds in the Civil War. Although the location of their army, the weaknesses of the opposition, the support from the peasants all proved to be important, I feel that the Reds victory relied on the leadership of Trotsky that formed the army into a viscous, organised military force. This advantage proved to be overwhelming, combining with the many disadvantages that were deep-rooted in the White army. In the end the strong leadership that Trotsky provided the army with contributed to their huge success, defeating their significantly inferior opponents.
