Russian Civil War:

Reds vs the whites:

Not everyone was happy about the way Lenin was running the country
and were angry about the way he gave no one a say in the way the
country was ran.
Some groups wanted to bring the Tsar back. Others were worried that
Lenins changed to the economy; the laws and his dictatorship could
only lead to disaster. They united to become the whites.
Meanwhile foreign powers such as Great Britain, the United States and
France were worried because they Bolsheviks declared they wanted to
start revolutions all over the world.
Who were the whites?
The Czech Legion: Escaped Czech prisoners of war who travelled up
and won the Trans-Siberian Railway attacking the reds/
General Miller: Helped by the British and the Americans, he captured
the town of Archangel and set up a Tsarist government, but was
eventually defeated by Red Troops.
General Yudenich: Had 16,000 troops with tanks. Trotsky inspired
100,000 Red Troops to destroy his army.
General Denikin: Denikin and Wrangle attacked the Reds with 150,000
troops. He got within 250 miles of Moscow and then ran out of money.
They two men argued a lot. In October 1919 the reds disarmed them.
Admiral Kolchak: Commanded 100,000 men. Supplied with weapons by
Britain, France and America. Won early victories against the Reds but
his men were more interested in Vodka and Cocaine than fighting. His
army collapsed
Foreign countries: France and Britain sent troops and artillery to help
the whites.
Trotsky and the Red Army:
For three years the White armies fought the Bolshevik Red Guards in a
bloody civil war. At first it looked like the reds would lose, but they
survived mainly due to Trotsky.
Lenins right hand man organised and inspired his troops brilliantly. He
would travel along the Trans Siberian railway giving speeches and
delivering equipment.
Trotsky began the red terror
Anyone who opposed the Bolsheviks was shot. This kept the Russian
people loyal to the reds.
War Communism: Lenin also introduced war communism. This meant
that all the resources in Russia were prioritized towards the work effort.

Military discipline was imposed in the factories to endure the army got
the supplies they required. By 1920 the Bolshevik ran factories had
produced enough equipment to allow the reds to have the upper hand
in the war.
Famine:
The great war followed by a terrible civil war meant Russia had been in
Chaos for 7 years. War communism meant soldiers went into the
countryside and stole food from the peasants who were starving.
The country collapsed, and peasants stopped producing food.
Factory production dropped by 90%. 25 million people may have died.
Rebellion:
In 1921 there was a mutiny amongst the Krostadt sailors. They had
been instrumental in Lenin getting into power in the first place. They
were disgusted by war communism and Trotsky had them executed.
Introducing war communism:
The Bolsheviks won the civil war for a combination of reasons:
1. The control on industry
2. Bolshevik unity, white disunity
3. Bolsheviks outnumbered the whites by three to one
4. Terror and the leadership of Trotsky
5. Most of the ministry and railways remained under the Bolshevik
control
6. Reds Promised Land to the peasants while the whites took it
away.
Controlling the means of production:
1. All large factories were nationalised
2. Production was planned and organised by the government.
Military discipline was introduced into the factories
3. Private trades were made illegal and the peasants had to give up
their surplus of food.
4. Financial transactions were abolished and people were
encouraged to barter.
5. Food was rationed and the government controlled distribution.
Famine:
War communism achieved its aim of winning the war, but in doing so it
created hige hardship for the Russian people. Peasants refused to
cooperate in producing food because the government simply
confiscated it and this led to food shortages.
Opposition to the Bolsheviks:

Throughout 1921, uprisings against grain requisition broke out all over
Russia, often orchestrated by Social Revolutionaries.
The most serious rebellion was the Kronstadt naval base rebellion. This
group had been crucial in bringing the Bolsheviks to power.
Crushing opposition: Trotskys red army eventually put down the
Kronstadt Mutiny after bitter fighting in which thousands on both sides
were killed. However, tit was this uprising that
How did the Bolsheviks consolidate his position: Power of the red army,
treatment of opposition, War communism, New Economic Policy, Treaty
of Brest-Litovsk, Victory in the Civil war, promise of new society,
propaganda.
Social/Military/Economic factors.
Lenins death: In may 1922 Lenin suffered his first stroke. In all Lenin
has 4 major strokes. He was greatly weakened and was an isolated
figure. He died in 1924 in Gorky.
Positives:
Lenin seized opportunities when they arose. He was convinced that the
provisional government was doomed by October 1917. Against the
advice of many of his supporters he led a successful revolution. He
pulled Russia out of the war with Germany, which helped to consolidate
his regime. Victory in the civil war ensured the effective establishment
of the communist state. His ability to recognise when his policies had
failed led him to abandon the war communism and introduce the NEP.
Negatives:
Lenin created a brutal totalitarian state. He murdered the royal family