Russian Civil War

Revolution

Russia’s October Revolution of 1917 produced a civil war

between the Bolshevik government (Reds) – who had just

seized power - and a number of rebel armies (Whites). This

civil war is often said to have started in 1918, but bitter

fighting began in 1917.

Although most of the war was over by 1920, it took until 1922

for the Bolsheviks, who held the industrial heartland of

Russia from the start, to crush all opposition.

Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich (1870-1924) - one of the leaders of the Bolshevik party since its formation in 1903. Led the Soviets to power in October, 1917. Elected to the head of the Soviet government until 1922, when he retired due to ill health.

Geography

In the European part of Russia, the war was fought across three main fronts: the eastern, the southern, and the northwestern. It can also be roughly split into the following periods.

Intervention

The civil war was complicated by Allied intervention.

In North Russia, British, French, and American forces occupied (Mar., 1918) Murmansk and later Arkhangelsk with the stated purpose of protecting Allied stores against possible seizure by the Germans; they were evacuated only in Nov., 1919. In the Russian Far East the Allies occupied Vladivostok, which the Japanese held until 1922.

Timeline

• October 1917 - Kerensky and his supporters flee Petrograd.

• 5 January 1918 - The Red Guard

break up a meeting of the Constituent

Assembly on Lenin's orders.

• 28 January 1918 - Trotsky sets up the Red army.

• March 1918 - Bolsheviks move the Russian capital to Moscow from Petrograd for protection and better communications as it is in the centre of their territory.

• 14 October 1919 - Denikins army reaches Orel 300 km from Moscow.

Timeline

• 22 October 1919 - White forces reach the outskirts of Petrograd. Trotsky organises a counterattack.

• Early November 1919 - Western allies pull the plug on support for the whites. Troops begin to desert.

• 7 February 1920 - Kerensky is executed by the Bolsheviks after being handed over by the Czech Legion.

• April 1920 - Poles are driven back

into Poland by the Bolsheviks

• 1921 - Some groups continue

to fight but the Whites are beaten.

Many parts of the former Tsarist Empire attempted to gain independence during the Civil War.

The three Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all successfully gained independence, as did Finland and Poland.

None could escape the Civil War with all a playing a part. Poland for example waged war against Soviet Russia from 1920-21 over where to draw the border between the two nations.

Aftermath

• About 15 million people lost their lives during the Russian

Civil War. Out of them, about one million were soldiers of

the Red Army.

• The anti-communists and their

White Army killed at least

50,000 communists.

• Many millions of people also died due to famine,

starvation, and epidemics.

Economy

• The Russian economy was devastated by the war, with

factories and bridges destroyed, cattle and raw materials

pillaged, mines flooded, and machines damaged.

• The industrial production value descended to one seventh

of the value of 1913, and agriculture to one third.

• The exchange rate with the U.S. dollar declined

from two rubles in 1914 to 1,200 in 1920.

Thanks for attention

Dominika Marcak

Monika Ziembicka

Marta Gaweł