Why Did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War - 977 Words

Why did the Bolsheviks win the Russian Civil War? The Russian Civil War raged from 1918 until the start of 1921. During this time the Bolsheviks faced massive opposition to their rule in the form of the White Armies, led by the former officers of the Tsarist state, and also from intervention by the forces of foreign countries. The Bolsheviks were surrounded, and often outnumbered by their opponents. At times, their situation seemed hopeless. Yet, by the start of 1921, the Bolsheviks had defeated their enemies and gained a complete victory. This victory can be attributed to the party’s aims, leadership, geography, and support. The Bolsheviks, commonly known as the Reds, had one aim: to take over the current government and create a†¦show more content†¦Lastly, and perhaps the most important factor in the Bolshevik victory, was the support of each side. Most peasants preferred the Bolshevik program of peace, land reform and worker control. With these ideas in mind it is obvious why four out of five peasants deserted th e Whites and supported the Reds. While the Red army lost four million men up to 1921 their support base allowed them to replace these losses more easily than the Whites could. Control of the heartland of Russia gave the Reds control of the largest chunk of the population and most of the war industry. The Red Army had almost ten times as many troops as the White Army. Also, the vast majority of Bolshevik support was of the same ethnic composition, containing mostly â€Å"Great Russians†. On the other hand, the White’s support came mostly from ethnic minorities. Support was often given in the hope of gaining some form of independence in the future. According to James Graham, White leaders believed in a Russia, one and indivisible. This created much internal bickering in the White organization with ethnic groups like the Cossacks often refusing to fight. After examining the reasons for the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War, one can certainly say that it is due to the superior leadership, organization, and support that they achieved victory. Lenin and Trotsky provided theShow MoreRelatedLenins Power Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesLenin was able to consolidate his power because of the weakness of his opponents. Find evidence to support or refute this statement. Chloe Tomlinson There were many different equally important reasons why Lenin and the Bolsheviks were able to hold on to their power. For Lenin, and the Bolsheviks, winning political power was relatively easy, compared with retaining it. They had many different objects to overcome, such as; Russia was in chaos, politically and economically, and normal government hadRead MoreThe Struggle Of The Russian Civil War1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Russian Civil War On October, 1917, the Bolshevik party overthrew the Russian government and arrested him. They take control over Russia. From there, things start to not go really well because of the Bolsheviks policies. A chaos starts to begin a lot of people weren’t happy. The economy was bad, there was a great inflation. Also, they were having a lot of enemies. All these people who hated them start to come together and they formed a group which called the Whites. From there, the civil warRead More‚Äà ºLeft Wing Single Party States Achieve Power as the Result of a Revolutionary Process Against Tradition.‚Äà ¹ Does This Adequately Explain How Any One Single Party State That You Have Studied Acquired Power?1683 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1917, a revolution took place in Russia that overthrew the traditional Tsarist regime and brought a single party state, the Bolshevik Party, into power. The Bolshevik party harnessed the revolutionary spirit from the overthrow of the Tsarist regime in order to overthrow the Provisional government and eventually seize power. There are several reasons that the Bolshevik Party went against tradition including the failure of the Tsarist regime and the failure of the Provisional Government to makeRead MoreLenins Consolidation of Bolshevik Rule in Russia Essay1038 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Lenin was able to consolidate Bolshevik rule in Russia by combining popular policies and repression: To what extent do you agree with this statement. I do agree with this statement and i will be explaining why in this essay. Lenins main policies consisted of; war communism this was seen as repressive, the treaty of Brest Litovsk ending Russia’s involvement in WW1. The NEP 9 new economic policy. Lenin defined his movement by the slogan â€Å"all power to the soviets† Lenin believed he could make aRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto Karl Marx2006 Words   |  9 Pageschains. They have a world to win.† In Russia, the proletariat class did in fact win; the year 1917 marked the beginning of a new era that for centuries has been ruled by the Romanov dynasty, a period during which the country produced some of the greatest poets, writers, painters and philosophers of all times. This great empire was radically transformed from tsarist autocracy to communism in the span of only a couple of months. The socialist workers, the Bolsheviks, that were able to seize the opportunityRead MoreRussia in Revolution: 1914-242003 Words   |  9 PagesRevolution, 1914-1924 What impact did the First World War have on Russia? The war was greeted with more celebrations than in any other country in Europe. The Russians were so keen to get at the Germans that they actually had armies advancing into Germany after only two weeks. This took the Germans by surprise. The Germans had to move reinforcements from France to help their armies in the east. But many Russian units were poorly prepared. They did not have enough rifles or ammunitionRead MoreHow Significant Was The Economic Policy During The Russian Civil War For The Soviet Union? Essay1902 Words   |  8 PagesHOW SIGNIFICANT WAS BOLSHEVIK ECONOMIC POLICY DURING THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR FOR THE SOVIET UNION? The Bolshevik Economic Policy during the Civil War was significant for the Soviet Union as it helped to win the war and was the first implementation of Communist ideology anywhere. In addition, it affected many people, led to the Tambov Revolt and the Kronstadt Mutiny and had long-term political consequences. The Bolsheviks’ aim was to dismantle the outdated structure of Tsarist regime and create a newRead MoreCauses of Bolshevik Success Using Voilence Essays1985 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿How far do you agree that the Bolsheviks consolidated their hold on power in the years after the October/November revolution mainly through the use of violence against their opponents? The Bolsheviks consolidated their power after October 1917 however they faced many severe problems which made keeping their power complex. For Lenin and the Bolsheviks winning political power was relatively easy compared with retaining it. The Bolsheviks may have had a temporary majority in the All-Russia sovietRead MoreTimelines of the Great War and Russian Revolution Worksheet Essay2404 Words   |  10 PagesUniversity of Phoenix Material Timelines of The Great War and Russian Revolution Worksheet Directions: For each of the four timelines that follow (1914, 1915, 1917, and 1918–1919), complete the timeline replacing the words â€Å"[Paste description here]† with the text of the correct description from the table beneath it. 1914 Timeline |JUNE 28, |THE EVENT THAT TRIGGERED WORLD WAR I | |1914 Read MoreThe Soviet Union Of The 19th Century1757 Words   |  8 Pagesreasons why the Soviet Union took such a big downfall when it collapsed. The RSFSR was a opposing group that was branched off from the Soviet Union, resulting from a argument over political standings and power for both groups.1 The RSFSR wanted a representative to stand during the meetings of the Soviet Union, however the Soviet Union did not grant that because the representative did not win in the voting, but candidate that was favored by the USSR won. The RSFSR was one of the main reasons why the