How The Reds Won The Russian Civil War

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Brendan Forrest 997 683 617 HIS242H1S For: Nimrod Lin April 6th, 2012 Red Victory: How the Whites Lost the Russian Civil War Following the events of the revolutions of 1917, including the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, Russia was at a point whereby there was an opportunity for a single force to consolidate its power. The Bolsheviks had established the Red Guard in the February revolution – a group of workers as well as deserters of the Imperial army – one that would forcefully seize Petrograd as well as other major Russian cities that had formerly been governed by the now defunct Monarchy. A provisional government had been previously been established and the Russian Constituent Assembly was dissolved by the Bolsheviks, setting the table for the appointment of the Soviets as the new government of Russia. In the middle of these radical changes to the political landscape in Russia, a storm brewed whereby anti-Bolshevik forces sought to effectively put a stop to the rapid and foreign socio-political changes occurring within the state. This would lead to a civil war that would last from February 1918 until November of 1920. The Reds emerged victorious from this war over the anti-Bolshevik Whites, a feat that would serve to contribute to the consolidation of Soviet power. This essay will examine several of the most notable reasons for this victory. Perhaps the most decisive factor in this war was a Red army that was vastly superior to the Whites in numbers as well as weaponry. The Reds relentlessly employed superior military technique, but also were able to win over a far greater number of people through their innovative and attractive land policies. Conversely, the White army was quite incapable of waging a successful fight against their enemy. They lacked proper military and socio-political technique, struggling to mobilize their forces with the same
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