Civil War in Russia

1. Russia Civil War
Key Terms, Events, Names: Brest –
Litovsk, Sovnarkom, Cheka, The
Whites, The Czech Legion,
Comintern, General Anton
Denikin, Mikhail Tukhachevsky,
Admiral Alexander Kolchak,
General Peter Wrangel, General
Nikolai Yudenich

2. ‘Peace at any price’ was how
the Treaty of Brest - Litovsk was
viewed by Lenin
Starter: Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk
LO: Examine the
impact that the Brest-
Litovsk played in
causing the Russian
Civil War.
TASK: On your copy of the source
annotate each part of the image
and state what this suggests. Use the
quote above to help.
REVIEW: Popularity of the
Bolshevik Decrees. Which were
the most popular and which were
hated by the Russians?

3. Terror – use of
Cheka, secret
police
Central
political
control -
Sovnarkom
Legal system
abolished and
replaced with
‘revolutionary
justice.’
Incentives for Russian
workers and
peasants ‘peace,
bread and land’ in
order to build up
support
‘class warfare’ – state
sanctioned violence
against the burzhui
(bourgeoisie or middle
class).
Opposition
parties banned
How did the Bolsheviks
consolidate their power

4. Russia Lost:
Vast areas of land in
the western country,
including: Finland,
Latvia, Estonia,
Lithuania, Poland,
Ukraine
34% of its population
32% of its agricultural
land
54% of its industry
26% of its railways
89% of its coalmines
Final blow – had to
also pay 300 million
gold roubles
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
LO: Examine the
impact that the Brest-
Litovsk played in
causing the Russian
Civil War.

5. • I would like you to put the
impacts of the the treaty in to
categories. How you sort them is
up to you.
• Now consider the titles SOCIAL,
ECONOMIC and POLITICAL. Will
this change your groupings?
• Consider the possible impacts this
could have on Russia. Are these
positive or negative?
Taking it further: How could the impacts of this treaty lead
to a civil war in Russia?
Impact of the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk
LO: Examine the
impact that the Brest-
Litovsk played in
causing the Russian
Civil War.

6. Russian Civil War 1917-22
The Russian Civil War was a war between the Reds and the Whites, but who
were they and why did they take the side that they did?
The Russian Civil War was a war between the Reds and the Whites, but who
were they and why did they take the side that they did?

7. Reds = Communist (Bolsheviks)
Whites = opponents (Tsarists and
nobles, middle class constitutional
democrats, Mensheviks, SR)
AimsStay in Power in order to build
new Socialist society.
Different aims due to different
interests.
Common aim to defeat the
Communists
Geographical
factorsHeld central area of west
Russian – contained large
industries.
Controlled railways.
Scattered around outer
perimeter of communist
controlled Moscow.
 Communication difficulties.
Leadership
and unityTrotsky – true leader and
courageous
Special train
Lacked good leader to bring
all the Whites together.
Lack of trust
Infighting within the armies
Reds vs. Whites

8. Causes of the Russian Civil
War
World support for the opposition
The Bolsheviks set up the Comintern. It said it would cause communist
revolutions all over the world. So foreign countries (also angry because
Russia had dropped out of World War I) sent armies to destroy the Bolsheviks
– British, American and French armies attacked from Archangel, Ukraine,
and Vladivostock.
Opposition forces unite to form the
Whites
•Social Revolutionaries ejected from
the Assembly,
•the Mensheviks,
•the Tsarists,
•former army officers angry about
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk,
•landlords who had lost their land.
•Starvation led to increasing
opposition
Opposition forces unite to form the
Whites
•Social Revolutionaries ejected from
the Assembly,
•the Mensheviks,
•the Tsarists,
•former army officers angry about
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk,
•landlords who had lost their land.
•Starvation led to increasing
opposition
Increasing attacks/attempts to
overthrow the Bolsheviks
Particularly The Czech Legion. In
1918 some Czech prisoners of war
who were being taken across Russia
mutinied, took control of the Trans-
Siberian Railway, and attacked
towards Moscow.
Increasing attacks/attempts to
overthrow the Bolsheviks
Particularly The Czech Legion. In
1918 some Czech prisoners of war
who were being taken across Russia
mutinied, took control of the Trans-
Siberian Railway, and attacked
towards Moscow.

9. Causes of the Russian Civil
War
1. Put these four causes into an
order of importance.
2. Briefly explain the cause you
think is the most important.
3. Can you find any links
between the causes that
mean they are equally
important in leading to a
civil war?
1. Put these four causes into an
order of importance.
2. Briefly explain the cause you
think is the most important.
3. Can you find any links
between the causes that
mean they are equally
important in leading to a
civil war?

10. Key Events of the Russian
Civil War

11. Identify the role and the key
events that each of the below
played in the Russian Civil War?
General Anton
Denikin
General Anton
Denikin
Mikhail
Tukhachevsky
Mikhail
Tukhachevsky
Admiral
Alexander
Kolchak
Admiral
Alexander
Kolchak
General Peter
Wrangel
General Peter
Wrangel
General
Nikolai
Yudenich
General
Nikolai
Yudenich
LeonTrotskyLeonTrotsky
TheCzechLegionTheCzechLegion
TheChekaTheCheka