The chronological framework of this historical event is still controversial. Officially, the beginning of the war is considered to be the battles in Petrograd, which became the beginning, that is, October 1917. There are also versions that attribute the beginning of the war to. or by May 1918. There is also no unanimous opinion regarding the end of the war: some scientists (and the majority of them) consider the end of the war to be the capture of Vladivostok, that is, October 1922, but there are also those who claim that the war ended in November 1920 or in 1923
Causes of the war
The most obvious reasons for the outbreak of hostilities are the most acute political, social and national-ethnic contradictions, which not only persisted, but also intensified after the February Revolution. The most pressing of them is considered to be Russia's protracted participation in and the unresolved agrarian issue.
Many researchers see a direct connection between the Bolsheviks coming to power and the beginning of the Civil War, and believe that this was one of their main tasks. The nationalization of production means, the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, which was ruinous for Russia, the aggravation of relations with the peasantry due to the activities of the Committees of Poor and Food Detachments, as well as the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly - all these actions of the Soviet government, coupled with its desire to retain power and establish its own dictatorship at any cost, could not but cause discontent population.
Progress of the war
It took place in 3 stages, differing in the composition of combatants and the intensity of the fighting. October 1917 - November 1918 - the formation of enemy armed forces and the formation of main fronts. actively began the fight against the Bolshevik regime, but the intervention of third forces, primarily the Entente and the Quadruple Alliance, did not allow either side to gain an advantage that would decide the outcome of the war.
November 1918 - March 1920 - the stage in which the radical turning point of the war came. The fighting of the interventionists decreased, and their troops were withdrawn from Russian territory. At the very beginning of the stage, success was on the side of the White movement, but then the Red Army gained control over most of the territory of the state.
March 1920 - October 1922 - the final stage, during which the fighting moved to the border areas of the state and, in fact, did not pose a threat to the Bolshevik government. After October 1922, only the Siberian Volunteer Squad in Yakutia, commanded by A.N., continued the fight. Petlyaev, as well as a Cossack detachment under the command of Bologov near Nikolsk-Ussuriysk.
Results of the war
Bolshevik rule was established throughout Russia, as well as in most of the national regions. More than 15 million people were killed or died due to disease and starvation. More than 2.5 million people emigrated from the country. The state and society were in a state of economic decline, entire social groups were virtually destroyed (primarily this concerned the officers, intelligentsia, Cossacks, clergy and nobility).
Reasons for the defeat of the White Army
Today, many historians openly admit that during the war years, several times more soldiers deserted from the Red Army than served in the White Army. At the same time, the leaders of the White movement (for example,) in their memoirs emphasized that the population of the territories they occupied not only supported the troops, supplying them with food, but also replenished the ranks of the White Army.
Nevertheless, the propaganda work of the Bolsheviks was massive and more aggressive, which made it possible to attract wider sections of the population to their side. In addition, almost all production capacities, huge human resources (after all, they controlled most of the territory), as well as material resources were under their control, while the regions that supported the White movement were depleted, and their population (primarily workers and peasants) waited, without showing obvious support for either side.
Where did the terms "red" and "white" come from? The Civil War also saw the “Greens”, “Cadets”, “Socialist Revolutionaries” and other formations. What is their fundamental difference?
In this article, we will answer not only these questions, but also briefly get acquainted with the history of its formation in the country. Let's talk about the confrontation between the White Guard and the Red Army.
Origin of the terms "red" and "white"
Today, the history of the Fatherland is of less and less concern to young people. According to surveys, many have no idea, let alone about the Patriotic War of 1812...
However, such words and phrases as “red” and “white”, “Civil War” and “October Revolution” are still heard. Most people, however, do not know the details, but they have heard the terms.
Let's take a closer look at this issue. We should start with where the two opposing camps came from - “white” and “red” in the Civil War. In principle, it was simply an ideological move by Soviet propagandists and nothing more. Now you will figure out this riddle yourself.
If you turn to textbooks and reference books of the Soviet Union, they explain that the “whites” are the White Guards, supporters of the Tsar and enemies of the “reds”, the Bolsheviks.
It seems that everything was so. But in fact, this is another enemy that the Soviets fought against.
The country has lived for seventy years in confrontation with fictitious opponents. These were the “whites,” the kulaks, the decaying West, the capitalists. Very often, such a vague definition of the enemy served as the foundation for slander and terror.
Next we will discuss the causes of the Civil War. “Whites,” according to Bolshevik ideology, were monarchists. But here’s the catch: there were practically no monarchists in the war. They had no one to fight for, and their honor did not suffer from this. Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and his brother did not accept the crown. Thus, all tsarist officers were free from the oath.
Where then did this “color” difference come from? If the Bolsheviks really had a red flag, then their opponents never had a white one. The answer lies in the history of a century and a half ago.
The Great French Revolution gave the world two opposing camps. The royal troops carried a white banner, the symbol of the dynasty of French rulers. Their opponents, after seizing power, hung a red canvas in the window of the city hall as a sign of the introduction of wartime. On such days, any gatherings of people were dispersed by soldiers.
The Bolsheviks were opposed not by monarchists, but by supporters of the convening of the Constituent Assembly (constitutional democrats, cadets), anarchists (Makhnovists), “green army men” (fought against the “red”, “white”, interventionists) and those who wanted the separation of their territory into a free state .
Thus, the term "white" was cleverly used by ideologues to define a common enemy. His winning position was that any Red Army soldier could explain in a nutshell what he was fighting for, unlike all the other rebels. This attracted ordinary people to the side of the Bolsheviks and made it possible for the latter to win the Civil War.
Prerequisites for the war
When studying the Civil War in class, a table is essential for a good understanding of the material. Below are the stages of this military conflict, which will help you better navigate not only the article, but also this period in the history of the Fatherland.
Now that we have decided who the “reds” and “whites” are, the Civil War, or rather its stages, will be more understandable. You can begin to study them in more depth. It's worth starting with the premises.
So, the main reason for such intense passions, which later resulted in a five-year Civil War, was the accumulated contradictions and problems.
First, the Russian Empire's involvement in World War I destroyed the economy and depleted the country's resources. The bulk of the male population was in the army, agriculture and urban industry fell into decay. The soldiers were tired of fighting for other people's ideals when there were hungry families at home.
The second reason was agricultural and industrial issues. There were too many peasants and workers who lived below the poverty line. The Bolsheviks took full advantage of this.
In order to turn participation in the world war into an inter-class struggle, certain steps were taken.
First, the first wave of nationalization of enterprises, banks, and lands took place. Then the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed, which plunged Russia into the abyss of complete ruin. Against the backdrop of general devastation, the Red Army men carried out terror in order to stay in power.
To justify their behavior, they built an ideology of struggle against the White Guards and interventionists.
Background
Let's take a closer look at why the Civil War began. The table we provided earlier illustrates the stages of the conflict. But we will start with the events that occurred before the Great October Revolution.
Weakened by its participation in the First World War, the Russian Empire declines. Nicholas II abdicates the throne. More importantly, he does not have a successor. In light of such events, two new forces are being formed simultaneously - the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers' Deputies.
The former are beginning to deal with the social and political spheres of the crisis, while the Bolsheviks concentrated on increasing their influence in the army. This path subsequently led them to the opportunity to become the only ruling force in the country.
It was the confusion in government that led to the formation of “reds” and “whites”. The civil war was only the apotheosis of their differences. Which is to be expected.
October Revolution
In fact, the tragedy of the Civil War begins with the October Revolution. The Bolsheviks were gaining strength and moving more confidently to power. In mid-October 1917, a very tense situation began to develop in Petrograd.
October 25 Alexander Kerensky, head of the Provisional Government, leaves Petrograd for Pskov for help. He personally assesses the events in the city as an uprising.
In Pskov, he asks for help with troops. Kerensky seems to be receiving support from the Cossacks, but suddenly the cadets leave the regular army. Now constitutional democrats refuse to support the head of government.
Not finding adequate support in Pskov, Alexander Fedorovich goes to the city of Ostrov, where he meets with General Krasnov. At the same time, the Winter Palace was stormed in Petrograd. In Soviet history, this event is presented as key. But in fact it happened without resistance from the deputies.
After a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora, sailors, soldiers and workers approached the palace and arrested all members of the Provisional Government present there. In addition, the Second Congress of Soviets took place, where a number of major declarations were adopted and executions at the front were abolished.
In view of the coup, Krasnov decides to provide assistance to Alexander Kerensky. On October 26, a cavalry detachment of seven hundred people leaves towards Petrograd. It was assumed that in the city itself they would be supported by an uprising by the cadets. But it was suppressed by the Bolsheviks.
In the current situation, it became clear that the Provisional Government no longer had power. Kerensky fled, General Krasnov negotiated with the Bolsheviks the opportunity to return to Ostrov with his detachment without hindrance.
Meanwhile, the Socialist Revolutionaries begin a radical struggle against the Bolsheviks, who, in their opinion, have acquired greater power. The response to the murders of some “red” leaders was terror by the Bolsheviks, and the Civil War (1917-1922) began. Let us now consider further events.
Establishment of "red" power
As we said above, the tragedy of the Civil War began long before the October Revolution. The common people, soldiers, workers and peasants were dissatisfied with the current situation. If in the central regions many paramilitary detachments were under the close control of Headquarters, then in the eastern detachments a completely different mood reigned.
It was the presence of a large number of reserve troops and their reluctance to enter into a war with Germany that helped the Bolsheviks quickly and bloodlessly receive the support of almost two-thirds of the army. Only 15 large cities resisted the “red” authorities, while 84 passed into their hands on their own initiative.
An unexpected surprise for the Bolsheviks in the form of stunning support from confused and tired soldiers was declared by the “Reds” as a “triumphant procession of the Soviets.”
The civil war (1917-1922) only worsened after the signing of a devastating treaty for Russia, the former empire lost more than a million square kilometers of territory. These included: the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Romania, Don territories. In addition, they had to pay Germany six billion marks of indemnity.
This decision caused protest both within the country and from the Entente. Simultaneously with the intensification of various local conflicts, military intervention by Western states on Russian territory begins.
The entry of Entente troops in Siberia was reinforced by the revolt of the Kuban Cossacks under the leadership of General Krasnov. The defeated detachments of the White Guards and some interventionists went to Central Asia and continued the struggle against Soviet power for many years.
Second period of the Civil War
It was at this stage that the White Guard Heroes of the Civil War were most active. History has preserved such surnames as Kolchak, Yudenich, Denikin, Yuzefovich, Miller and others.
Each of these commanders had his own vision of the future for the state. Some tried to interact with the Entente troops in order to overthrow the Bolshevik government and still convene the Constituent Assembly. Others wanted to become local princelings. This includes people like Makhno, Grigoriev and others.
The difficulty of this period lies in the fact that as soon as the First World War was completed, German troops had to leave Russian territory only after the arrival of the Entente. But according to a secret agreement, they left earlier, handing over the cities to the Bolsheviks.
As history shows us, it is after this turn of events that the Civil War enters a phase of particular cruelty and bloodshed. The failure of commanders oriented towards Western governments was further aggravated by the fact that they had a catastrophic shortage of qualified officers. Thus, the armies of Miller, Yudenich and some other formations disintegrated only because, with a lack of mid-level commanders, the main influx of forces came from captured Red Army soldiers.
Messages in newspapers of this period are characterized by headlines of this type: “Two thousand military personnel with three guns went over to the side of the Red Army.”
The final stage
Historians tend to associate the beginning of the last period of the war of 1917-1922 with the Polish War. With the help of his western neighbors, Piłsudski wanted to create a confederation with territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. But his aspirations were not destined to come true. The armies of the Civil War, led by Egorov and Tukhachevsky, fought their way deep into Western Ukraine and reached the Polish border.
Victory over this enemy was supposed to rouse the workers in Europe to fight. But all the plans of the Red Army leaders failed after a crushing defeat in the battle, which was preserved under the name “Miracle on the Vistula.”
After the conclusion of a peace treaty between the Soviets and Poland, disagreements begin in the Entente camp. As a result, funding for the “white” movement decreased, and the Civil War in Russia began to decline.
In the early 1920s, similar changes in the foreign policies of Western states led to the recognition of the Soviet Union by most countries.
The heroes of the Civil War of the final period fought against Wrangel in Ukraine, the interventionists in the Caucasus and Central Asia, in Siberia. Among the particularly distinguished commanders, Tukhachevsky, Blucher, Frunze and some others should be noted.
Thus, as a result of five years of bloody battles, a new state was formed on the territory of the Russian Empire. Subsequently, it became the second superpower, whose only rival was the United States.
Reasons for victory
Let's figure out why the “whites” were defeated in the Civil War. We will compare the assessments of the opposing camps and try to come to a common conclusion.
Soviet historians saw the main reason for their victory in the fact that there was massive support from the oppressed sections of society. Particular emphasis was placed on those who suffered as a result of the 1905 revolution. Because they unconditionally went over to the side of the Bolsheviks.
“Whites,” on the contrary, complained about the lack of human and material resources. In occupied territories with a population of millions, they could not carry out even the minimum mobilization to replenish their ranks.
Particularly interesting are the statistics provided by the Civil War. “Reds” and “Whites” (the table below) especially suffered from desertion. Unbearable living conditions, as well as the lack of clear goals, made themselves felt. The data concerns only the Bolshevik forces, since the White Guard records did not preserve clear figures.
The main point that modern historians note was the conflict.
The White Guards, firstly, had no centralized command and minimal cooperation between units. They fought locally, each for their own interests. The second feature was the absence of political workers and a clear program. These aspects were often assigned to officers who only knew how to fight, but not how to conduct diplomatic negotiations.
The Red Army soldiers created a powerful ideological network. A clear system of concepts was developed that was drummed into the heads of workers and soldiers. The slogans made it possible for even the most downtrodden peasant to understand what he was going to fight for.
It was this policy that allowed the Bolsheviks to receive maximum support from the population.
Consequences
The victory of the “Reds” in the Civil War was very costly for the state. The economy was completely destroyed. The country lost territories with a population of more than 135 million people.
Agriculture and productivity, food production decreased by 40-50 percent. The surplus appropriation system and the “red-white” terror in different regions led to the death of a huge number of people from starvation, torture and execution.
Industry, according to experts, has slipped to the level of the Russian Empire during the reign of Peter the Great. Researchers say production levels have fallen to 20 percent of 1913 levels, and in some areas to 4 percent.
As a result, a massive outflow of workers from cities to villages began. Since there was at least some hope of not dying of hunger.
“Whites” in the Civil War reflected the desire of the nobility and higher ranks to return to their previous living conditions. But their isolation from the real sentiments that reigned among the common people led to the total defeat of the old order.
Reflection in culture
Civil War leaders were immortalized in thousands of different works - from cinema to paintings, from stories to sculptures and songs.
For example, such productions as “Days of the Turbins”, “Running”, “Optimistic Tragedy” immersed people in the tense wartime environment.
The films “Chapaev”, “Little Red Devils”, “We are from Kronstadt” showed the efforts that the “Reds” made in the Civil War to win their ideals.
The literary work of Babel, Bulgakov, Gaidar, Pasternak, Ostrovsky illustrates the life of representatives of different strata of society in those difficult days.
One can give examples almost endlessly, because the social catastrophe that resulted in the Civil War found a powerful response in the hearts of hundreds of artists.
Thus, today we learned not only the origin of the concepts “white” and “red,” but also briefly became acquainted with the course of events of the Civil War.
Remember that any crisis contains the seeds of future changes for the better.
When considering the phenomenon of the Civil War in Russia 1917-1923. quite often one can come across a simplified view, according to which there were only two warring parties: “red” and “white”. In reality, everything is somewhat more complicated. In reality, at least six parties took part in the war, each of which pursued its own interests.
What kind of parties were these, what interests did they represent, and what would be the fate of Russia if these parties won? Let's consider this issue in more detail.
1. Reds. For the working people!
The first side can rightfully be called the “Reds”. The red movement itself was not entirely homogeneous, but of all the warring parties, it was precisely this feature - relative homogeneity - that was characteristic of them to the greatest extent. The Red Army represented the interests of the legitimate government at that time, namely the state structures that emerged after the October Revolution of 1917. To call this government “Bolshevik” is not entirely correct, because at that time, the Bolsheviks and the Left Socialist Revolutionaries acted as essentially a united front. If desired, one can find a significant number of Left SRs both in leadership positions in the state apparatus and in command (and private) positions in the Red Army (not to mention the earlier Red Guard). However, a similar desire arose later among the party leadership, and those of the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries who did not have time or (due to short-sightedness) did not fundamentally move to the camp of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) suffered a sad fate. But this goes beyond the scope of our material, because... refers to the period after the end of the Civil War. Returning to the Reds as a side, we can say that it was their cohesion (the absence of serious internal contradictions, a single strategic view and unity of command) and legitimacy (and, as a consequence, the ability to conduct mass conscription) that ultimately brought them victory.
2. White. For the faith, the Tsar... or the Constituent Assembly? Or Directory? Or…
The second side of the conflict can be confidently called what is called “white”. In fact, the White Guard as such, unlike the Reds, was not a homogeneous movement. Does everyone remember the scene from the movie “The Elusive Avengers”, when one of the characters makes a monarchist statement in a restaurant filled with representatives of the White movement? Immediately after this statement, a brawl breaks out in the restaurant, caused by the difference in political views of the public. There are shouts of “Long live the Constituent Assembly!”, “Long live the Free Republic!” etc. The White movement really did not have a single political program and any long-term goals, and the unifying idea was the idea of the military defeat of the Reds. There is an opinion that in the unlikely event of a military victory for the whites in the form in which they wanted it (i.e., the overthrow of Lenin’s government), the Civil War would have continued for decades, because lovers and connoisseurs of “Schubert’s waltzes and crunches “French roll” would immediately grab the throat of the “justice seekers” with their idea of a Constituent Assembly, who, in turn, would gladly “tickle with bayonets” supporters of a military dictatorship a la Kolchak, who were politically allergic to French rolls under Schubert.
3. Green. Beat the whites until they turn red, beat the reds until they turn black, and at the same time plunder the loot
The third side of the conflict, which only specialists and a few enthusiasts of the topic now remember, is the force for which war, especially civil war, is a real breeding ground. This refers to the “rats of war” - various gangs, the whole purpose of which essentially boils down to armed robbery of civilians. Tellingly, during that war there were so many of these “rats” that they even got their own color, just like the two main sides. Since the bulk of these “rats” were army deserters (who wore uniforms), and their main habitat was vast forests, they were called “greens”. Typically, the Greens did not have any ideology other than the slogan of “expropriation of the expropriated” (and often simply the expropriation of everything that can be reached), the only exception being the Makhnovist movement, which gave its activities the ideological basis of anarchism. There are known cases of cooperation between the Greens and other parties - both with the Reds (by mid-1919 the armed forces of the Soviet Republic were called the “Workers' and Peasants' Red-Green Army”) and with the Whites. It is worth mentioning Father Makhno again with the famous phrase “Beat the whites until they turn red, beat the reds until they turn black.” Makhno had a BLACK flag, despite his character belonging to the green movement. In addition to Makhno, if you wish, you can recall a dozen green field commanders. Typically, most of them were active in Ukraine and nowhere else.
4. Separatists of all stripes. Bukhara Emir Akbar and Ukraine for Vilna in one bottle
Unlike the greens, this category of citizens even had an ideological basis, and a single one - nationalist. Naturally, the first representatives of this force were citizens living in Poland and Finland, and after them were bearers of the ideas of “Ukrainianism” carefully nurtured by the Austro-Hungarians, who most often did not even know the Ukrainian language. This movement in Ukraine reached such an epic intensity that it was not even able to organize itself into something whole, and existed in the form of two groups - the UPR and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, and if the first were at least somehow able to negotiate, the second differed from the greens approximately like Dzhebhat an -Nusra (banned on the territory of the Russian Federation) from ISIS (banned on the territory of the Russian Federation), that is, they simply smelled a little differently ideologically, and they cut off the heads of the civilian population in the same way. Somewhat later (when Turkey came to its senses after the British campaign in BV), citizens of this category appeared in Central Asia, and their ideology was closer to the greens. But still, they had their own ideological basis (what is now called religious extremism). The fate of all these citizens is the same - the Red Army came and reconciled everyone. With destiny.
5. Entente. God Save the Queen in the name of Mikado
Let's not forget that the Civil War was essentially part of the First World War - at least, it coincided in time. It means that the Entente is at war with the Triple Entente, and then bam - a revolution in the largest power of the Entente. Naturally, the rest of the Entente has a number of natural questions, the first of which is “Why not take a bite?” And they decided to take a bite. If you think that the Entente was exclusively on the side of the Whites, then you are deeply mistaken - it was on its own side, and the Entente troops, like other parties, fought against everyone else, and did not support one of the above forces. The Entente's real assistance to the Whites consisted only in the supply of military material assets, primarily uniforms and food (not even ammunition). The fact is that the leadership of the Entente countries, until the end of the Civil War, had not decided which of the shades of white was more legitimate and who specifically (Kolchak? Yudenich? Denikin? Wrangel? Ungern?) should really be supported militarily. As a result, the Entente troops were represented during the war by, so to speak, limited expeditionary contingents that behaved exactly like the Greens, but wore foreign uniforms and insignia.
6. Germany and the allied (bayonet to rifle) Austria-Hungary. Gott mit…
Continuing the theme of the First World War. Germany unexpectedly (and perhaps expectedly: there are various rumors about the financing of a number of political forces in Russia of that period) discovered that for some reason enemy troops on the Eastern Front were deserting en masse, and the new Russian government was very eager to make peace and get out of the adventure called First World War. Peace was soon concluded, and German troops occupied the territories occupied by the citizens from paragraph 4. True, not for long. Nevertheless, they managed to take part in combat operations with almost all of the forces listed above.
And what is characteristic is that this state of affairs, namely the many warring parties, always develops during any civil war, and not just the war of 1917-23.
Civil War is a fierce armed struggle of various social, national and political forces for power within the country.
Causes of the Civil War:
- a national crisis in the country, which has given rise to irreconcilable contradictions between the main social strata of society;
- features of the socio-economic and anti-religious policy of the Bolsheviks, aimed at inciting hostility in society;
- the desire of the nobility and the bourgeoisie to regain their lost position;
- the decline in the value of human life during the First World War is a psychological factor.
Specific features of the Civil War:
- was accompanied by the intervention of foreign powers who sought to weaken Russia as much as possible;
- was carried out with extreme cruelty (“red” and “white” terror).
Main events of the Civil War.
The first stage (October 1917 - spring 1918): victory of the armed uprising in Petrograd and the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Military actions were local in nature. Anti-Bolshevik forces used political methods of struggle or created armed formations (Volunteer Army).
The second stage (spring - December 1918): the formation of anti-Bolshevik centers and the beginning of active hostilities.
Key dates
March, April— German occupation of Ukraine, the Baltic states and Crimea, in response, the Entente countries decide to send their troops into Russian territory. England lands troops in Murmansk, Japan - in Vladivostok => intervention
May- a rebellion of the Czechoslovak Corps, which consisted of captured Czechs and Slovaks who had gone over to the Entente side and was moving on trains to Vladivostok for transfer to France. The reason for the uprising was the Bolsheviks’ attempt to disarm the corps. Results: the simultaneous fall of Soviet power along the entire length of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
June— the creation of a number of Socialist Revolutionary governments: the Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly in Samara, the Provisional Siberian Government in Tomsk, the Ural Regional Government in Yekaterinburg.
September- creation of an “all-Russian government” in Ufa - the Ufa Directory.
November- dispersal of the Ufa Directory by Admiral A.V. Kolchak, who declared himself the “supreme ruler of Russia.”
The third stage (January - December 1919) is the culmination of the Civil War: relative equality of forces, large-scale operations on all fronts. By the beginning of 1919, three main center of the White movement:
- troops of Admiral A.V. Kolchak (Ural, Siberia);
- Armed Forces of the South of Russia, General A. I. Denikin (Don Region, North Caucasus);
- troops of General N.N. Yudenich in the Baltic States.
Key dates
March, April- the general offensive of Kolchak’s troops on Kazan and Moscow, the mobilization of all possible resources by the Bolsheviks.
End of April - December- counter-offensive of the Red Army (S. S. Kamenev, M. V. Frunze, M. N. Tukhachevsky), ousting Kolchak’s troops beyond the Urals and their complete defeat by the end of 1919.
May— June- Yudenich's first attack on Petrograd. Recaptured with difficulty. General offensive of Denikin's troops. Donbass, part of Ukraine, Belgorod, Tsaritsyn were captured.
September October- the beginning of Denikin’s attack on Moscow (maximum advance - to Orel). The second offensive of General Yudenich’s troops against Petrograd. Counter-offensive of the Red Army against the forces of Denikin (A.I. Egorov, SM. Budyonny) and Yudenich (A.I. Kork).
November— Yudenich’s troops were thrown back to Estonia.
Results: By the end of 1919, there was a clear preponderance of forces in favor of the Bolsheviks; in fact, the outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion.
Fourth stage (January - November 1920): defeat of the White movement in the European part of Russia.
Key dates
April - October- Soviet-Polish war. Invasion of Polish troops into Ukraine and capture of Kyiv (May). Counter-offensive of the Red Army.
October— Riga Peace Treaty with Poland: Western Ukraine and Western Belarus were transferred to Poland. But due to this, Soviet Russia managed to free up troops for an offensive in Crimea.
November- the offensive of the Red Army in the Crimea (M.V. Frunze) and the complete defeat of Wrangel’s troops. The end of the Civil War in the European part of Russia.
Fifth stage (end of 1920-1922): defeat of the White movement in the Far East.
October 1922- liberation of Vladivostok from the Japanese.
Reasons for the Reds' victory in the war:
- managed to win over the peasantry with a promise to implement the Decree on Land after victory in the war. The white agrarian program provided for the return of seized lands to the landowners;
- lack of a unified command and war plans for the whites. The Reds, on the contrary, had a compact territory, a single leader - Lenin, and uniform plans for conducting military operations;
- the unsuccessful national policy of the Whites - the slogan of “united and indivisible Russia” alienated the national outskirts from the White movement, while the slogan of freedom of national self-determination provided the Bolsheviks with their support;
- the whites relied on the help of the Entente, i.e. interventionists, and therefore in the eyes of the population they looked like their accomplices and acted as an anti-national force. For the same reason, almost half of the officers of the tsarist army went over to the Reds as military experts;
- The Reds managed to mobilize all resources through politics "war communism" what whites could not do. The main measures of this policy: the introduction of surplus appropriation (essentially, the confiscation of food from peasants for the needs of the army) and universal labor service (i.e., the militarization of labor), the ban on private trade, the nationalization of medium-sized and even small enterprises, the to curtail commodity-money relations
Consequences of the Civil War:
- a severe economic crisis, economic devastation, a decline in industrial production by 7 times, agricultural production by 2 times;
- huge demographic losses - during the First World War and the Civil War, about 10 million people died from combat, famine and epidemics;
- the final establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship, while the harsh methods of governing the country during the Civil War began to be considered as completely acceptable for peacetime.