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Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41

The Civil War, 1918–21

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 3

Overview

The Reds and the Whites, why civil war broke out in 1918, foreign intervention, the Czech Legion, the White commanders Kolchak, Denikin and Yudenich, the effects on ordinary Russians, Trotsky's contribution, the Bolsheviks' territorial advantages, White weaknesses and how intervention helped the Reds.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Who and when

Who were the Reds and the Whites?

Key term

What was the Czech Legion?

Key term

Name two White commanders and say where they attacked from.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Who were the Reds and the Whites?

    Model answer

    The Reds were the Bolsheviks and their Red Army; the Whites were their many opponents, including tsarists, liberals, Socialist Revolutionaries and former army officers.

  2. 2

    Why did civil war break out in 1918?

    Model answer

    Closing the Constituent Assembly, the humiliating peace with Germany and the seizure of land and factories drove the Bolsheviks' enemies to take up arms.

  3. 3

    Which foreign countries sent troops into Russia, and why?

    Model answer

    Britain, France, the USA and Japan, who wanted Russia back in the war against Germany and feared communism spreading to their own countries.

  4. 4

    What was the Czech Legion?

    Model answer

    Former prisoners of war travelling east along the railway who turned against the Bolsheviks and seized much of the Trans-Siberian line.

  5. 5

    Name two White commanders and say where they attacked from.

    Model answer

    Kolchak advanced from Siberia in the east and Denikin from the south, while Yudenich threatened Petrograd from the west.

  6. 6

    What were the effects of the Civil War on ordinary Russians?

    Model answer

    Millions died in the fighting, from disease or from hunger, industry and transport collapsed, and townspeople fled to the countryside in search of food.

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