Civil war in Russia - armed confrontation in 1917-1922. organized military-political structures and state formations, conditionally defined as "white" and "red", as well as national-state formations on the territory of the former Russian Empire (bourgeois republics, regional state formations). The armed confrontation also involved spontaneously emerging military and socio-political groups, often denoted by the term "third force" (insurgent detachments, partisan republics, etc.). Also, foreign states (denoted by the concept of "interventionists") participated in the civil confrontation in Russia.
Periodization of the Civil War
There are 4 stages in the history of the Civil War:
First stage: summer 1917 - November 1918 - formation of the main centers of the anti-Bolshevik movement
Second stage: November 1918 - April 1919 - beginning of the Entente intervention.
Reasons for intervention:
To deal with the Soviet power;
Protect your interests;
Fear of socialist influence.
Third stage: May 1919 - April 1920 - simultaneous struggle of Soviet Russia against the White armies and Entente troops
Fourth stage: May 1920 - November 1922 (summer 1923) - the defeat of the White armies, the end of the civil war
Background and reasons
The origin of the Civil War cannot be reduced to any one cause. It was the result of deep political, socio-economic, national and spiritual contradictions. Important role played the potential of public discontent during the years of the First World War, the devaluation of values human life. The agrarian and peasant policy of the Bolsheviks also played a negative role (the introduction of committees and surplus appropriations). The Bolshevik political doctrine, according to which civil war is the natural outcome of the socialist revolution, caused by the resistance of the overthrown ruling classes, also contributed to the civil war. On the initiative of the Bolsheviks, the All-Russian Constituent Assembly was dissolved, and the multi-party system was gradually eliminated.
The actual defeat in the war with Germany, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk led to the fact that the Bolsheviks were accused of "destroying Russia."
The right of peoples to self-determination proclaimed by the new government, the emergence of many independent state formations in different parts of the country was perceived by the supporters of the "United, Indivisible" Russia as a betrayal of its interests.
Dissatisfaction with the Soviet government was also expressed by those who opposed its demonstrative break with the historical past and ancient traditions. Especially painful for millions of people was the anti-church policy of the Bolsheviks.
The civil war took various forms, including uprisings, individual armed clashes, large-scale operations with the participation of regular armies, guerrilla actions, and terror. A feature of the Civil War in our country was that it turned out to be extremely long, bloody, and unfolded over a vast territory.
Chronological framework
Separate episodes of the Civil War took place already in 1917 (the February events of 1917, the July "half-uprising" in Petrograd, Kornilov's speech, the October battles in Moscow and other cities), and in the spring - summer of 1918 it acquired a large-scale, front-line character .
It is not easy to determine the final frontier of the Civil War. Front-line military operations on the territory of the European part of the country ended in 1920. But then there were also mass peasant uprisings against the Bolsheviks, and performances by Kronstadt sailors in the spring of 1921. Only in 1922-1923. ended the armed struggle in the Far East. This milestone as a whole can be considered the time of the end of a large-scale Civil War.
Features of armed confrontation during the Civil War
Military operations during the Civil War differed significantly from previous periods. It was a time of a kind of military creativity that broke the stereotypes of command and control, the system of manning the army, and military discipline. The greatest success was achieved by the commander who commanded in a new way, using all means to achieve the task. The civil war was a war of maneuver. Unlike the period of the "positional war" of 1915-1917, solid lines there was no front. Cities, villages, villages could change hands several times. Therefore, active, offensive actions, caused by the desire to seize the initiative from the enemy, were of decisive importance.
The fighting during the Civil War was characterized by a variety of strategies and tactics. During the establishment of Soviet power in Petrograd and Moscow, the tactics of street fighting were used. In mid-October 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee established in Petrograd under the leadership of V.I. Lenin and N.I. Podvoisky, a plan was developed to capture the main urban facilities (telephone exchange, telegraph, railway stations, bridges). Fights in Moscow (October 27 - November 3, 1917 old style), between the forces of the Moscow Military Revolutionary Committee (heads - G.A. Usievich, N.I. Muralov) and the Committee of Public Security (commander of the Moscow Military District Colonel K. I. Ryabtsev and the head of the garrison, Colonel L. N. Treskin) were distinguished by the offensive of the Red Guards and soldiers of the reserve regiments from the outskirts to the city center, occupied by the junkers and the White Guard. Artillery was used to suppress white strongholds. A similar tactic of street fighting was used in the establishment of Soviet power in Kyiv, Kaluga, Irkutsk, Chita.
Formation of the main centers of the anti-Bolshevik movement
Since the beginning of the formation of units of the White and Red armies, the scale of military operations has expanded. In 1918, they were conducted, mainly along the lines of railways and were reduced to the capture of large junction stations and cities. This period was called the "echelon war".
In January-February 1918, the Red Guard detachments under the command of V.A. Antonov-Ovseenko and R.F. Sivers to Rostov-on-Don and Novocherkassk, where the forces of the Volunteer Army under the command of Generals M.V. Alekseeva and L.G. Kornilov.
In the spring of 1918, units of the Czechoslovak Corps formed from prisoners of war of the Austro-Hungarian army took part. Located in echelons along the line of the Trans-Siberian Railway from Penza to Vladivostok, the corps led by R. Gaida, Y. Syrov, S. Chechek was subordinate to the French military command and sent to the Western Front. In response to demands for disarmament, during May-June 1918, the corps overthrew the Soviet government in Omsk, Tomsk, Novonikolaevsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok and throughout the territory of Siberia adjacent to the Trans-Siberian Railway.
In the summer-autumn of 1918, during the 2nd Kuban campaign, the Volunteer Army took the junction stations Tikhoretskaya, Torgovaya, gg. Armavir and Stavropol actually decided the outcome of the operation in the North Caucasus.
The initial period of the Civil War was associated with the activities of the underground centers of the White movement. In all major cities of Russia there were cells associated with the former structures of the military districts and military units located in these cities, as well as with underground organizations of monarchists, cadets and socialist-revolutionaries. In the spring of 1918, on the eve of the performance of the Czechoslovak Corps, an officer underground operated in Petropavlovsk and Omsk under the leadership of Colonel P.P. Ivanov-Rinov, in Tomsk - Lieutenant Colonel A.N. Pepelyaev, in Novonikolaevsk - Colonel A.N. Grishin-Almazova.
In the summer of 1918, General Alekseev approved the secret regulation on the recruiting centers of the Volunteer Army, created in Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, Taganrog. They transmitted intelligence information, sent officers across the front line, and also had to oppose the Soviet regime at the moment the White Army units approached the city.
A similar role was played by the Soviet underground, which was active in the White Crimea, the North Caucasus, Eastern Siberia and the Far East in 1919-1920, creating strong partisan detachments, which later became part of the regular units of the Red Army.
By the beginning of 1919, the formation of the White and Red armies was completed.
As part of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, 15 armies operated, covering the entire front in the center of European Russia. The highest military leadership was concentrated at the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR) L.D. Trotsky and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic, former Colonel S.S. Kamenev. All issues of logistical support for the front, issues of economic regulation on the territory of Soviet Russia were coordinated by the Council of Labor and Defense (STO), whose chairman was V.I. Lenin. He also headed the Soviet government - the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom).
They were opposed by the united under the Supreme command of Admiral A.V. Kolchak Army of the Eastern Front (Siberian (Lieutenant General R. Gaida), Western (Artillery General M.V. Khanzhin), Southern (Major General P.A. Belov) and Orenburg (Lieutenant General A.I. Dutov) , as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (VSYUR), Lieutenant General A. I. Denikin, who recognized the power of Kolchak (Volunteer (Lieutenant General V. Z. May-Maevsky), Donskaya (Lieutenant General V. I. Sidorin) were subordinate to him) and Caucasian (Lieutenant-General P.N. Wrangel) armies).In the general direction, the troops of the Commander-in-Chief of the North-Western Front, General of Infantry N.N. Yudenich and the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Region, Lieutenant General E.K. Miller, acted on Petrograd.
Period greatest development civil war
In the spring of 1919, attempts at combined attacks by the white fronts began. Since that time, combat operations have been in the nature of full-scale operations on a wide front, using all branches of the armed forces (infantry, cavalry, artillery), with the active assistance of aviation, tanks and armored trains. In March-May 1919, the offensive of the Eastern Front of Admiral Kolchak began, striking in divergent directions - on Vyatka-Kotlas, on connection with the Northern Front and on the Volga - on connection with the armies of General Denikin.
The troops of the Soviet Eastern Front, under the leadership of S.S. Kamenev and, mainly, the 5th Soviet Army, under the command of M.N. Tukhachevsky by the beginning of June 1919 stopped the advance of the White armies, inflicting counter-attacks in the Southern Urals (near Buguruslan and Belebey), and in the Kama region.
In the summer of 1919, the offensive of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (AFSUR) began on Kharkov, Yekaterinoslav and Tsaritsyn. After the occupation of the last army of General Wrangel, on July 3, Denikin signed a directive on the "march on Moscow." During July-October, the troops of the All-Union Socialist League occupied most of Ukraine and the provinces of the Black Earth Center of Russia, stopping at the line Kyiv - Bryansk - Orel - Voronezh - Tsaritsyn. Almost simultaneously with the offensive of the VSYUR on Moscow, the offensive of the North-Western Army of General Yudenich on Petrograd began.
For Soviet Russia, the time of autumn 1919 became the most critical. Total mobilization of communists and Komsomol members was carried out, the slogans "Everything - to the defense of Petrograd" and "Everything - to the defense of Moscow" were put forward. Thanks to control over the main railway lines converging to the center of Russia, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR) could transfer troops from one front to another. So, at the height of the fighting in the Moscow direction, several divisions were transferred from Siberia, as well as from the Western Front to the Southern Front and near Petrograd. At the same time, the White armies failed to establish a common anti-Bolshevik front (with the exception of contacts at the level of individual detachments between the Northern and Eastern fronts in May 1919, as well as between the front of the All-Union Socialist Republic and the Ural Cossack Army in August 1919). Thanks to the concentration of forces from different fronts, by mid-October 1919 near Orel and Voronezh, the commander of the Southern Front, former Lieutenant General V.N. Egorov managed to create a strike group, which was based on parts of the Latvian and Estonian rifle divisions, as well as the 1st Cavalry Army under the command of S.M. Budyonny and K.E. Voroshilov. Counterattacks were launched on the flanks of the 1st Corps of the Volunteer Army advancing on Moscow under the command of Lieutenant General A.P. Kutepova. After stubborn fighting during October-November 1919, the VSYUR front was broken, and a general retreat of the Whites from Moscow began. In mid-November, before reaching 25 km from Petrograd, units of the North-Western Army were stopped and defeated.
The military operations of 1919 were distinguished by the extensive use of maneuver. Large cavalry formations were used to break through the front and conduct raids behind enemy lines. In the white armies, the Cossack cavalry was used in this capacity. The 4th Don Corps, specially formed for this purpose, under the command of Lieutenant General K.K. Mamantov in August-September made a deep raid from Tambov to the borders with the Ryazan province and Voronezh. Siberian Cossack Corps under the command of Major General P.P. Ivanov-Rinov broke through the red front near Petropavlovsk in early September. The "Red Division" from the Southern Front of the Red Army raided the rear of the Volunteer Corps in October-November. By the end of 1919, the beginning of operations of the 1st Cavalry Army, advancing in the Rostov and Novocherkassk directions, dates back.
In January-March 1920, fierce battles unfolded in the Kuban. During operations on the Manych and under Art. Yegorlykskaya, the last major equestrian battles in world history took place. Up to 50 thousand horsemen from both sides participated in them. Their result was the defeat of the VSYUR and evacuation to the Crimea, on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet. In the Crimea, in April 1920, the White troops were renamed the "Russian Army", commanded by Lieutenant General P.N. Wrangell.
The defeat of the white armies. End of the Civil War
At the turn of 1919-1920. was finally defeated by A.V. Kolchak. His army scattered, partisan detachments were operating in the rear. The supreme ruler was taken prisoner, in February 1920 in Irkutsk he was shot by the Bolsheviks.
In January 1920, N.N. Yudenich, who undertook two unsuccessful campaigns against Petrograd, announced the dissolution of his Northwestern Army.
After the defeat of Poland, the army of P.N. Wrangel was doomed. Having carried out a short offensive north of the Crimea, she went on the defensive. The forces of the Southern Front of the Red Army (commander M.V., Frunze) defeated the Whites in October - November 1920. The 1st and 2nd Cavalry armies made a significant contribution to the victory over them. Almost 150 thousand people, military and civilian, left the Crimea.
Fighting in 1920-1922 different small territories(Tavria, Transbaikalia, Primorye), with smaller troops and already included elements of a positional war. During the defense, fortifications were used (the White lines at Perekop and Chongar in Crimea in 1920, the Kakhovka fortified area of the 13th Soviet army on the Dnieper in 1920, built by the Japanese and transferred to the white Volochaevsky and Spassky fortified areas in Primorye in 1921-1922. ). Long-term artillery preparation, as well as flamethrowers and tanks, were used to break through them.
Victory over P.N. Wrangel did not yet mean the end of the Civil War. Now the main opponents of the Reds were not the Whites, but the Greens, as the representatives of the peasant insurrectionary movement called themselves. The most powerful peasant movement unfolded in the Tambov and Voronezh provinces. It began in August 1920 after the peasants were given an overwhelming task of surplus appropriation. The rebel army, commanded by the Socialist-Revolutionary A.S. Antonov, managed to overthrow the power of the Bolsheviks in several counties. At the end of 1920, units of the regular Red Army led by M.N. were sent to fight the rebels. Tukhachevsky. However, it turned out to be even more difficult to fight the partisan peasant army than with the White Guards in open battle. Only in June 1921 the Tambov uprising was suppressed, and A.S. Antonov is killed in a shootout. In the same period, the Reds managed to win a final victory over Makhno.
The high point of the Civil War in 1921 was the uprising of the sailors of Kronstadt, who joined the protests of St. Petersburg workers demanding political freedoms. The uprising was brutally crushed in March 1921.
During 1920-1921. units of the Red Army made several campaigns in Transcaucasia. As a result, independent states were liquidated on the territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia and Soviet power was established.
To fight the White Guards and interventionists in the Far East, the Bolsheviks created in April 1920 a new state - the Far Eastern Republic (FER). The army of the republic for two years knocked out Japanese troops from Primorye and defeated several White Guard chieftains. After that, at the end of 1922, the FER became part of the RSFSR.
In the same period, having overcome the resistance of the Basmachi, who fought to preserve medieval traditions, the Bolsheviks won the Central Asia. Although a few rebel groups operated until the 1930s.
Results of the Civil War
The main result of the Civil War in Russia was the establishment of the power of the Bolsheviks. Among the reasons for the victory of the Reds are:
1. The use by the Bolsheviks of the political moods of the masses, powerful propaganda (clear goals, prompt resolution of issues both in the world and on earth, exit from the world war, justification of terror by fighting the country's enemies);
2. Control by the Council of People's Commissars of the central provinces of Russia, where the main military enterprises were located;
3. The disunity of the anti-Bolshevik forces (lack of common ideological positions; the struggle "against something", but not "for something"; territorial fragmentation).
The total population losses during the years of the Civil War amounted to 12-13 million people. Almost half of them are victims of famine and mass epidemics. Emigration from Russia took on a massive character. About 2 million people left their homeland.
The country's economy was in a catastrophic state. The cities were depopulated. Industrial production has fallen in comparison with 1913 by 5-7 times, agricultural - by one third.
The territory of the former Russian Empire fell apart. The largest new state was the RSFSR.
Military equipment during the Civil War
On the battlefields of the Civil War, new types were successfully used military equipment, some of them appeared in Russia for the first time. So, for example, British and French tanks were actively used in parts of the All-Union Socialist Republic, as well as the Northern and North-Western armies. The Red Guards, who did not have the skills to deal with them, often retreated from their positions. However, during the assault on the Kakhovka fortified area in October 1920, most of the white tanks were hit by artillery, and after the necessary repairs they were included in the Red Army, where they were used until the early 1930s. A prerequisite for supporting infantry, both in street battles and during front-line operations, was the presence of armored vehicles.
The need for strong fire support during cavalry attacks caused the appearance of such an original means of combat as horse-drawn carts - light carts, two-wheelers, with a machine gun mounted on them. Carts were first used in the rebel army of N.I. Makhno, but later began to be used in all large cavalry formations of the White and Red armies.
Squadrons interacted with the ground forces. An example of a joint operation is the defeat of D.P. Rednecks by aviation and infantry of the Russian army in June 1920. Aviation was also used to bombard fortified positions and reconnaissance. During the "echelon war" and later, along with infantry and cavalry, armored trains operated on both sides, the number of which reached several dozen per army. Of these, special units were created.
Manning armies in the Civil War
Under the conditions of the Civil War and the destruction of the state mobilization apparatus, the principles of recruiting armies changed. Only the Siberian Army of the Eastern Front was completed in 1918 by mobilization. Most units of the VSYUR, as well as the Northern and Northwestern armies, were replenished at the expense of volunteers and prisoners of war. The most reliable in combat terms were volunteers.
The Red Army was also characterized by the predominance of volunteers (initially, only volunteers were accepted into the Red Army, and admission required "proletarian origin" and "recommendation" of a local party cell). The predominance of mobilized and prisoners of war became widespread at the final stage of the Civil War (in the ranks of the Russian army of General Wrangel, as part of the 1st Cavalry in the Red Army).
The white and red armies were distinguished by a small number and, as a rule, a discrepancy between the real composition of military units and their staff (for example, divisions of 1000-1500 bayonets, regiments of 300 bayonets, even a shortfall of up to 35-40% was approved).
In the command of the White armies, the role of young officers increased, and in the Red Army - nominees along the party line. A completely new institution of political commissars for the armed forces was established (which first appeared under the Provisional Government in 1917). Average age command level in the positions of chiefs of divisions and corps commanders was 25-35 years.
The absence of an order system in the All-Russian Union of Socialist Youth and the awarding of successive ranks led to the fact that in 1.5-2 years officers went through a career from lieutenants to generals.
In the Red Army, with a relatively young command staff, a significant role was played by former officers of the General Staff who planned strategic operations (former lieutenant generals M.D. Bonch-Bruevich, V.N. Egorov, former colonels I.I. Vatsetis, S.S. Kamenev, F.M. Afanasiev, A.N. Stankevich and others).
The military-political factor in civil war
The specifics of the civil war, as a military-political confrontation between the whites and the reds, also consisted in the fact that military operations were often planned under the influence of certain political factors. In particular, the offensive of the Eastern Front of Admiral Kolchak in the spring of 1919 was undertaken in anticipation of an early diplomatic recognition of him as the Supreme Ruler of Russia by the Entente countries. And the offensive of the North-Western Army of General Yudenich on Petrograd was caused not only by the expectation of an early occupation of the "cradle of the revolution", but also by the fear of concluding a peace treaty between Soviet Russia and Estonia. In this case, Yudenich's army lost its base. The offensive of the Russian army of General Wrangel in Tavria in the summer of 1920 was supposed to pull back part of the forces from the Soviet-Polish front.
Many operations of the Red Army, regardless of strategic reasons and military potential, were also purely political in nature (for the sake of the so-called "triumph of the world revolution"). So, for example, in the summer of 1919, the 12th and 14th armies of the Southern Front were supposed to be sent to support the revolutionary uprising in Hungary, and the 7th and 15th armies were supposed to establish Soviet power in the Baltic republics. In 1920, during the war with Poland, the troops of the Western Front, under the command of M.N. Tukhachevsky, after operations to defeat the Polish armies in the territory of Western Ukraine and Belarus, transferred their operations to the territory of Poland, counting on the creation of a pro-Soviet government here. The actions of the 11th and 12th Soviet armies in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia in 1921 were of a similar nature. At the same time, under the pretext of defeating parts of the Asian Cavalry Division, Lieutenant General R.F. Ungern-Sternberg, the troops of the Far Eastern Republic, the 5th Soviet Army were introduced into the territory of Mongolia and a socialist regime was established (the first in the world after Soviet Russia).
During the years of the Civil War, it became a practice to carry out operations dedicated to anniversaries (the beginning of the assault on Perekop by the troops of the Southern Front under the command of M.V. Frunze on November 7, 1920, on the anniversary of the 1917 revolution).
The military art of the Civil War became a vivid example of the combination of traditional and innovative forms of strategy and tactics in the difficult conditions of the Russian "distemper" of 1917-1922. It determined the development of Soviet military art (in particular, in the use of large cavalry formations) in the following decades, until the outbreak of World War II.
"White" and "Red" movement in the Civil War 27.10.2017 09:49
Every Russian knows that the Civil War of 1917-1922 was opposed by two movements - "red" and "white". But among historians there is still no consensus on how it began. Someone believes that the reason was Krasnov's March on the Russian capital (October 25); others believe that the war began when, in the near future, the commander of the Volunteer Army, Alekseev, arrived on the Don (November 2); it is also believed that the war began with the fact that Milyukov proclaimed the “Declaration of the Volunteer Army, delivering a speech at the ceremony, called the Don (December 27).
Another popular opinion, which is far from unfounded, is the opinion that the Civil War began immediately after the February Revolution, when the whole society split into supporters and opponents of the Romanov monarchy.
"White" movement in Russia
Everyone knows that "whites" are adherents of the monarchy and the old order. Its beginnings were visible as early as February 1917, when the monarchy was overthrown in Russia and a total restructuring of society began. The development of the "white" movement was during the period when the Bolsheviks came to power, the formation of Soviet power. They represented a circle of dissatisfied with the Soviet government, disagreeing with its policy and principles of its conduct.
The "Whites" were fans of the old monarchical system, refused to accept the new socialist order, adhered to the principles traditional society. It is important to note that the "whites" were very often radicals, they did not believe that it was possible to agree on something with the "reds", on the contrary, they had the opinion that no negotiations and concessions were allowed.
The "Whites" chose the tricolor of the Romanovs as their banner. Admiral Denikin and Kolchan commanded the white movement, one in the South, the other in the harsh regions of Siberia.
The historical event that became the impetus for the activation of the "whites" and the transition to their side of most of the former army of the Romanov Empire is the rebellion of General Kornilov, which, although it was suppressed, helped the "whites" strengthen their ranks, especially in the southern regions, where, under the command of the general Alekseev began to gather huge resources and a powerful disciplined army. Every day the army was replenished due to newcomers, it grew rapidly, developed, tempered, trained.
Separately, it must be said about the commanders of the White Guards (this was the name of the army created by the "white" movement). They were unusually talented commanders, prudent politicians, strategists, tacticians, subtle psychologists, and skillful speakers. The most famous were Lavr Kornilov, Anton Denikin, Alexander Kolchak, Pyotr Krasnov, Pyotr Wrangel, Nikolai Yudenich, Mikhail Alekseev. You can talk about each of them for a long time, their talent and merits for the "white" movement can hardly be overestimated.
In the war, the White Guards won for a long time, and even brought their troops to Moscow. But the Bolshevik army was growing stronger, besides, they were supported by a significant part of the population of Russia, especially the poorest and most numerous sections - workers and peasants. In the end, the forces of the White Guards were smashed to smithereens. For some time they continued to operate abroad, but without success, the "white" movement ceased.
"Red" movement
Like the "whites", in the ranks of the "reds" there were many talented commanders and politicians. Among them, it is important to note the most famous, namely: Leon Trotsky, Brusilov, Novitsky, Frunze. These commanders showed themselves excellently in battles against the White Guards. Trotsky was the main founder of the Red Army, which was the decisive force in the confrontation between the "whites" and the "reds" in the Civil War. The ideological leader of the "red" movement was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, known to every person. Lenin and his government were actively supported by the most massive sections of the population of the Russian State, namely, the proletariat, the poor, landless and landless peasants, and the working intelligentsia. It was these classes who quickly believed the tempting promises of the Bolsheviks, supported them and brought the "Reds" to power.
The main party in the country was the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party of the Bolsheviks, which was later turned into a communist party. In fact, it was an association of intelligentsia, adherents of the socialist revolution, whose social base was the working classes.
It was not easy for the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War - they had not yet completely strengthened their power throughout the country, the forces of their fans were dispersed throughout the vast country, plus the national outskirts began a national liberation struggle. A lot of strength went into the war with the Ukrainian People's Republic, so the Red Army during the Civil War had to fight on several fronts.
Attacks of the White Guards could come from any side of the horizon, because the White Guards surrounded the Red Army soldiers from all sides with four separate military formations. And despite all the difficulties, it was the “Reds” who won the war, mainly due to the broad social base of the Communist Party.
All representatives of the national outskirts united against the White Guards, and therefore they also became forced allies of the Red Army in the Civil War. To win over the inhabitants of the national outskirts, the Bolsheviks used loud slogans, such as the idea of "one and indivisible Russia."
The Bolsheviks won the war with the support of the masses. The Soviet government played on the sense of duty and patriotism of Russian citizens. The White Guards themselves also added fuel to the fire, since their invasions were most often accompanied by mass robbery, looting, violence in its other manifestations, which could not in any way encourage people to support the "white" movement.
Results of the Civil War
As has been said several times, the victory in this fratricidal war went to the "Reds". The fratricidal civil war became a real tragedy for the Russian people. The material damage caused to the country by the war, according to estimates, amounted to about 50 billion rubles - unimaginable money at that time, several times higher than the amount of Russia's external debt. Because of this, the level of industry fell by 14%, and agriculture - by 50%. According to various sources, human losses ranged from 12 to 15 million.
Most of these people died from starvation, repression, and disease. During the hostilities, more than 800 thousand soldiers from both sides gave their lives. Also during the Civil War, the balance of migration fell sharply - about 2 million Russians left the country and went abroad.
At the first stage of the Civil War of 1917 - 1922/23, two powerful opposing forces took shape - "red" and "white". The first represented the Bolshevik camp, whose goal was a radical change in the existing system and the construction of a socialist regime, the second - the anti-Bolshevik camp, striving to return the order of the pre-revolutionary period.
The period between the February and October revolutions is the time of the formation and development of the Bolshevik regime, the stage of accumulation of forces. The main tasks of the Bolsheviks before the outbreak of the Civil War were: the formation of a social support, transformations in the country that would allow them to gain a foothold at the top of power in the country, and protect the achievements of the February Revolution.
The methods of the Bolsheviks in strengthening power were effective. First of all, this concerns propaganda among the population - the slogans of the Bolsheviks were relevant and helped to quickly form the social support of the "Reds".
The first armed detachments of the "Reds" began to appear at the preparatory stage - from March to October 1917. The main driving force behind such detachments were workers from industrial regions - this was the main force of the Bolsheviks, which helped them come to power during the October Revolution. At the time of the revolutionary events, the detachment numbered about 200,000 people.
The stage of formation of the power of the Bolsheviks required the protection of what was achieved during the revolution - for this, at the end of December 1917, the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission was created, headed by F. Dzerzhinsky. On January 15, 1918, the Cheka adopted a Decree on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, and on January 29, the Red Fleet was created.
Analyzing the actions of the Bolsheviks, historians do not come to a consensus about their goals and motivations:
The most common opinion is that the “Reds” initially planned a large-scale Civil War, which would be a logical continuation of the revolution. The fighting, the purpose of which was to promote the ideas of the revolution, would consolidate the power of the Bolsheviks and spread socialism throughout the world. During the war, the Bolsheviks planned to destroy the bourgeoisie as a class. Thus, based on this, the ultimate goal of the "Reds" is a world revolution.
One of the admirers of the second concept is V. Galin. This version is fundamentally different from the first - according to historians, the Bolsheviks had no intention of turning the revolution into a Civil War. The goal of the Bolsheviks was to seize power, which they succeeded in the course of the revolution. But the continuation of hostilities was not included in the plans. The arguments of the fans of this concept: the transformations planned by the "Reds" demanded peace in the country, at the first stage of the struggle, the "Reds" were tolerant of other political forces. A turning point regarding political opponents occurred when in 1918 there was a threat to lose power in the state. By 1918, the "Reds" had a strong, professionally trained enemy - the White Army. Its backbone was the military times of the Russian Empire. By 1918, the fight against this enemy became purposeful, the army of the "Reds" acquired a pronounced structure.
At the first stage of the war, the actions of the Red Army were not successful. Why?
Recruitment to the army was carried out on a voluntary basis, which led to decentralization and disunity. The army was created spontaneously, without a specific structure - this led to a low level of discipline, problems in managing a large number of volunteers. The chaotic army was not characterized by a high level of combat capability. Only since 1918, when the Bolshevik power was under threat, did the "Reds" decide to recruit troops according to the mobilization principle. From June 1918, they began to mobilize the military of the tsarist army.
The second reason is closely related to the first - against the chaotic, non-professional army of the "Reds" were organized, professional military, which at the time of the Civil War, participated in more than one battle. The "Whites" with a high level of patriotism were united not only by professionalism, but also by the idea - the White movement stood for a united and indivisible Russia, for order in the state.
Most feature Red Army - uniformity. First of all, it concerns the class origin. Unlike the "whites", whose army included professional soldiers, workers, and peasants, the "reds" accepted only proletarians and peasants into their ranks. The bourgeoisie was to be destroyed, so an important task was to prevent hostile elements from entering the Red Army.
In parallel with the hostilities, the Bolsheviks were implementing a political and economic program. The Bolsheviks pursued a policy of "red terror" against hostile social classes. In the economic sphere, "war communism" was introduced - a set of measures in domestic politics Bolsheviks throughout the Civil War.
Biggest victories for the Reds:
- 1918 - 1919 - the establishment of Bolshevik power on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia.
- The beginning of 1919 - the Red Army goes on the counteroffensive, defeating the "white" army of Krasnov.
- Spring-summer 1919 - Kolchak's troops fell under the blows of the "Reds".
- The beginning of 1920 - the "Reds" ousted the "Whites" from the northern cities of Russia.
- February-March 1920 - the defeat of the rest of the forces of Denikin's Volunteer Army.
- November 1920 - the "Reds" ousted the "Whites" from the Crimea.
- By the end of 1920, the "Reds" were opposed by scattered groups of the White Army. The civil war ended with the victory of the Bolsheviks.
Where did the terms "red" and "white" come from? The Civil War also knew the "greens", "cadets", "SRs" and other formations. What is their fundamental difference?
In this article, we will answer not only these questions, but also get acquainted briefly with the history of 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 less and less concerned with young people. According to polls, many do not even have an idea, what can we say about Patriotic War 1812...
However, such words and phrases as "red" and "white", "Civil War" and "October Revolution" are still well known. Most, 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 just an ideological move by Soviet propagandists and nothing more. Now you will understand this riddle yourself.
If you turn to the textbooks and reference books of the Soviet Union, it explains that the “whites” are the White Guards, supporters of the tsar and enemies of the “reds”, the Bolsheviks.
It seems that everything was like that. But in fact, this is another enemy that the Soviets fought.
After all, the country has lived for seventy years in opposition to 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. The "Whites", according to the 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 honor did not suffer from this. Nicholas II abdicated the throne, but his brother did not accept the crown. Thus, all the royal officers were free from the oath.
Where, then, did this “color” difference come from? If the Bolsheviks did have a red flag, then their opponents never had a white one. The answer lies in the history of a century and a half ago.
Great French revolution gave the world two opposing camps. The royal troops wore a white banner, a sign of the dynasty of the French rulers. Their opponents, after the seizure of power, hung a red canvas in the window of the city hall as a sign of the introduction of wartime. On such days, any gathering of people was dispersed by soldiers.
The Bolsheviks were opposed not by monarchists, but by supporters of the convocation of the Constituent Assembly (Constitutional Democrats, Cadets), anarchists (Makhnovists), "Green Army" (fought against the "Reds", "Whites", interventionists) and those who wanted to separate their territory into a free state .
Thus, the term "whites" has been cleverly used by ideologues to define a common enemy. His winning position turned out to be 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.
Background of the war
When the Civil War is studied in the classroom, the table is simply necessary for a good assimilation of the material. Below are the stages of this military conflict, which will help you better navigate not only in the article, but also in this period of 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 proceed to a deeper study of them. Let's start with the prerequisites.
So, the main reason for such a heat of passion, which subsequently resulted in a five-year Civil War, was the accumulated contradictions and problems.
First, the participation of the Russian Empire in the First World War destroyed the economy and drained resources in the country. The bulk of the male population was in the army, agriculture and urban industry fell into decline. The soldiers were tired of fighting for other people's ideals when there were hungry families at home.
The second reason was agrarian and industrial issues. There were too many peasants and workers who lived below the poverty line and destitution. The Bolsheviks took full advantage of this.
In order to turn participation in the world war into an interclass struggle, certain steps were taken.
First, the first wave of nationalization of enterprises, banks, and lands took place. Then the Brest Treaty was signed, which plunged Russia into the abyss of complete ruin. Against the background of the general devastation, the Red Army men staged a 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 cited earlier illustrates the stages of conflict. But we will start with the events that took place before the Great October Revolution.
Weakened by participation in the First World War, Russian empire comes into decline. Nicholas II abdicates the throne. More importantly, he does not have a successor. In the light of such events, two new forces are being formed simultaneously - the Provisional Government and the Soviet of Workers' Deputies.
The former begin to deal with the social and political spheres of the crisis, while the Bolsheviks concentrated on increasing their influence in the army. This path led them subsequently to the opportunity to become the only ruling force in the country.
It was the confusion in the administration of the state that led to the formation of "red" and "white". 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 more confidently went 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 to help him with troops. Kerensky seems to be getting support from the Cossacks, but suddenly the Cadets leave the regular army. Now the Constitutional Democrats refuse to support the head of government.
Not finding proper support in Pskov, Alexander Fedorovich travels to the city of Ostrov, where he meets with General Krasnov. At the same time, the Winter Palace was stormed in Petrograd. AT Soviet history this event is presented as a key event. But in fact, it happened without resistance from the deputies.
After a blank shot from the Aurora cruiser, the sailors, soldiers and workers approached the palace and arrested all the members of the Provisional Government who were present there. In addition, a number of major declarations were adopted and executions at the front were abolished.
In view of the coup, Krasnov decides to help Alexander Kerensky. On October 26, a cavalry detachment of seven hundred people leaves in the direction of Petrograd. It was assumed that in the city itself they would be supported by the uprising of the Junkers. 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 bargained with the Bolsheviks for the opportunity to return to Ostrov with the detachment without hindrance.
Meanwhile, the Socialist-Revolutionaries begin a radical struggle against the Bolsheviks, who, in their opinion, have gained more power. The answer to the murders of some "red" leaders was the terror of the Bolsheviks, and the Civil War began (1917-1922). We now consider further developments.
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 tight control of the Headquarters, then completely different moods reigned in the eastern detachments.
It was the presence of a large number of reserve troops and their unwillingness to enter the war with Germany that helped the Bolsheviks quickly and bloodlessly gain the support of almost two-thirds of the army. Only 15 large cities resisted the "red" government, while 84, on their own initiative, passed into their hands.
An unexpected surprise for the Bolsheviks in the form of amazing support from the confused and tired soldiers was announced by the "Reds" as a "triumphal march of the Soviets."
The civil war (1917-1922) only worsened after the signing of the devastating for Russia Under the terms of the agreement, the former empire was losing more than a million square kilometers of territory. These included: the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Romania, the Don territories. In addition, they had to pay Germany six billion marks indemnity.
This decision provoked protest both within the country and from the side of the Entente. Simultaneously with the intensification of various local conflicts, the military intervention of Western states on the territory of Russia begins.
The entry of the Entente troops in Siberia was reinforced by a revolt of the Kuban Cossacks led by 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 more years.
Second period of the Civil War
It was at this stage that the White Guard Heroes of the Civil War were the most active. History has preserved such names 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 troops of the Entente in order to overthrow the Bolshevik government and still convene the Constituent Assembly. Others wanted to become local princelings. This includes such as Makhno, Grigoriev and others.
The complexity of this period lies in the fact that as soon as the First World War, German troops were to leave the territory of Russia 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 such a turn of events that the Civil War enters a phase of particular cruelty and bloodshed. The failure of the commanders, who were guided by Western governments, was aggravated by the fact that they were sorely lacking in qualified officers. So, the armies of Miller, Yudenich and some other formations disintegrated only because, with a lack of middle-level commanders, the main influx of forces came from captured Red Army soldiers.
Newspaper reports of this period are characterized by headlines of this type: "Two thousand servicemen 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 Yegorov and Tukhachevsky, fought their way deep into Western Ukraine and reached the Polish border.
The victory over this enemy was to rouse the workers in Europe to the struggle. But all the plans of the Red Army leaders failed after a devastating defeat in the battle, which has been 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, the financing of the "white" movement decreased, and the Civil War in Russia began to decline.
In the early 1920s, similar changes in the foreign policy of Western states led to the fact that the Soviet Union was recognized 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, the only rival of which was the United States.
Reasons for victory
Let's see 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 main reason they saw 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 the occupied territories with a million people, they could not even carry out a minimal mobilization to replenish the ranks.
Of particular interest are the statistics provided by the Civil War. The "Reds", "Whites" (table below) suffered particularly from desertion. Unbearable living conditions, as well as the lack of clear goals, made themselves felt. The data relates only to the Bolshevik forces, since the White Guard records did not save intelligible figures.
The main point noted by modern historians was the conflict.
The White Guards, firstly, did not have a 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 moments were often assigned to officers who only knew how to fight, but not to conduct diplomatic negotiations.
The Red Army soldiers created a powerful ideological network. A clear system of concepts was developed, which were hammered 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 get the maximum support of the population.
Effects
The victory of the "Reds" in the Civil War was given to the state very dearly. The economy was completely destroyed. The country has lost territories with a population of more than 135 million people.
Agriculture and productivity, food production have decreased by 40-50 percent. Prodrazverstka and "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 sunk to the level of the Russian Empire during the reign of Peter the Great. According to the researchers, production figures have fallen to 20 percent of the volume in 1913, and in some areas up to 4 percent.
As a result, a mass exodus of workers from cities to villages began. Since there was at least some hope not to die of hunger.
The "whites" in the Civil War reflected the desire of the nobility and higher ranks to return to their former living conditions. But their isolation from the real moods that prevailed among the common people led to the total defeat of the old order.
Reflection in culture
The leaders of the Civil War have been 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 atmosphere of wartime.
The films "Chapaev", "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.
You 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 have learned not only the origin of the concepts of "white" and "red", but also briefly got acquainted with the course of events of the Civil War.
Remember that any crisis contains the seed of future changes for the better.
The First World War laid bare the enormous internal problems of the Russian Empire. The consequence of these problems was a series of revolutions and the Civil War, in the main conflict of which the “reds” and “whites” clashed. In a mini-cycle of two articles, we will try to remember how this confrontation began and why the Bolsheviks managed to win.
The centennial anniversaries of the February and October revolutions, as well as the events that followed them, are just around the corner. In the mass consciousness, despite the many films and books about 1917 and the Civil War, and perhaps thanks to them, there is still no single picture of the unfolding confrontation. Or vice versa, it boils down to "there was a revolution, and then the Reds propagandized everyone and kicked the whites in a mob." And you can’t argue - everything was about the same. However, anyone who tries to delve a little deeper into the situation will have a number of fair questions.
Why, in a matter of years, or rather even months, did a single country turn into a battlefield and civil unrest? Why do some people win and others lose?
And finally, where did it all begin?
Lesson learned
By the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia seemed (and in many ways was) one of the leading countries in the world. Without her weighty word, issues of war and peace were not resolved, her army and navy were taken into account when planning future clashes, all the great powers. Some feared the Russian "steam roller", others hoped for it as the last argument in the battles of the peoples.
The first alarm bell rang in 1904–1905, with the start of the Russo-Japanese War. A huge, strong world-class empire actually lost its fleet in one day and with great difficulty was able not to lose to smithereens on land. And to whom? Tiny Japan, despised by all Asians, who from the point of view of cultural Europeans were not considered people at all and half a century before these events lived under natural feudalism, with swords and bows. This was the first wake-up call, which (as viewed from the future) actually painted the contours of future military operations. But then no one began to listen to the formidable warning (as well as to the forecasts of Ivan Bliokh, to which a separate article will be devoted). The first Russian revolution clearly showed to everyone the vulnerability of the political system of the empire. And the "wishers" drew conclusions.
"Breakfast of a Cossack" - a cartoon from the time of the Russo-Japanese War
In fact, fate gave Russia almost a whole decade to prepare for future trials, relying on the Japanese "test of the pen." And it cannot be said that absolutely nothing has been done. It was done, but ... too slowly and fragmentarily, too inconsistently. Too slow.
The year 1914 was approaching...
too long war
As has been repeatedly described in a variety of sources, none of the participants in the First World War expected that the confrontation would be long - many probably remember famous phrase about the return "before the autumn leaf fall." As is usually the case, military and political thought far behind developing economic and technological opportunities. And for all the participants, it turned out to be a shock that the conflict dragged on, the escalation of "gentleman's" military operations into a high-tech industry of turning people into dead people. One of the most important consequences of this was the notorious "shell hunger" or, if we cover the problem more broadly, a catastrophic shortage of everything and everything that is necessary for the conduct of hostilities. Huge fronts and millions of fighters with many thousands of guns, like Moloch, demanded a total economic sacrifice. And each participant had to solve the grandiose problem of mobilization.
The shock hit everyone, but Russia was especially hard. It turned out that behind the façade of the world empire there is a not so attractive underside - an industry that cannot master the mass production of engines, cars and tanks. Everything was not as bad as categorical opponents of "rotten tsarism" often draw (for example, the needs for three-inch rifles and rifles were more or less met), but on the whole, the imperial industry was not able to satisfy the needs of the army in most vital positions - light machine guns, heavy artillery, modern aviation, vehicles and so on.
British tanks from World War IMark IVat the Oldbury Carriage Works
photosofwar.net
A more or less adequate production of aviation on its own industrial base, the Russian Empire could deploy at best by the end of 1917, with the commissioning of new defense plants. The same goes for light machine guns. Copies of French tanks were expected at best in 1918. In France alone, already in December 1914, hundreds of aircraft engines were produced, in January 1916 the monthly output exceeded a thousand - and in Russia in the same year it reached 50 pieces.
A separate problem was the transport collapse. The road network, covering a huge country, was forced to be poor. It turned out to be only half the task to produce or receive strategic cargo from the allies: then it was still necessary to distribute them with epic labors and deliver them to the addressees. The transport system did not cope with this.
Thus, Russia turned out to be the weak link of the Entente and the great powers of the world as a whole. She could not rely on a brilliant industry and skilled workers, like Germany, on the resources of the colonies, like Britain, on a powerful industry untouched by war and capable of gigantic growth, like the States.
As a result of all the aforementioned ugliness and many other reasons that were forced to remain outside the scope of the narrative, Russia suffered disproportionate losses in people. The soldiers simply did not understand what they were fighting and dying for, the government was losing prestige (and then just elementary trust) within the country. The death of most of the trained personnel - and, according to the grenadier captain Popov, by 1917 we had "armed people" instead of the army. Almost all contemporaries, regardless of beliefs, shared this point of view.
And the political "climate" was a real disaster film. The murder of Rasputin (more precisely, his impunity), for all the odiousness of the character, clearly shows the paralysis that overtook the entire state system Russia. And in few places the authorities were so openly, seriously and, most importantly, accused with impunity of treason and helping the enemy.
It cannot be said that these were specifically Russian problems - the same processes were going on in all the warring countries. Britain received the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin and another aggravation of the "Irish question", France - mass riots in parts after the failure of the Nivelle offensive in 1917. The Italian front in the same year was generally on the verge of a total collapse, and it was saved only by emergency "infusions" of British and French units. However, these states had a safety margin of the system government controlled and some kind of "credibility" among its population. They were able to hold on - or rather hold out - long enough to make it to the end of the war - and win.
A Dublin street after the 1916 uprising.The People's War Book and Pictorial Atlas of the World. USA & Canada, 1920
And in Russia, the year 1917 came, in which two revolutions fell at once.
Chaos and anarchy
“Everything turned right upside down. The formidable authorities turned into timid - confused, yesterday's monarchists - into orthodox socialists, people who were afraid to say an extra word for fear of ill-connecting it with the previous ones, felt the gift of eloquence in themselves, and the deepening and expansion of the revolution in all directions began ... The confusion was complete. The overwhelming majority reacted to the revolution with confidence and joy; for some reason, everyone believed that she would bring with her, along with other benefits, an early end to the war, since the “old regime system” played into the hands of the Germans. And now everyone will decide the public and talents ... and everyone began to feel the hidden talents in himself and try them in relation to the orders of the new system. How heavy these first months of our revolution are remembered. Every day, somewhere deep in the heart, something was torn off with pain, what seemed unshakable collapsed, what was considered sacred was desecrated.
Konstantin Sergeevich Popov "Memoirs of a Caucasian grenadier, 1914-1920".
The civil war in Russia began far from immediately and grew out of the flames of general anarchy and chaos. Weak industrialization has already brought a lot of troubles to the country, and continued to bring further. This time - in the form of a predominantly agrarian population, "peizan" with their specific view of the world. Hundreds of thousands of peasant soldiers returned arbitrarily, without obeying anyone, from the collapsing army. Thanks to the "black redistribution" and the multiplication by zero of landowners with fists, the Russian peasant finally literally ate, and also managed to satisfy the eternal craving for the "land". And thanks to some kind of military experience and weapons brought from the front, he could now defend himself.
Against the background of this boundless sea of peasant life, extremely apolitical and alien to the color of power, political opponents, trying to turn the country in their own direction, were at first lost like pitfalls. They simply had nothing to offer the people.
Demonstration in Petrograd
sovetclub.ru
The peasant was indifferent to any power, and only one thing was required of her - if only "the peasant was not touched." They bring kerosene from the city - good. And if they don’t bring it, we’ll live like that, all the same, the city’s citizens will start to starve, so they themselves will crawl. The village knew too well what hunger was. And she knew that only she had the main value - bread.
And in the cities a real hell was really going on - only in Petrograd the mortality rate increased more than four times. With the paralysis of the transport system, the task of "simply" bringing already collected grain from the Volga region or Siberia to Moscow and Petrograd was an act worthy of the exploits of Hercules.
In the absence of any single authoritative and strong center capable of bringing everyone to a common denominator, the country was rapidly sliding into a terrible and all-encompassing anarchy. In fact, in the first quarter of the new, industrial twentieth century, the times of the Thirty Years' War were revived, when gangs of marauders raged amid chaos and general misfortune, changing the faith and color of the banners with the ease of changing socks - if not more.
Two enemies
However, as is known, two main opponents crystallized out of the variety of motley participants in the great turmoil. Two camps that unite most of the extremely heterogeneous currents.
White and Red.
Psychic attack - frame from the film "Chapaev"
Usually they are presented in the form of a scene from the movie "Chapaev": well-trained monarchist officers dressed to the nines against workers and peasants in tatters. However, one must understand that initially both the “whites” and the “reds” were essentially just declarations. Both of them were very amorphous formations, tiny groups that seemed big only against the background of absolutely wild gangs. At first, a couple of hundred people under a red, white or any other banner already represented a significant force capable of capturing a large city or changing the situation on a regional scale. Moreover, all participants actively changed sides. And yet, there was already some kind of organization behind them.
The Red Army in 1917 - drawing by Boris Efimov
http://www.ageod-forum.com/
It would seem that the Bolsheviks in this confrontation were doomed from the very beginning. The Whites surrounded a relatively small piece of “red” land in a dense ring, took control of the grain-growing regions, enlisted the support and help of the Entente. Finally, the whites outnumbered the red opponents on the battlefield, and regardless of the balance of power.
It seemed that the Bolsheviks were doomed...
What happened? Why were memoirs in exile written mostly by "gentlemen" and not "comrades"?
We will try to answer these questions in the continuation of the article.