Who are the "Reds" and "Whites"

If we are talking about the Red Army, then the Red Army was created, as a really active army, not so much by the Bolsheviks, but by those same former gold miners (former tsarist officers) who were mobilized or voluntarily went to serve the new government.

Some figures can be given to outline the extent of the myth that existed and still exists in the public mind. After all, the main characters of the Civil War for the older and middle generation are Chapaev, Budyonny, Voroshilov and other "Reds". You will hardly find anyone else in our textbooks. Well, even Frunze, perhaps with Tukhachevsky.

In fact, not much fewer officers served in the Red Army than in the White armies. In all the White armies taken together, from Siberia to the Northwest, there were about 100,000 former officers. And in the Red Army there are approximately 70,000-75,000. Moreover, almost all the highest command posts in the Red Army were occupied by former officers and generals of the tsarist army.

This also applies to the composition of the field headquarters of the Red Army, which consisted almost entirely of former officers and generals, and to commanders of various levels. For example, 85% of all front commanders were former officers of the tsarist army.

So, in Russia everyone knows about the “reds” and “whites”. From school, and even preschool years. "Reds" and "Whites" - this is the history of the civil war, these are the events of 1917-1920. Who was then good, who is bad - in this case it does not matter. Ratings are changing. But the terms remained: “white” versus “red”. On the one hand - the armed forces of the young Soviet state, on the other - the opponents of this state. Soviet - "red". Opponents, respectively, are “white”.

According to official historiography, there were actually many opponents. But the main ones are those who have shoulder straps on their uniforms, and cockades of the Russian tsarist army on their caps. Recognizable opponents, not to be confused with anyone. Kornilov, Denikin, Wrangel, Kolchak, etc. They are white". First of all, they should be defeated by the “Reds”. They are also recognizable: they have no shoulder straps, and red stars on their caps. Such is the pictorial series of the civil war.

This is a tradition. It was approved by Soviet propaganda for more than seventy years. Propaganda was very effective, the graphic series became familiar, thanks to which the very symbolism of the civil war remained beyond comprehension. In particular, questions about the reasons that led to the choice of red and white colors to designate the opposing forces remained beyond the scope of comprehension.

As for the “reds”, the reason was, it seems, obvious. The Reds called themselves that. Soviet troops were originally called the Red Guard. Then - the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. The Red Army soldiers swore allegiance to the red banner. State flag. Why the flag was chosen red - explanations were given different. For example: it is a symbol of the “blood of freedom fighters”. But in any case, the name “red” corresponded to the color of the banner.

You can't say anything about the so-called "whites". Opponents of the "Reds" did not swear allegiance to the white banner. During the Civil War, there was no such banner at all. Nobody. Nevertheless, the name “White” was established behind the opponents of the “Reds”. At least one reason is also obvious here: the leaders of the Soviet state called their opponents "white". First of all - V. Lenin. To use his terminology, the "Reds" defended "the power of the workers and peasants", the power of the "workers' and peasants' government", and the "Whites" defended "the power of the tsar, the landlords and the capitalists". It was this scheme that was affirmed by all the might of Soviet propaganda.

They were called so in the Soviet press: "White Army", "White" or "White Guards". However, the reasons for choosing these terms were not explained. The question of the reasons was also avoided by Soviet historians. They reported something, but at the same time they literally evaded a direct answer.

The evasions of Soviet historians look rather strange. There would seem to be no reason to avoid the question of the history of terms. In fact, there was never any mystery here. But there was a propaganda scheme, which Soviet ideologists considered inappropriate to explain in reference publications.

It was in the Soviet era that the terms “red” and “white” were predictably associated with the civil war in Russia. And before 1917, the terms "white" and "red" were correlated with another tradition. Another civil war.

Beginning - the Great French Revolution. Confrontation between monarchists and republicans. Then, indeed, the essence of the confrontation was expressed at the level of the colors of the banners. The white banner was originally. This is the royal banner. Well, the red banner is the banner of the Republicans.

Armed sans-culottes gathered under red flags. It was under the red flag in August 1792 that the sans-culottes, organized by the then city government, marched to storm the Tuileries. That's when the red flag really became a banner. The banner of uncompromising Republicans. Radicals. The red banner and the white banner became symbols of the opposing sides. Republicans and monarchists. Later, as you know, the red banner was no longer so popular. The French tricolor became the national flag of the Republic. In the Napoleonic era, the red banner was almost forgotten. And after the restoration of the monarchy, it - as a symbol - completely lost its relevance.

This symbol was updated in the 1840s. Updated for those who declared themselves the heirs of the Jacobins. Then the opposition of “reds” and “whites” became a common place in journalism. But the French Revolution of 1848 ended with yet another restoration of the monarchy. Therefore, the opposition of “reds” and “whites” has again lost its relevance.

Again, the opposition "Reds" - "Whites" arose at the end of the Franco-Prussian war. Finally, it was established from March to May 1871, during the existence of the Paris Commune.

The city-republic of the Paris Commune was perceived as the realization of the most radical ideas. The Paris Commune declared itself the heir to the Jacobin traditions, the heiress of the traditions of those sans-culottes who came out under the red banner to defend the "gains of the revolution." The state flag was also a symbol of continuity. Red. Accordingly, the “reds” are the Communards. Defenders of the City-Republic.

As you know, at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, many socialists declared themselves the heirs of the Communards. And at the beginning of the 20th century, the Bolsheviks called themselves such. Communists. It was they who considered the red banner to be theirs.

As for the confrontation with the “whites”, there seemed to be no contradictions here. By definition, socialists are opponents of the autocracy, therefore, nothing has changed. The "Reds" were still opposed to the "Whites". Republicans - monarchists.

After the abdication of Nicholas II, the situation changed. The king abdicated in favor of his brother, but his brother did not accept the crown. The Provisional Government was formed, so that the monarchy was no more, and the opposition of “reds” to “whites” seemed to have lost its relevance. The new Russian government, as you know, was called “provisional” for this reason, because it was supposed to prepare the convocation of the Constituent Assembly. And the Constituent Assembly, popularly elected, was to determine the further forms of Russian statehood. Determine democratically. The question of the abolition of the monarchy was considered already resolved.

But the Provisional Government lost power without having time to convene the Constituent Assembly, which was convened by the Council of People's Commissars. It is hardly worth discussing why the Council of People's Commissars considered it necessary to dissolve the Constituent Assembly now. In this case, something else is more important: most of the opponents of Soviet power set the task of convening the Constituent Assembly again. This was their slogan.

In particular, it was the slogan of the so-called Volunteer Army formed on the Don, which was eventually led by Kornilov. Other military leaders also fought for the Constituent Assembly, referred to in Soviet periodicals as “whites”. They fought against the Soviet state, not for the monarchy.

And here we should pay tribute to the talents of Soviet ideologists, the skill of Soviet propagandists. By declaring themselves "Red", the Bolsheviks were able to attach the label of "White" to their opponents. Managed to impose this label contrary to the facts.

Soviet ideologists declared all their opponents to be supporters of the destroyed regime - autocracy. They were declared "white". This label was itself a political argument. Every monarchist is “white” by definition. Accordingly, if “white”, then a monarchist.

The label was used even when it seemed ridiculous to use it. For example, “White Czechs”, “White Finns”, then “White Poles” arose, although the Czechs, Finns and Poles who fought with the “Reds” were not going to recreate the monarchy. Neither in Russia nor abroad. However, the label “white” was familiar to most of the “reds”, which is why the term itself seemed understandable. If “white”, then always “for the king”. Opponents of the Soviet government could prove that they - for the most part - are not monarchists at all. But there was no way to prove it. Soviet ideologists had a major advantage in the information war: in the territory controlled by the Soviet government, political events were discussed only in the Soviet press. There was almost no other. All opposition publications were closed. Yes, and Soviet publications were tightly controlled by censorship. The population practically had no other sources of information. On the Don, where Soviet newspapers were not yet read, Kornilovites, and then Denikinites, were called not “whites”, but “volunteers” or “cadets”.

But not all Russian intellectuals, despising the Soviet regime, were in a hurry to join forces with its opponents. With those who were called “whites” in the Soviet press. They were indeed perceived as monarchists, and intellectuals saw the monarchists as a danger to democracy. Moreover, the danger is no less than the communists. Still, the “Reds” were perceived as Republicans. Well, the victory of the “whites” meant the restoration of the monarchy. Which was unacceptable for intellectuals. And not only for intellectuals - for the majority of the population of the former Russian Empire. Why did Soviet ideologists affirm the labels “red” and “white” in the public mind.

Thanks to these labels, not only Russians, but also many Western public figures comprehended the struggle between supporters and opponents of Soviet power as a struggle between republicans and monarchists. Supporters of the republic and supporters of the restoration of autocracy. And the Russian autocracy was considered in Europe as savagery, a relic of barbarism.

Therefore, the support of supporters of autocracy among Western intellectuals caused a predictable protest. Western intellectuals have discredited the actions of their governments. They set public opinion against them, which governments could not ignore. With all the ensuing grave consequences - for the Russian opponents of Soviet power. Therefore, the so-called “whites” were losing the propaganda war. Not only in Russia, but also abroad. Yes, it appears that the so-called “whites” were essentially “reds”. Only it didn't change anything. The propagandists who sought to help Kornilov, Denikin, Wrangel and other opponents of the Soviet regime were not as energetic, talented, and efficient as the Soviet propagandists.

Moreover, the tasks solved by Soviet propagandists were much simpler. Soviet propagandists could clearly and briefly explain why and with whom the "Reds" were fighting. True, no, it doesn't matter. The main thing is to be brief and clear. The positive part of the program was obvious. Ahead is the kingdom of equality, justice, where there are no poor and humiliated, where there will always be plenty of everything. Opponents, respectively, are the rich, fighting for their privileges. "Whites" and allies of "whites". Because of them, all the troubles and hardships. There will be no “whites”, there will be no troubles, no hardships.

Opponents of the Soviet regime could not clearly and briefly explain what they were fighting for. Such slogans as the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, the preservation of "one and indivisible Russia" were not and could not be popular. Of course, the opponents of the Soviet regime could more or less convincingly explain with whom and why they were fighting. However, the positive part of the program remained unclear. And there was no such general program.

In addition, in the territories not controlled by the Soviet government, opponents of the regime failed to achieve an information monopoly. This is partly why the results of the propaganda were incommensurable with the results of the Bolshevik propagandists.

It is difficult to determine whether the Soviet ideologists consciously immediately imposed the label of “whites” on their opponents, whether they intuitively chose such a move. In any case, they made a good choice, and most importantly, they acted consistently and efficiently. Convincing the population that the opponents of the Soviet regime are fighting for the restoration of autocracy. Because they are "white".

Of course, there were monarchists among the so-called “whites”. The real whites. Defended the principles of autocratic monarchy long before its fall.

But in the Volunteer Army, as in other armies that fought the "Reds", there were negligibly few monarchists. Why didn't they play any important role.

For the most part, ideological monarchists generally avoided participation in the civil war. This was not their war. They had no one to fight for.

Nicholas II was not forcibly deprived of the throne. The Russian emperor abdicated voluntarily. And released from the oath all those who swore to him. His brother did not accept the crown, so the monarchists did not swear allegiance to the new king. Because there was no new king. There was no one to serve, no one to protect. The monarchy no longer existed.

Undoubtedly, it was not fitting for a monarchist to fight for the Council of People's Commissars. However, it did not follow from anywhere that a monarchist should - in the absence of a monarch - fight for the Constituent Assembly. Both the Council of People's Commissars and the Constituent Assembly were not legitimate authorities for the monarchist.

For a monarchist, legitimate power is only the power of the God-given monarch to whom the monarchist swore allegiance. Therefore, the war with the "Reds" - for the monarchists - became a matter of personal choice, and not of religious duty. For a “white”, if he is really “white”, those fighting for the Constituent Assembly are “reds”. Most monarchists did not want to understand the shades of "red". It did not see the point in fighting against other “Reds” together with some “Reds”.

The tragedy of the Civil War, which, according to one version, ended in November 1920 in the Crimea, was that it brought two camps together in an irreconcilable battle, each of which was sincerely devoted to Russia, but understood this Russia in its own way. On both sides there were scoundrels who warmed their hands in this war, who organized the red and white terror, who unscrupulously tried to cash in on other people's property and who made a career on horrific examples of bloodthirstiness. But at the same time, on both sides, there were people full of nobility, devotion to the Motherland, who put the well-being of the Fatherland above all else, including personal happiness. Recall at least "Walking through the torments" by Alexei Tolstoy.

The "Russian split" went through families, dividing native people. Let me give you a Crimean example - the family of one of the first rectors of the Taurida University, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky. He, Doctor of Science, professor, remains in the Crimea, with the Reds, and his son, also Doctor of Science, Professor Georgy Vernadsky, goes into exile with the Whites. Or brothers Admirals Berens. One is a white admiral who takes the Russian Black Sea squadron to distant Tunisia, to Bizerte, and the second is a red one, and it is he who will go to this Tunisia in 1924 to return the ships of the Black Sea Fleet to their homeland. Or let us recall how M. Sholokhov describes the split in Cossack families in The Quiet Don.

And there are many such examples. The horror of the situation was that in this fierce battle for self-destruction for the amusement of the world around us, hostile to us, we Russians did not destroy each other, but ourselves. At the end of this tragedy, we literally "threw" the whole world with Russian brains and talents.

In the history of every modern country (England, France, Germany, USA, Argentina, Australia) there are examples of scientific progress, outstanding creative achievements associated with the activities of Russian emigrants, including great scientists, military leaders, writers, artists, engineers, inventors, thinkers, farmers.

Our Sikorsky, a friend of Tupolev, practically created the entire American helicopter industry. Russian emigrants founded a number of leading universities in the Slavic countries. Vladimir Nabokov created a new European and a new American novel. The Nobel Prize was presented to France by Ivan Bunin. The economist Leontiev, the physicist Prigozhin, the biologist Metalnikov and many others became famous all over the world.

History of the Red Army

See main article History of the Red Army

Personnel

In general, the military ranks of junior officers (sergeants and foremen) of the Red Army correspond to the tsarist non-commissioned officers, the ranks of junior officers correspond to chief officers (the statutory address in the tsarist army is “your honor”), senior officers, from major to colonel - headquarters officers (the statutory address in the tsarist army is “your excellency”), senior officers, from major general to marshal - general (“your excellency”).

A more detailed correspondence of ranks can only be established approximately, due to the fact that the very number of military ranks varies. So, the rank of lieutenant roughly corresponds to a lieutenant, and the royal rank of captain roughly corresponds to the Soviet military rank of major.

It should also be noted that the insignia of the Red Army of the 1943 model were also not an exact copy of the royal ones, although they were created on their basis. So, the rank of colonel in the tsarist army was designated by shoulder straps with two longitudinal stripes, and without asterisks; in the Red Army - two longitudinal stripes, and three medium-sized stars arranged in a triangle.

Repressions 1937-1938

battle banner

The battle flag of one of the units of the Red Army during the Civil War:

The imperialist army is an instrument of oppression, the Red Army is an instrument of liberation.

For each unit or formation of the Red Army, its Battle Banner is sacred. It serves as the main symbol of the unit, and the embodiment of its military glory. In the event of the loss of the Battle Banner, the military unit is subject to disbandment, and those directly responsible for such disgrace are subject to trial. A separate guard post is established to protect the Battle Banner. Each soldier, passing by the banner, is obliged to give him a military greeting. On especially solemn occasions, the troops carry out the ritual of the solemn removal of the Battle Banner. To be included in the banner group directly conducting the ritual is considered a great honor, which is awarded only to the most distinguished officers and ensigns.

Oath

Mandatory for recruits in any army in the world is to bring them to the oath. In the Red Army, this ritual is usually performed a month after the call, after completing the course of a young soldier. Before being sworn in, soldiers are prohibited from being trusted with weapons; there are a number of other restrictions. On the day of the oath, the soldier receives weapons for the first time; he breaks down, approaches the commander of his unit, and reads out a solemn oath to the formation. The oath is traditionally considered an important holiday, and is accompanied by the solemn removal of the Battle Banner.

The text of the oath has changed several times; The first option was as follows:

I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, joining the ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, take an oath and solemnly swear to be an honest, brave, disciplined, vigilant fighter, strictly keep military and state secrets, implicitly comply with all military regulations and orders of commanders, commissars and chiefs.

I swear to conscientiously study military affairs, to protect military property in every possible way and to my last breath to be devoted to my people, my Soviet Motherland and the workers' and peasants' government.

I am always ready, on the orders of the Workers' and Peasants' Government, to defend my Motherland - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and, as a soldier of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, I swear to defend it courageously, skillfully, with dignity and honor, not sparing my blood and life itself. to achieve complete victory over the enemy.

If, by malicious intent, I break this solemn oath of mine, then let me suffer the severe punishment of Soviet law, the general hatred and contempt of the working people.

Late variant

I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, joining the ranks of the Armed Forces, take an oath and solemnly swear to be an honest, brave, disciplined, vigilant warrior, to strictly keep military and state secrets, to unquestioningly comply with all military regulations and orders of commanders and superiors.

I swear to conscientiously study military affairs, to protect military and national property in every possible way, and to my last breath to be devoted to my people, my Soviet Motherland and the Soviet government.

I am always ready, on the orders of the Soviet government, to defend my Motherland - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and, as a soldier of the Armed Forces, I swear to defend it courageously, skillfully, with dignity and honor, not sparing my blood and life itself in order to achieve complete victory over enemy.

If, however, I violate this solemn oath of mine, then let me suffer the severe punishment of Soviet law, the general hatred and contempt of the Soviet people.

Modern version

I (surname, name, patronymic) solemnly swear allegiance to my Motherland - the Russian Federation.

I swear to sacredly observe its Constitution and laws, strictly comply with the requirements of military regulations, orders of commanders and superiors.

I swear to fulfill my military duty with dignity, to courageously defend the freedom, independence and constitutional order of Russia, the people and the Fatherland.

The Reds played a decisive role in the civil war and became the driving mechanism for the creation of the USSR.

With their powerful propaganda, they managed to win the commitment of thousands of people and unite them with the idea of ​​​​creating an ideal country of workers.

Creation of the Red Army

The Red Army was created by a special decree on January 15, 1918. These were voluntary formations from the worker-peasant part of the population.

However, the principle of voluntariness brought with it disunity and decentralization in the command of the army, from which discipline and combat effectiveness suffered. This forced Lenin to declare universal military service for men aged 18-40.

The Bolsheviks created a network of schools for the training of recruits, who studied not only the art of war, but also underwent political education. Commander training courses were created, for which the most outstanding Red Army soldiers were recruited.

The main victories of the red army

The Reds in the civil war mobilized all possible economic and human resources to win. After the annulment of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Soviets began to expel German troops from the occupied regions. Then the most turbulent period of the civil war began.

The Reds managed to defend the Southern Front, despite the considerable efforts it took to fight the Don Army. Then the Bolsheviks launched a counteroffensive and won back significant territories. On the Eastern Front, a very unfavorable situation developed for the Reds. Here the offensive was launched by very large-scale and strong troops of Kolchak.

Alarmed by such events, Lenin resorted to emergency measures, and the White Guards were defeated. Simultaneous anti-Soviet speeches and the entry into the struggle of the Volunteer Army of Denikin became a critical moment for the Bolshevik government. However, the immediate mobilization of all possible resources helped the Reds win.

War with Poland and the end of the civil war

In April 1920 Poland decided to enter Kyiv with the intention of liberating Ukraine from illegal Soviet rule and restoring its independence. However, the people took this as an attempt to occupy their territory. The Soviet commanders took advantage of this mood of the Ukrainians. The troops of the Western and Southwestern fronts were sent to fight against Poland.

Soon Kyiv was liberated from the Polish offensive. This revived hopes for an early world revolution in Europe. But, having entered the territory of the attackers, the Reds received a powerful rebuff and their intentions quickly cooled. In the light of such events, the Bolsheviks signed a peace treaty with Poland.

reds in civil war photo

After that, the Reds concentrated all their attention on the remnants of the Whites under the command of Wrangel. These fights were incredibly furious and cruel. However, the Reds still forced the Whites to surrender.

Notable Red Leaders

• Frunze Mikhail Vasilievich. Under his command, the Reds carried out successful operations against the White Guard troops of Kolchak, defeated the Wrangel army in the territory of Northern Tavria and Crimea;
• Tukhachevsky Mikhail Nikolaevich. He was the commander of the troops of the Eastern and Caucasian Fronts, with his army he cleared the Urals and Siberia from the White Guards;
• Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich. He was one of the first marshals of the Soviet Union. Participated in the organization of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 1st Cavalry Army. With his troops, he liquidated the Kronstadt rebellion;
• Chapaev Vasily Ivanovich. He commanded a division that liberated Uralsk. When the whites suddenly attacked the reds, they fought courageously. And, having spent all the cartridges, the wounded Chapaev started running across the Ural River, but was killed;
• Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich The creator of the Cavalry Army, which defeated the Whites in the Voronezh-Kastornensky operation. The ideological inspirer of the military-political movement of the Red Cossacks in Russia.

• When the workers' and peasants' army showed its vulnerability, former tsarist commanders who were their enemies began to be recruited into the ranks of the Reds.
• After the assassination attempt on Lenin, the Reds dealt particularly cruelly with 500 hostages. On the line between the rear and the front, there were barrage detachments that fought desertion by shooting.

>>History: Civil War: Reds

Civil War: Reds

1. Creation of the Red Army.

2. War communism.

3. "Red terror". The execution of the royal family.

4. Decisive victories for the Reds.

5. War with Poland.

6. The end of the civil war.

Creation of the Red Army.

On January 15, 1918, a decree of the Council of People's Commissars proclaimed the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, and on January 29, the Red Fleet. The army was built on the principles of voluntariness and a class approach, which excluded the penetration of "exploitative elements" into it.

But the first results of the creation of a new revolutionary army did not inspire optimism. The voluntary recruitment principle inevitably led to organizational disunity, decentralization in command and control, which had the most detrimental effect on the combat capability and discipline of the Red Army. Therefore, V. I. Lenin considered it possible to return to the traditional, “ bourgeois»principles of military development, i.e. universal military service and unity of command.

In July 1918, a decree was published on the general military service of the male population aged 18 to 40 years. A network of military commissariats was created throughout the country to keep records of those liable for military service, organize and conduct military training, mobilize the population fit for military service, etc. During the summer and autumn of 1918, 300 thousand people were mobilized into the ranks of the Red Army. By the spring of 1919, the size of the Red Army increased to 1.5 million people, and by October 1919 - up to 3 million. In 1920, the number of Red Army soldiers approached 5 million. Much attention was paid to command personnel. Short-term courses and schools were created to train the middle command level from the most distinguished Red Army soldiers. In 1917 - 1919. the highest military educational establishments: Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army, Artillery, Military Medical, Military Economic, Naval, Military Engineering Academy. A notice was published in the Soviet press about the recruitment of military specialists from the old army to serve in the Red Army.

The wide involvement of military experts was accompanied by strict "class" control over their activities. To this end, in April 1918, the institution of military commissars was introduced in the Red Army, who not only supervised the command cadres, but also carried out the political education of the Red Army.

In September 1918, a unified command and control structure for fronts and armies was organized. At the head of each front (army) was the Revolutionary Military Council (Revolutionary Council, or RVS), which consisted of the commander of the front (army) and two political commissars. He headed all the front-line and military institutions of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, headed by L. D. Trotsky.

Measures were taken to tighten discipline. Representatives of the Revolutionary Military Council, endowed with emergency powers up to the execution of traitors and cowards without trial or investigation, traveled to the most tense sectors of the front.

In November 1918, the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense was formed, headed by V. I. Lenin. He concentrated in his hands the fullness of state power.

War communism.

Socio-Soviet power has also undergone significant changes.
The activities of the commanders heated up the situation in the village to the limit. In many areas, the Kombeds came into conflict with the local Soviets, seeking to usurp power. In the countryside, “dual power was created, leading to a fruitless waste of energy and confusion in relations,” which the congress of the committees of the poor of the Petrograd province in November 1918 had to admit.

On December 2, 1918, a decree on the dissolution of the committees was promulgated. It was not only a "political, but also an economic decision. The hopes that the committees would help increase the supply of grain did not materialize. The price of the bread that was obtained as a result of the" armed campaign in the village "turned out to be immeasurably high - the general indignation of the peasants, resulted in a series of peasant uprisings against the Bolsheviks. civil war this factor could be decisive in overthrowing the Bolshevik government. It was necessary to restore the confidence, first of all, of the middle peasantry, which, after the redistribution of land, determined the face of the village. The dissolution of the committees of the rural poor was the first step towards the policy of appeasing the middle peasantry.

On January 11, 1919, a decree "On the allocation of bread and fodder" was issued. According to this decree, the state reported in advance the exact figure of its needs for grain. Then this number was distributed (deployed) among the provinces, counties, volosts and peasant households. The implementation of the grain procurement plan was mandatory. Moreover, the surplus appraisal proceeded not from the capabilities of peasant farms, but from very conditional "state needs", which in fact meant the seizure of all surplus grain, and often the necessary stocks. What was new in comparison with the policy of the food dictatorship was that the peasants knew in advance the intentions of the state, and this was an important factor for the peasant psychology. In 1920, the surplus was extended to potatoes, vegetables and other agricultural products.

In the field of industrial production, a course was taken for the accelerated nationalization of all branches of industry, and not only the most important ones, as provided for by the decree of July 28, 1918.

The authorities introduced general labor conscription and labor mobilization of the population to perform works of national importance: logging, road work, construction, etc. The introduction of labor conscription influenced the solution of the problem of wages. Instead of money, workers were given food rations, coupons for food in the canteen, and basic necessities. Payment for housing, transport, utilities and other services was abolished. The state, having mobilized the worker, almost completely took over his maintenance.

Commodity-money relations were actually abolished. First, the free sale of food was prohibited, then other consumer goods, which were distributed by the state as naturalized wages. However, despite all the prohibitions, illegal market trade continued to exist. According to various estimates, the state distributed only 30-45% of real consumption. Everything else was purchased on the black markets, from "pouchers" - illegal food sellers.

Such a policy required the creation of special super-centralized economic bodies in charge of accounting and distribution of all available products. The head offices (or centers) created under the Supreme Council of National Economy managed the activities of various branches of industry, were in charge of their financing, material and technical supply, and the distribution of manufactured products.

The totality of these emergency measures was called the policy of "war communism". Military because this policy was subordinated to the only goal - to concentrate all forces for a military victory over their political opponents, communism, because the undertaken Bolsheviks The measures surprisingly coincided with the Marxist forecast of some socio-economic features of the future communist society. The new program of the RCP(b), adopted in March 1919 at the Eighth Congress, already linked "military-communist" measures with theoretical ideas about communism.

"Red Terror". The execution of the royal family.

Along with economic and military measures, the Soviet government on a national scale began to pursue a policy of intimidation of the population, which was called the "Red Terror".

In the cities, the "Red Terror" assumed wide proportions from September 1918 - after the assassination of the chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, M. S. Uritsky, and the attempt on the life of V. I. Lenin. On September 5, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a resolution that "under the present situation, securing the rear by means of terror is a direct necessity", that "it is necessary to liberate the Soviet Republic from class enemies by isolating them in concentration camps", that "all persons who are related to White Guard organizations, conspiracies and rebellions. The terror was widespread. Only in response to the assassination attempt on V. I. Lenin, the Petrograd Cheka shot, according to official reports, 500 hostages.

In the armored train, on which L. D. Trotsky made his moves across the fronts, a military revolutionary tribunal with unlimited powers worked. The first concentration camps were set up in Murom, Arzamas, and Sviyazhsk. Between the front and the rear, special barrage detachments were formed to fight deserters.

One of the sinister pages of the "Red Terror" was the execution of the former royal family and other members of the imperial family.
October revolution found the former Russian emperor and his family in Tobolsk, where he was sent into exile by order of A.F. Kerensky. Tobolsk imprisonment lasted until the end of April 1918. Then the royal family was transferred to Yekaterinburg and placed in a house that previously belonged to the merchant Ipatiev.

On July 16, 1918, apparently in agreement with the Council of People's Commissars, the Ural Regional Council decided to execute Nikolai Romanov and his family members. 12 people were selected to carry out this secret "operation". On the night of July 17, the awakened family was transferred to the basement, where a bloody tragedy broke out. Together with Nikolai, his wife, five children and servants were shot. Only 11 people.

Even earlier, on July 13, the tsar's brother Mikhail was killed in Perm. On July 18, 18 members of the imperial family were shot and thrown into the mine in Alapaevsk.

Decisive Red victory.

On November 13, 1918, the Soviet government annulled the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and began to make every effort to expel German troops from the territories they occupied. At the end of November, Soviet power was proclaimed in Estonia, in December - in Lithuania, Latvia, in January 1919 - in Belarus, in February - March - in Ukraine.

In the summer of 1918, the main danger to the Bolsheviks was the Czechoslovak corps, and above all its units in the region of the Middle Volga. In September - early October, the Reds took Kazan, Simbirsk, Syzran and Samara. Czechoslovak troops retreated to the Urals. In late 1918 - early 1919, large-scale hostilities took place on the Southern Front. In November 1918, Krasnov's Don Army broke through the Southern Front of the Red Army, inflicted a serious defeat on it, and began to move north. At the cost of incredible efforts in December 1918, it was possible to stop the advance of the White Cossack troops.

In January - February 1919, the Red Army launched a counteroffensive, and by March 1919, Krasnov's army was actually defeated, and a significant part of the Don region returned to the rule of the Soviets.

In the spring of 1919, the Eastern front again became the main one. Here the troops of Admiral Kolchak began their offensive. In March - April they captured Sarapul, Izhevsk, Ufa. The advanced units of the Kolchak army were located several tens of kilometers from Kazan, Samara and Simbirsk.

This success allowed the Whites to outline a new perspective - the possibility of Kolchak's campaign against Moscow while simultaneously leaving the left flank of her army to join Denikin's forces.

The current situation seriously alarmed the Soviet leadership. Lenin demanded the adoption of emergency measures to organize a rebuff to Kolchak. A group of troops under the command of M.V. Frunze in the battles near Samara defeated the elite Kolchak units and on June 9, 1919 took Ufa. On July 14 Yekaterinburg was occupied. In November, the capital of Kolchak, Omsk, fell. The remnants of his army rolled further east.

In the first half of May 1919, when the Reds won their first victories over Kolchak, General Yudenich launched an offensive against Petrograd. At the same time, anti-Bolshevik demonstrations took place among the Red Army in the forts near Petrograd. Having suppressed these speeches, the troops of the Petrograd Front went on the offensive. Parts of Yudenich were driven back to Estonian territory. Yudenich's second attack on Peter in October 1919 also ended in failure.
In February 1920, the Red Army liberated Arkhangelsk, and in March, Murmansk. The "white" north became "red".

The real danger for the Bolsheviks was Denikin's Volunteer Army. By June 1919, she captured the Donbass, a significant part of Ukraine, Belgorod, Tsaritsyn. In July, Denikin's offensive against Moscow began. In September, the Whites entered Kursk and Orel, occupied Voronezh. The critical moment for the power of the Bolsheviks has come. The Bolsheviks organized the mobilization of forces and means under the motto: "Everyone to fight Denikin!" S. M. Budyonny's First Cavalry Army played a major role in changing the situation at the front. Significant assistance to the Red Army was provided by insurgent peasant detachments led by N. I. Makhno, who deployed a "second front" in the rear of Denikin's army.

The rapid advance of the Reds in the fall of 1919 forced the Volunteer Army to retreat south. In February - March 1920, its main forces were defeated and the Volunteer Army itself ceased to exist. A significant group of whites, led by General Wrangel, took refuge in the Crimea.

War with Poland.

The main event of 1920 was the war with Poland. In April 1920, the head of Poland, J. Pilsudski, ordered an attack on Kyiv. It was officially announced that it was only a matter of helping the Ukrainian people in eliminating the illegal Soviet power and restoring the independence of Ukraine. On the night of May 6-7, Kyiv was taken, but the intervention of the Poles was perceived by the population of Ukraine as an occupation. These sentiments were taken advantage of by the Bolsheviks, who were able to rally various sections of society in the face of external danger. Almost all the available forces of the Red Army were thrown against Poland, united in the Western and Southwestern fronts. Their commanders were former officers of the tsarist army M.N. Tukhachevsky and A.I. Egorov. On June 12, Kyiv was liberated. Soon the Red Army reached the border with Poland, which caused some of the Bolshevik leaders to hope that the idea of ​​a world revolution in Western Europe would soon be realized.

In an order on the Western Front, Tukhachevsky wrote: “On our bayonets we will bring happiness and peace to working humanity. To the west!"
However, the Red Army, which entered Polish territory, received a rebuff from the enemy. The idea of ​​a world revolution was not supported by the Polish “brothers in class”, who preferred the state sovereignty of their country to the world proletarian revolution.

On October 12, 1920, a peace treaty was signed in Riga with Poland, according to which the territories of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus passed to it.

End of the civil war.

Having made peace with Poland, the Soviet command concentrated all the power of the Red Army to fight the last major White Guard center - the army of General Wrangel.

The troops of the Southern Front under the command of MV Frunze at the beginning of November 1920 stormed the seemingly impregnable fortifications on Perekop and Chongar, forced the Sivash Bay.

The last fight between the Reds and the Whites was especially fierce and cruel. The remnants of the once formidable Volunteer Army rushed to the ships of the Black Sea squadron concentrated in the Crimean ports. Almost 100 thousand people were forced to leave their homeland.
Thus, the civil war in Russia ended with the victory of the Bolsheviks. They managed to mobilize economic and human resources for the needs of the front, and most importantly, to convince huge masses of people that they are the only defenders of Russia's national interests, to captivate them with the prospects of a new life.

The documents

A. I. Denikin about the Red Army

By the spring of 1918, the complete failure of the Red Guard was finally revealed. The organization of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army began. It was built on the principles of the old, swept aside by the revolution and the Bolsheviks in the first period of their rule, including the normal organization, autocracy and discipline. "Universal compulsory training in the art of war" was introduced, instructor schools were founded for the training of command personnel, the old officer corps was taken into account, officers of the General Staff were recruited without exception, etc. The Soviet government considered itself strong enough to pour without fear into the ranks of their army are tens of thousands of "specialists" who are obviously alien or hostile to the ruling party.

Order of the chairman of the revolutionary military council of the republic to the troops and Soviet institutions of the southern front No. 65. November 24, 1918

1. Any scoundrel who will incite to retreat, desertion, non-compliance with a military order, will be SHOT.
2. Any soldier of the Red Army who arbitrarily leaves a combat post will be SHOT.
3. Any soldier who drops a rifle or sells a piece of equipment will be SHOT.
4. Barrage detachments are distributed in every front line to catch deserters. Any soldier who tries to resist these units must be SHOT on the spot.
5. All local councils and committees undertake, for their part, to take all measures to catch deserters, rounding up twice a day: at 8 o'clock in the morning and at 8 o'clock in the evening. Deliver those caught to the headquarters of the nearest unit and to the nearest military commissariat.
6. For harboring deserters, the guilty are subject to SHOOTING.
7. Houses in which deserters are hidden will be burned.

Death to self-seekers and traitors!

Death to deserters and Krasnovsky agents!

Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic

Questions and tasks:

1. Explain how and why the views of the Bolshevik leadership on the principles of organizing the armed forces in a proletarian state changed.

2. What is the essence of military policy

Causes of the Civil War - a deep crisis of the social structure that developed during the late Romanov Empire, accompanied by an extreme degree of social class hatred of some sections of society towards others; the presence on both sides of political forces interested in inciting this hatred: on the part of the Reds, this is the Bolshevik Party, interested in establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat, on the part of the Whites, these are the nobility, the bourgeoisie and representatives of the Entente countries, interested in weakening Russia.

Main events and stages:

Before the start of the war (October 1917-spring 1918).

The triumphal procession of Soviet power; the creation of Soviet government bodies in most of the territory of Russia. Consolidation of anti-communist forces; the creation of the Volunteer Army in the south-west of Russia and the Semyonov organization in Manchuria.

The beginning of the war (March-December 1918)

The beginning of the intervention; Germany occupies Ukraine, Crimea, the Baltic states, British troops land in Murmansk, Japanese troops in the Far East. The uprising of the Czechoslovak Legion, with the support of which Socialist-Revolutionary organizations come to power in a number of cities along the Trans-Siberian Railway and Soviet power is liquidated. To the east of the Urals, the Siberian, Ural governments arise. The Semyonov organization occupies Transbaikalia. Ice campaign of the Volunteer Army to the south of Russia. Proclamation of Kolchak as the Supreme Ruler of Russia.

Active stage of the war (1919)

The advance of Kolchak's Eastern White Army into European Russia. The Whites are approaching Kazan and Samara. Yudenich's advance on Petrograd. AFSR advance to the north. By the end of the year, all three offensives were repulsed, and a counteroffensive of the Red Army was launched beyond the Urals. By the beginning of 1920, the Reds take Omsk, the Kolchakites flee from Omsk to the east. Denikin's army was thrown back to the south as a result of the battles near Orel, Kastorna, Tsaritsyn

End of the main part of the war (1920)

The victory of the Red Army is a foregone conclusion. The beginning of the offensive of the Red Army on the positions of the All-Union Socialist League in southern Russia. In Irkutsk, members of the Socialist-Revolutionary-Menshevik political center captured Admiral Kolchak, the remnants of Kolchak adjoin the troops of General Semyonov in Transbaikalia. Kolchak was handed over to the Bolsheviks and shot.

From January to March 1920, the Red Army completes the defeat of Denikin's army. By April, the south of Russia was cleared of the Whites, with the exception of the Crimea.

In April 1920, the Polish army invades Ukraine. The beginning of the Soviet-Polish war. In October - a peace treaty between the RSFSR and Poland: the division of Ukraine and Belarus into western and eastern. November - attack on the remnants of the White troops in the Crimea, the defeat of Wrangel.

End of the Civil War (1921-22)

Offensive in the Far East, the defeat of Semyonov, Ungern. Antonov uprising, uprising of sailors in Kronstadt.

By 1922, all anti-Soviet and anti-communist speeches were suppressed and Soviet power was restored in most of the territory of the former Russian Empire, with the exception of Poland, Finland, Western Ukraine and Belarus, the Baltic states, and the Kars region. It became possible to create the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.