AS FP2 : Factors for Victory Flashcards
(10 cards)
What were the Geographical Factors which contributed to the success of the Red Army?
The Red Army had control of infrastructure, they commanded the hub of communications, the armament factories and the most densley populated areas of Russia. Additionally, they were able to cover thousands of miles by train.
Whilst the Reds controlled the Industrial centres of Russia, the Whites were situated in less developed areas.
Weaknesses of the Whites
What did Wrangel say about the state of the White Army?
“The army is absolutely demoralised and is fast becoming a collection of tradesmen and profiteers […] there has been an outbreak of debauchery, gambling and wild orgies.”
Weaknesses of the Whites
What was the problem with the command of the white armies?
The whites had few competent commanders, corription and ill-discipline were rife.
Weaknesses of the Whites
What was the main weakness of the whites?
There was a lack of co-ordination and liason within the White Army, this was a direct result of the opposing ideologies and the lack of coherency ; although all groups opposed the Bolsheviks, it meant that Socialist Revolutionaries and Tsarist officers were forced to co-exist leading to internal squabbles.
The white generals operated independently and fought for different objectives, failing to link up and fight on a united front.
Weaknesses of the Whites
What affected the White Army in 1920?
In 1920, the white army was suffering from Typhus and other diseases, “probably no other army has ever been so handicapped from a medical point of view.” (Evan Mawdsley).
Trotsky and the Red Army
What was Trotsky’s discipline of the Red Army like?
Trotksy was willing to use whatever means necessary. He recruited 50,000 former Tsarist officers for their experience had had them train new recruits, holding their families hostage to ensure loyalty.
Discipline was harsh, any sign of disloyalty or desertion was punishable by death with summary executions and Cheka behind lines to shoot any deserters. He gave the command that if “any unit retreats without orsers, the first to be shot withh be the commissary of the unit and then the commander.”
Trotsky and the Red Army
How did Trotsky transform the Red Army?
Under Trotsky, the Red Army became a professional force, reintroducing traditional ranks and practices ; when it was necessary to build up numbers, conscription was introduced.
3 million men
Trotsky and the Red Army
How did Robert Service describe Trotsky?
Described Trotsky as having “an organisational capacity and ruthlessness with which he transformed the red army into a fighting force.”
Trotsky and the Red Army
How did Trotsky use ideology to rouse troops?
He appointed political commissars to army units, committed party loyalists who would instill ideological principles into the troops. He also directed the war from his special train which covered 65,000 miles during the war, travelling with an elite force ; visiting various fronts and meeting troops to rouse them with his “revolutionary zeal” and ensure that the Red Army was well-fed and equiped.
At the Battle of Kazan, Trotsky sent in agitators with leaflets to rouse the troops.
Trotsky and the Red Army
How were civillians treated in occupied areas?
Civillians were treated poorly in occupied areas in order to keep the rest of the population in line.
