Reasons For The Red Victory

Question 1

Geography

Answer 1

The reds commanded the hub of communications, the armaments, factories and the most densely populated regions of central Russia(including petrograd and moscow). Whites are widely dispersed in less-developed parts

Question 2

Leadership

Answer 2

The red army became a well disciplined fighting force under trotskys leadership
The whites had few competent commanders and ill-discipline and corruption were rife

Question 3

Unity and organisation

Answer 3

Reds were united in their aim to survive, they were ideologically committed in a way the whites were not- the ‘do or die’ mentality.
White generals operated independently and fought for different objectives , wherever the reds had a united command structure.

Question 4

Support

Answer 4

Although peasant support varied, generally red land policies were more popular than the whites association with traditionalist tsarist policies

Question 5

Other

Answer 5

Hostility to foreign influence gave the reds a propaganda platform. It did not greatly aid the whites as help was insufficient, sporadic and withdrawn after peace in the west
Minorities were suspicious of the whites whose motto was ‘Russia one and indivisible’