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 for a return to the order of the pre-revolutionary period.

The period between the February and October revolutions is the time of formation and development of the Bolshevik regime, the stage of accumulation of forces. The main tasks of the Bolsheviks before the start of hostilities in the Civil War: 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 the defense of the achievements of the February Revolution.

The Bolsheviks' methods 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 during the preparatory stage - from March to October 1917. The main driving force of 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 the establishment of Bolshevik power 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 motivation:

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 world revolution.

V. Galin is considered one of the fans of the second concept. This version is radically 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 during the revolution. But continuation of hostilities was not included in the plans. Arguments of fans of this concept: the transformations that the “Reds” planned 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 of losing power in the state. By 1918, the “Reds” had a strong, professionally trained enemy - the White Army. Its backbone was the military 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 into 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 and problems in managing a large number of volunteers. The chaotic army was not characterized by a high level of combat effectiveness. Only in 1918, when 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 - the chaotic, unprofessional army of the “Reds” was opposed by organized, professional military men who, 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 an idea - the White movement stood for a united and indivisible Russia, for order in the state.

The most characteristic feature of the Red Army is homogeneity. First of all, this concerns 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 subject to destruction, so an important task was to prevent hostile elements from joining the Red Army.

In parallel with military operations, the Bolsheviks implemented 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 the internal policy of the Bolsheviks throughout the Civil War.

The Reds' biggest wins:

• 1918 – 1919 – establishment of Bolshevik power in the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia.
• Beginning of 1919 - The Red Army launches a counteroffensive, defeating Krasnov’s “white” army.
• Spring-summer 1919 - Kolchak’s troops fell under the attacks of the “Reds”.
• Beginning of 1920 - the “Reds” ousted the “Whites” from the northern cities of Russia.
• February-March 1920 - defeat of the remaining forces of Denikin’s Volunteer Army.
• November 1920 - the “Reds” ousted the “Whites” from Crimea.
• By the end of 1920, the “Reds” were opposed by disparate groups of the White Army. The civil war ended with the victory of the Bolsheviks.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the spirit of the Civil War hovers in the atmosphere. Dozens of local conflicts have brought and are bringing countries to the brink of war: in Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Ukraine. All these regional clashes require modern politicians of all states to study past mistakes using the example of the bloody Civil War of 1917-1922. and prevented their repetition in the future.

Learning the facts about the Russian Civil War, it is worth noting the point that it is possible to judge it only unilaterally: coverage of events in literature occurs either from the position of the white movement or the red one.

The reason for this lay in the desire of the Bolshevik government to create a large time interval between the October Revolution and the Civil War, so that it would be impossible to determine their interdependence, and to blame the war on outside intervention.

Causes of the bloody events of the Civil War

Russian Civil War was an armed struggle that broke out between different groups of the population, which was initially regional and then acquired a national character. The reasons that provoked the Civil War were the following:

Participants in the Civil War

As noted above, G civil war is an armed a clash of different political forces, social and ethnic groups, specific individuals fighting for their ideas.

Name of force or group	Description of the participants taking into account their motivation
Reds	The Reds included workers, peasants, soldiers, sailors, partly the intelligentsia, armed groups of the national outskirts, and mercenary detachments. Thousands of officers of the tsarist army fought on the side of the Red Army - some of their own free will, some were mobilized. Most representatives of the working-peasant class were also drafted into the army under duress.
White	Among the whites there were officers of the Tsar’s army, cadets, students, Cossacks, representatives of the intelligentsia, and other persons who were the “exploiting part of society.” The Whites, like the Reds, did not hesitate to carry out mobilization activities in the conquered lands. And among them there were nationalists who fought for the independence of their peoples.
Greens	This group included gangster formations of anarchists, criminals, and unprincipled lumpen people who traded in robbery and fought in certain territories against everyone.
Peasants	Peasants who want to protect themselves from surplus appropriation.

Stages of the Civil War in Russia 1917-1922 (briefly)

Most current Russian historians believe that the initial stage of the local conflict was the clashes in Petrograd that took place during the October armed uprising, and the final stage was the defeat of the last significant armed groups of the White Guards and interventionists during the victorious battle for Vladivostok in October 1922.

According to some researchers, the beginning of the Civil War is associated with the battles in Petrograd, when the February Revolution took place. And the preparatory period from February to November 1917, when the first division of society into different groups took place, they are distinguished separately.

In the 1920-1980s, discussions were held that did not cause any particular controversy regarding the milestones of the Civil War isolated by Lenin, which included the “Triumphal March of Soviet Power,” which took place from October 25, 1917 to March 1918. Some other authors are associated with Civil war is only time, when the most intense military battles took place - from May 1918 to November 1920.

In the Civil War, three chronological stages can be distinguished, which have significant differences in the intensity of military battles, the composition of participants and the conditions of the foreign policy situation.

Useful to know: who they are, their role in the history of the USSR.

First stage (October 1917 – November 1918)

During this period, the creation took place and the formation of full-fledged armies of opponents of the conflict, as well as the formation of the main fronts of confrontation between the conflicting parties. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the White movement began to take shape, whose mission was to destroy the new regime and heal, in Denikin’s words, “the weak, poisoned organism of the country.”

Civil war at this stage was gaining momentum against the backdrop of the ongoing world war, which determined the active participation of military formations of the Quadruple Alliance and the Entente in the struggle of political and armed groups within Russia. The initial military actions can be characterized as local clashes that did not lead to real successes for either side, which over time developed into a large-scale war. According to the former leader who headed the foreign policy department of the Provisional Government, Miliukov, this stage represented a common struggle of forces opposing both the Bolsheviks and the revolutionaries.

Second stage (November 1918 – April 1920)

Characterized by the holding of major battles between the Red and White armies and a turning point in the Civil War. This chronological stage stands out due to the sudden decrease in the intensity of military operations carried out by the interventionists. This was due to the end of the world war and the withdrawal of almost the entire contingent of foreign military groups from Russian territory. Military operations, the scale of which covered the entire territory of the country, brought victories first to the Whites and then to the Reds. The latter defeated the enemy’s military formations and took control of a large territory of Russia.

Third stage (March 1920 – October 1922)

During this period, significant clashes took place on the outskirts of the country and ceased to be a direct threat to Bolshevik power.

In April 1920, Poland launched a military campaign against Russia. In May I was Poles Kyiv was captured, which was only a temporary success. The Western and Southwestern fronts of the Red Army organized a counteroffensive, but due to poor preparation they began to suffer losses. The warring parties were not able to continue military operations, so in March 1921, peace was concluded with the Poles, according to which they received part of Ukraine and Belarus.

At the same time as the Soviet-Polish battles, there was a struggle with the whites in the south and in the Crimea. The fighting continued until November 1920, when the Reds completely captured the Crimean Peninsula. With taking Crimea in the European part of Russia The last white front was eliminated. The military issue ceased to occupy a dominant place in the affairs of Moscow, but the battle on the outskirts of the country continued for some time.

In the spring of 1920, the Red Army reached the Transbaikal district. At that time the Far East was under Japanese control. Therefore, in order to avoid clashes with it, the Soviet leadership assisted in the creation in April 1920 of a legally independent state - the Far Eastern Republic (FER). After a short period of time, the army of the Far Eastern Republic began military operations against the whites, who were supported by the Japanese. In October 1922, Vladivostok was occupied by the Reds., the Far East is completely cleared of White Guards and interventionists, as shown on the map.

Reasons for the Reds' success in the war

Among the main reasons that brought victory to the Bolsheviks are the following:

Results and consequences of the Civil War

It is worth noting what a victorious outcome for the Soviet regime did not bring peace to Russia. Among the results it is worth highlighting the following:

It is important that the Civil War of 1917-1922. and now remains one of the most important events in Russian history. The events of those times left an unforgettable imprint in people's memory. The consequences of that war can be traced in different spheres of life and modern society, from political to cultural.

Works, covering the events of the Civil War, are reflected not only in historical literature, scientific articles and documentary publications, but also in feature cinema, theater and music. It is worth mentioning that there are more than 20 thousand books and scientific works devoted to the topic of the Civil War.

So, summing up all of the above, it is worth noting that contemporaries have ambiguous and often distorted visions regarding this tragic page of Russian history. There are supporters of both the White movement and the Bolshevik, but often the history of that time is presented in such a way that people even sympathize with gangster groups that bring only destruction.

The armed struggle for power in the country is the most acute form of class confrontation, and therefore the dates of the Civil War in Russia are bleeding every single one. Almost all groups of the population fought for their own political, national and social claims, and the interference of foreign forces was exceptionally great.

Historical science has not developed a single date for the main battles in Russia and not all people view their results in the same way. And indeed, the confrontation was enormous, and it decided the issue of who owned the power.

Constituent Duma

The dates of the Russian Civil War, important to remember, rightfully begin the inglorious end of the Constituent Assembly. This body was elected in November 1917 in order to determine the future life in the country, including its government structure. Right-wing parties suffered a crushing collapse in the elections (because most of them were already banned, even campaigning for them was dangerous), but it was the right-wing parties that took upon themselves the defense of the Constituent Assembly, and this became, as it were, the reason for the birth of the White movement.

Thus, the dates of the Civil War in Russia begin directly from the end of the first (also the last) meeting of the Constituent Duma - January 6, 1918. First of all, it should be noted that the commission for elections to the Constituent Assembly did not recognize the Great October Socialist Revolution, and although elections were held only in thirty out of seventy-nine districts, the contingent had already been selected accordingly. Kerensky, Dutov, Kaledin, Petliura were elected - one name more beautiful than the other. Some odious enemies of the people were even present at this single meeting.

"The guard is tired"

From the first speeches, accusations of a coup d'etat, a violent seizure of power by the Bolshevik Council of People's Commissars, and the need to continue the First World War to a victorious end began to pour in. This meeting was abandoned by the Bolsheviks almost immediately, as soon as the direction of the anti-people resolutions became clear. Therefore, the start date of the Civil War in Russia is 1917, when hostilities had not yet begun. Then, a couple of hours later, the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries also left the hall due to complete disagreement with the decisions being made.

The sailors and soldiers guarding the Tauride Palace, where the meeting took place, listened to the speeches and became more and more gloomy with each passing minute. Only calls for discipline prevented them from shooting all this “Menshevik scum.” The meeting lasted a long time - it began in the afternoon of January 5, 1918. Many people begin to record the dates of the Civil War in Russia (1917-1922) from this day. Already at six o'clock in the morning on January 6, 1918, sailor Zheleznyak rose to the presidium and said the phrase that went down in history: “The guard is tired. I ask everyone to disperse.” And only after this the premises of the Tauride Palace were freed from the chatty anti-Soviet element. There were no more meetings of the Constituent Assembly. There are also opinions that the dates of the Civil War in Russia (1917-1922) should be listed starting from October 25, 1917, when the Great October Socialist Revolution took place. However, most historians think otherwise.

Spring and summer 1918

Then, in the late autumn of 1917, in the south of Russia, in the Cossack regions, the first shots were heard. There, on the Don, the first volunteer army began to gather under General Alekseev. However, this was not successful at first, and until the spring of 1918 more than three thousand people did not gather. But in the spring the white movement began to grow like a snowball. Anti-Bolshevik forces consolidated in eastern Russia. The main dates of the Civil War in Russia include May 1918, when the revolt of the Czechoslovak Corps occurred.

It was formed from World War I Slav prisoners of war because soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army decided to join the war against Germany. Just in 1918, the corps was on Russian territory in trains and was preparing to return home (and the route was clear only through the Far East). The Entente did not sleep, the uprising was painstakingly prepared, and since the echelons stretched all the way to Vladivostok from Penza, all railway stations, cities and large marshalling centers were captured by armed interventionists literally in one day. This rebellion basically activated the rest of the anti-Bolshevik forces. This is where the real war began.

Samara and Omsk

Local governments rose like mushrooms after rain. One is in Samara (Komuch - Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly), which declared itself a provisional revolutionary government chaired by the Socialist Revolutionary Volsky. Not everyone agreed with the revolutionary overtones of their leader’s beliefs, and therefore opponents went to Omsk, where the same government was organized by the Cadets. And the very idea of ​​a Constituent Assembly was not too close to the majority of the White Guards, but crushing the “red-bellies” was right from their point of view. And, since there was no agreement among the rebels, Komuch ceased to exist, and its capital Samara was occupied by the Red Army in battle. October 1918 is also one of the important dates of the Russian Civil War.

In the first few months of Soviet power, there were almost no armed clashes; they were sporadic and local in nature, because opponents of Soviet power did not immediately determine their strategy and did not find mutual understanding of their beliefs. The imperialists took advantage of the corps and, of course, the general difficulties in Russia, and therefore quickly and significantly expanded the intervention of our country. During the summer of 1918, the British captured Onega, Kem, and Arkhangelsk. In the south, they occupied Ashgabat, Baku, almost all of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Let's not forget how the British interventionists dealt with twenty-six Baku commissars! The Germans continued to violate the Brest Peace Treaty and, together with the White Guards, raged throughout the south of the country - Rostov and Taganrog remember this very well.

Red and white

Only in the spring of 1918 did the Civil War in Russia acquire a truly front-line character. Dates and events on military maps from the moment the mutiny of the Czechoslovak Corps began became increasingly dense. Fronts began to form. And only towards the end of 1918 did the second stage begin, when small local forces no longer fought, but two powerful armies appeared - white and red. It is probably impossible to say exactly when the Russian Civil War began. The date can vary from October 25, 1917 to December 1918. It is most convenient to divide all events into three main stages. This was the first one.

The second stage is a real confrontation, when the young woman was put under real threat of destruction. Moreover, the February gains could have been eliminated, since the white movement had, as it were, a good goal of an indivisible Russia without the Bolsheviks, but its base was the generals of the tsarist army, and its political force was the Cadets (this is a constitutional democratic party, not young men from a military school ). The third and final stage can be considered the stage from 1920, marked by the war with the Poles and Wrangel. The end of 1920 is the time when the Civil War in Russia ended. The date is the defeat of Wrangel, about which our military commander Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze reported to the command on November 15, 1920.

The most important fights

The main war was over, now all that remained was to defeat the small but numerous enemy groups that carried out armed attacks on Soviet power in the early years of Soviet economic policy. And this third stage continued for another two years, until the end of the Civil War in Russia came. The exact date cannot be given. The last battles with the Basmachi attacking from abroad lasted until the beginning of the winter of 1922. You can imagine how bloodless Russia was! brought fourteen intervening countries to her native country, who plundered it with impunity and cruelty in all corners - from edge to edge. All these losses can be traced from the date of the beginning of the Civil War in Russia to its end.

Already in December 1918, the Red Army began to beat the enemy in Ukraine, two months later it liberated Kyiv, Kharkov, Poltava, and in the spring - Crimea. On the Eastern Front, too, at the same time, the White Army suffered one defeat after another. Then power was transferred by all individual formations into one hand - the English protege. There was a groan throughout Siberia. The military dictatorship of Kolchak allowed robbery and murder, and most often it was innocent hostages who suffered - old men, women, children, because the partisan movement grew and expanded, and most men - both workers and peasants - went into the forests. Kolchak decided to reorganize the army, which brought a split to the entire white movement. However, White tried to attack. In December they occupied Perm, but near Ufa the army was smashed to smithereens by the Reds. At first, the Civil War in Russia went on with very variable success. Result of the event, date: the White offensive fizzled out on December 24, 1918.

Events of 1919

Only in March 1919 did the white movement unite into a united front, which allowed them to launch an offensive in the west. The White Guards managed to occupy the entire Urals, but near Samara they were stopped by the Red Army. The date April 28, 1919 is considered a turning point - Kolchak’s troops, under a large-scale offensive by the Reds, rolled back further along the entire front and stopped only in June at the foothills of the Urals. Their final defeat awaited them between the Ishim and Tobol, large Siberian rivers, and the Whites were forced to retreat to Eastern Siberia. And in the south, Denikin, meanwhile, occupied the North Caucasus and at the end of June occupied Crimea, Aleksandrovsk and Kharkov, and in September - Nikolaev, Odessa, Kursk and Orel.

And then the Red Army again split the united army of the White Guards into two parts. In February, the Whites managed to enter Rostov, but their defenses were broken through in the Kuban, there was a big battle where the Whites were completely defeated. In March, the defeat was completed in this direction. And again, at the same time, Yudenich launched two entire attacks on Petrograd: the first in May, the second in September. It was not possible to take the capital, but Pskov and Gdov were occupied, although not for long. In September, in the north, Yudenich was finally defeated and his army was disarmed.

1920

The White Guards, being pushed further and further in the south, had to fight several big battles in the Kuban with the expectation of opening a second front. At first, this idea was even implemented successfully, but still, the Red Army, as the song says, is stronger than everyone else. Already in July, the Whites were pushed back to the Sea of ​​Azov. Wrangel won for some time in Northern Tavria, his army even moved to the Right Bank, but they also failed to build on their success. Maybe this is because the Red Army had a sufficient number of military specialists from tsarist times in the general corps - up to sixty percent, as statistics say.

Not everyone, not everyone, decided to sell their homeland to the British, Austrians, Germans and other interventionists of the Entente and non-Entente. There were senior officers who accepted the historical course of events and shared its justice. The Whites were pushed back beyond the Dnieper in October 1920, and on November 7 the Reds began their assault on Crimea. Yes, so competently that by the middle of this month the whites of Crimea were forced to leave. From April to November, the actions of the Red Army were truly victorious in all directions. The Whites suffered defeats in Transcaucasia and Central Asia (Soviet power was established in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Bukhara).

End

All this time, the Japanese ruled our Far East, supporting the White Guards in everything. The Soviet government was forced in April 1920 to form an independent (as if “buffer”) state - the DVR (Far Eastern Republic), and its capital became first Verkhneudinsk (today Ulan-Ude), and then Chita. A republican army was also created, which was not afraid of either the White Guards or the Japanese. The military operations launched by the army of the Far Eastern Republic were successful: the White Guards were defeated, the Japanese were expelled, Vladivostok was occupied, the Far East was cleared of the White Guard evil spirits. Only after this did the Soviet government incorporate the Far Eastern Republic into the RSFSR.

Undoubtedly, only a just cause could end in such a victory. It’s hard to even imagine with what efforts the Far East was liberated. The distances are enormous; the republic has been waging bloody battles for two years against enemy forces that are many times superior. And yet he wins! And in the Far East, whites were unable to settle confidently. They only tried to defend themselves, did not undertake attacks, but constantly retreated - step by step. True, they seized power in Primorye and Vladivostok in 1921 and were able to hold it for six months - until November. Then they were defeated again - this time completely. And on December 1, 1922, the last remaining White Guards left the territory of Russia - straight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, from its very edge. This is the date of the end of the Civil War in Russia.

About the intervention

It is strange to listen to those who consider the white movement to be a good initiative. Foreign intervention, thanks to whose support the white movement could exist at all, had a huge impact on the entire balance of power. The Entente and the Fourth Alliance (by the way, the opposing sides of the First World War) actively intervened in the war. Fourteen countries hostile to Russia were brought by the White Guards to their land. They called the goal of the intervention the eradication of revolutionary ideas, but in reality they wanted, as always, to plunder. And they robbed. And, of course, the Entente had a great desire to continue the world war, and therefore it was impossible to let Russia go without complete victory in it. This agreement was signed by Tsarist Russia, and the Bolsheviks were absolutely not obliged to fulfill these conditions.

But the Whites agreed, in case of victory over the Soviet regime, to meet all the wishes of the Entente. The Entente, as always, was afraid of Russia, and it was very desirable for it to weaken our state so that our country would have neither political nor economic influence in the world. That is why the Entente subsidized the white movement. But not for long. In fact, the whites were betrayed by their patrons. But besides the White Guards, the Japanese, Turks and Romanians committed atrocities in Russia, wanting to seize a tasty piece of our territory. The French are in Crimea. The British are in the North and the Caucasus. The Germans are all over Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. And this continued until the end of 1920. The Japanese ruled the Far East until 1922. But young Soviet Russia survived.

1. Despite the fact that the civil war in Russia began to flare up in November 1917, the period of its maximum peak and bitterness was the time from September 1918 to December 1919.

The bitterness of the civil war during this period was caused by the decisive steps of the Bolsheviks in March - July 1918 to strengthen their regime, such as:

- transfer of Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states to Germany, withdrawal from the Entente, which was regarded as national betrayal;

— the introduction of a food dictatorship (essentially a total robbery of peasants) and the Committee of Poor People's Commissars in May - June 1918;

— establishment of a one-party system - July 1918;

- nationalization of all industry (essentially the appropriation by the Bolsheviks of all private property in the country) - July 28, 1918

2. These events, the resistance of those who disagreed with the Bolshevik policy, and foreign intervention led to a sharp de-Bolshevisation of most of the country. Soviet power fell on 80% of the territory of Russia - the Far East, Siberia, the Urals, Don, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The territory of the Soviet Republic, controlled by the Bolshevik government of V.I. Lenin, was reduced to the regions of Moscow, Petrograd and a narrow strip along the Volga.

On all sides, the small Soviet republic was surrounded by hostile fronts:

- the powerful White Guard army of Admiral Kolchak was advancing from the east;

- from the south - the White Guard-Cossack army of General Denikin;

— from the west (to Petrograd) the armies of generals Yudenich and Miller marched;

— along with them came armies of interventionists (mainly the British and French), who landed in Russia from several sides - the White, Baltic, Black Seas, the Pacific Ocean, the Caucasus and Central Asia;

- in Siberia, a corps of captured White Czechs (captured soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, which joined the ranks of the counter-revolution) rebelled - the army of captured White Czechs, transported on trains to the east, at that moment stretched from Western Siberia to the Far East, and its rebellion contributed to the fall of Soviet power immediately over a large territory of Siberia;

- The Japanese landed in the Far East;

- bourgeois-nationalist governments came to power in Central Asia and Transcaucasia.

On September 2, 1918, the Republic of Soviets was declared a single military camp. Everything was subordinated to a single goal - the defense of the Bolshevik revolution. The Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic was created, headed by L.D. Trotsky. Within the Soviet Republic, a regime of “war communism” was introduced - economic management by military methods. The “Red Terror” was declared - a policy of total destruction of all enemies of Bolshevism.

3. The main theater of military operations at the end of 1918 - 1919. there was a war with Kolchak. Former naval admiral A. Kolchak became the main leader of the white movement in Russia:

- a huge territory from the Far East to the Urals was subordinated to him;

- the temporary capital of Russia in Omsk and the White Guard government were created;

- A. Kolchak was declared the supreme ruler of Russia;

- a combat-ready white army was recreated, in alliance with which the White Czechs and the interventionists fought.

In September 1918, Kolchak's army launched a successful offensive against the bloodless Soviet Republic and brought the Soviet Republic to the brink of destruction.

The key battle of the civil war in the fall of 1918 was the defense of Tsaritsyn:

— Tsaritsyn was considered the capital of the Volga region and the main bastion of the Bolsheviks on the Volga;

- in the event of the capture of Tsaritsyn, the Middle and Southern Volga region would be under the rule of Kolchak and Denikin and the path to Moscow would be open;

- the defense of Tsaritsyn was carried out by the Bolsheviks, regardless of any casualties, by mobilizing all forces and means;

- I.V. Stalin commanded the defense of Tsaritsyn;

- thanks to the selfless defense of Tsaritsyn (later renamed Stalingrad), the Bolsheviks managed to stop the advance of the White Guard troops and gain time until the spring - summer of 1919.

4. The most critical time in the existence of the Republic of Soviets was the spring - autumn of 1919:

- there was a consolidation of the White Guard forces;

- a joint offensive of the White Guards began on the Soviet Republic from three fronts;

- Kolchak’s army launched an offensive from the east throughout the Volga region;

- Denikin’s army launched an offensive from the south towards Moscow;

— Yudenich-Miller’s army began an offensive from the west towards Petrograd;

- the offensive of the united White Guard forces was initially successful, and the White Guard leaders planned to liquidate the Soviet Republic by the fall of 1919.

The Council of People's Commissars and the Revolutionary Military Council in 1919 organized the defense of the Soviet Republic from a joint White Guard offensive:

- four fronts were created - Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern;

— each front had a strictly organized command and control structure;

- the forced mobilization into the Red Army of the entire young male population living in the territories controlled by the Bolsheviks began (in just a few months the number of the Red Army was increased from 50 thousand to 2 million people);

— massive explanatory work by commissars is being carried out in the army;

- in addition, the most severe discipline is established in the Red Army - execution for failure to comply with orders, desertion, looting; Drinking alcohol is prohibited in the army;

— The Red Army on the initiative of L.D. Trotsky and M.N. Tukhachevsky pursues a “scorched earth” tactic - in the event of a Red retreat, cities and villages turn into ruins, the population is taken away along with the Red Army soldiers - the White army occupies empty and food-deprived spaces;

- simultaneously with military mobilization, total labor mobilization occurs - the entire working population from 16 to 60 years old is mobilized for rear work, the labor process is strictly centralized and controlled by military methods; at the suggestion of the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council L.D. Trotsky, labor armies are being formed;

- surplus appropriation is being introduced in villages - forced free taking of food from peasants and sending it to the needs of the front; scattered committees of poor people are replaced by professional punitive bodies (food detachments of workers and soldiers who carry out food appropriation without ceremony with the peasants);

- a headquarters for food supply to the front was created, headed by A.I. Rykov;

— emergency powers are vested in the Cheka, headed by Dzerzhinsky; security officers penetrate into all spheres of life and identify opponents of the Bolsheviks and saboteurs (persons who do not follow orders);

- the concept of “revolutionary legality” is introduced - the death penalty, other punishments are imposed in a simplified manner without trial or investigation by hastily created “troikas” under the control of the commissars and punitive bodies of the Bolsheviks.

5. Thanks to the indicated emergency measures, the maximum tension of all forces of the front and rear in the spring - summer of 1919, the Republic of Soviets managed to stop the advance of the White Guards and was saved from complete defeat.

In the fall of 1919, the Red Army launched a massive counteroffensive on the Eastern Front under the command of Mikhail Frunze. The counteroffensive was a surprise for Kolchak’s army. The main reasons for the success of the counter-offensive of the Red Army under the command of M.V. Frunze at the end of 1919 were:

- powerful onslaught of the Red Army;

- the unpreparedness of Kolchak’s army, which was accustomed only to attack and was not ready to defend;

- poor supply of Kolchak’s troops (the “scorched earth” tactics did their job - Kolchak’s army began to starve in the devastated cities of the Volga region);

- fatigue of the civilian population from the war - the population was tired of the war and stopped supporting the White Guards (“the Reds came and robbed, the whites came and robbed”);

- the military leadership talent of M. Frunze (Frunze used all the achievements of contemporary military science - strategic calculations, reconnaissance, enemy disinformation, onslaught, machine guns and cavalry).

As a result of a rapid counter-offensive under the command of M. Frunze:

- Within 4 months, the Red Army occupied a huge territory previously controlled by Kolchak - the Urals, the Urals, Western Siberia;

— destroyed the infrastructure of the white army;

- in December 1919, she took the capital of Kolchak - Omsk;

— A.V. Kolchak was captured by the Red Army and executed in 1920.

6. Thus, at the beginning of 1920, Kolchak’s army was completely defeated. This was the main victory of the Red Army and the Bolsheviks in the civil war, after which a turning point came in its course:

- in the spring - autumn of 1920, Denikin’s army was defeated in the south of Russia;

— in the north-west the army of Yudenich-Miller was defeated;

- at the end of 1920, Crimea was occupied - the last bastion of the organized white movement (Wrangel’s army);

— during the assault on Crimea, the Red Army, swimming waist-deep in water, made a heroic crossing through the many-kilometer Sivash estuary-swamp and struck in the rear of Wrangel’s army, which was a complete surprise for it.

7. As a result of the main stage of the civil war (1918 - 1920):

- the Bolsheviks established power in most of Russia;

- the organized resistance of the white movement was broken;

- The main units of the interventionists were defeated.

8. The final stage of the civil war (1920 - 1922) began - the establishment of Soviet power in the former national outskirts of the Russian Empire. During this time, Soviet power was established in Transcaucasia, Central Asia, and the Far East. The specificity of this period was that Soviet power in these regions (“national outskirts” of the former Russian Empire) was established from the outside - at the behest of the Bolsheviks from Moscow, by the military force of the Red Army. The only failure of the Red Army was defeat in the Soviet-Polish War of 1920 - 1921, as a result of which it was not possible to establish Soviet power in Poland. The end of the civil war in Russia is considered to be the Red Army's access to the Pacific Ocean and the capture of Vladivostok in November 1922.

Where did the terms "red" and "white" come from? The Civil War also saw the “Greens”, “Cadets”, “Socialist Revolutionaries” and other formations. What is their fundamental difference?

In this article, we will answer not only these questions, but also briefly get acquainted with the history of its 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 of less and less concern to young people. According to surveys, many have no idea, let alone about the Patriotic War of 1812...

However, such words and phrases as “red” and “white”, “Civil War” and “October Revolution” are still heard. Most people, 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 simply an ideological move by Soviet propagandists and nothing more. Now you will figure out this riddle yourself.

If you turn to textbooks and reference books of the Soviet Union, they explain that the “whites” are the White Guards, supporters of the Tsar and enemies of the “reds”, the Bolsheviks.

It seems that everything was so. But in fact, this is another enemy that the Soviets fought against.

The country has lived for seventy years in confrontation with 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. “Whites,” according to 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 their honor did not suffer from this. Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and his brother did not accept the crown. Thus, all tsarist officers were free from the oath.

Where then did this “color” difference come from? If the Bolsheviks really had a red flag, then their opponents never had a white one. The answer lies in the history of a century and a half ago.

The Great French Revolution gave the world two opposing camps. The royal troops carried a white banner, the symbol of the dynasty of French rulers. After seizing power, their opponents hung a red canvas in the window of the city hall as a sign of the introduction of wartime. On such days, any gatherings of people were dispersed by soldiers.

The Bolsheviks were opposed not by monarchists, but by supporters of the convening of the Constituent Assembly (constitutional democrats, cadets), anarchists (Makhnovists), “green army men” (fought against the “red”, “white”, interventionists) and those who wanted the separation of their territory into a free state .

Thus, the term "white" was cleverly used by ideologues to define a common enemy. His winning position was 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.

Prerequisites for the war

When studying the Civil War in class, a table is essential for a good understanding of the material. Below are the stages of this military conflict, which will help you better navigate not only the article, but also this period in 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 begin to study them in more depth. It's worth starting with the premises.

So, the main reason for such intense passions, which later resulted in a five-year Civil War, was the accumulated contradictions and problems.

First, the Russian Empire's involvement in World War I destroyed the economy and depleted the country's resources. The bulk of the male population was in the army, agriculture and urban industry fell into decay. The soldiers were tired of fighting for other people's ideals when there were hungry families at home.

The second reason was agricultural and industrial issues. There were too many peasants and workers who lived below the poverty line. The Bolsheviks took full advantage of this.

In order to turn participation in the world war into an inter-class struggle, certain steps were taken.

First, the first wave of nationalization of enterprises, banks, and lands took place. Then the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed, which plunged Russia into the abyss of complete ruin. Against the backdrop of general devastation, the Red Army men carried out 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 provided earlier illustrates the stages of the conflict. But we will start with the events that occurred before the Great October Revolution.

Weakened by its participation in the First World War, the Russian Empire declines. Nicholas II abdicates the throne. More importantly, he does not have a successor. In light of such events, two new forces are being formed simultaneously - the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers' Deputies.

The former are beginning to deal with the social and political spheres of the crisis, while the Bolsheviks concentrated on increasing their influence in the army. This path subsequently led them to the opportunity to become the only ruling force in the country.
It was the confusion in government that led to the formation of the “reds” and “whites”. 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 moving more confidently 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 for help with troops. Kerensky seems to be receiving support from the Cossacks, but suddenly the cadets leave the regular army. Now constitutional democrats refuse to support the head of government.

Not finding adequate support in Pskov, Alexander Fedorovich goes to the city of Ostrov, where he meets with General Krasnov. At the same time, the Winter Palace was stormed in Petrograd. In Soviet history, this event is presented as key. But in fact it happened without resistance from the deputies.

After a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora, sailors, soldiers and workers approached the palace and arrested all members of the Provisional Government present there. In addition, the Second Congress of Soviets took place, where a number of major declarations were adopted and executions at the front were abolished.

In view of the coup, Krasnov decides to provide assistance to Alexander Kerensky. On October 26, a cavalry detachment of seven hundred people leaves towards Petrograd. It was assumed that in the city itself they would be supported by an uprising by the cadets. 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 negotiated with the Bolsheviks the opportunity to return to Ostrov with his detachment without hindrance.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Revolutionaries begin a radical struggle against the Bolsheviks, who, in their opinion, have acquired greater power. The response to the murders of some “red” leaders was terror by the Bolsheviks, and the Civil War (1917-1922) began. Let us now consider further events.

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 close control of Headquarters, then in the eastern detachments a completely different mood reigned.

It was the presence of a large number of reserve troops and their reluctance to enter into a war with Germany that helped the Bolsheviks quickly and bloodlessly receive the support of almost two-thirds of the army. Only 15 large cities resisted the “red” authorities, while 84 passed into their hands on their own initiative.

An unexpected surprise for the Bolsheviks in the form of stunning support from confused and tired soldiers was declared by the “Reds” as a “triumphant procession of the Soviets.”

The civil war (1917-1922) only worsened after the signing of a devastating treaty for Russia, the former empire lost more than a million square kilometers of territory. These included: the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Romania, Don territories. In addition, they had to pay six billion marks of indemnity to Germany.

This decision caused protest both within the country and from the Entente. Simultaneously with the intensification of various local conflicts, military intervention by Western states on Russian territory begins.

The entry of Entente troops in Siberia was reinforced by the revolt of the Kuban Cossacks under the leadership of 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 years.

Second period of the Civil War

It was at this stage that the White Guard Heroes of the Civil War were most active. History has preserved such surnames 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 Entente troops in order to overthrow the Bolshevik government and still convene the Constituent Assembly. Others wanted to become local princelings. This includes people like Makhno, Grigoriev and others.

The difficulty of this period lies in the fact that as soon as the First World War was completed, German troops had to leave Russian territory 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 this turn of events that the Civil War enters a phase of particular cruelty and bloodshed. The failure of commanders oriented towards Western governments was further aggravated by the fact that they had a catastrophic shortage of qualified officers. Thus, the armies of Miller, Yudenich and some other formations disintegrated only because, with a lack of mid-level commanders, the main influx of forces came from captured Red Army soldiers.

Messages in newspapers of this period are characterized by headlines of this type: “Two thousand military personnel with three guns went over to the side of the Red Army.”

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 Egorov and Tukhachevsky, fought their way deep into Western Ukraine and reached the Polish border.

Victory over this enemy was supposed to rouse the workers in Europe to fight. But all the plans of the Red Army leaders failed after a crushing defeat in the battle, which was 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, funding for the “white” movement decreased, and the Civil War in Russia began to decline.

In the early 1920s, similar changes in the foreign policies of Western states led to the recognition of the Soviet Union 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, whose only rival was the United States.

Reasons for victory

Let's figure out 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 saw the main reason for 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 occupied territories with a population of millions, they could not carry out even the minimum mobilization to replenish their ranks.

Particularly interesting are the statistics provided by the Civil War. “Reds” and “Whites” (the table below) especially suffered from desertion. Unbearable living conditions, as well as the lack of clear goals, made themselves felt. The data concerns only the Bolshevik forces, since the White Guard records did not preserve clear figures.

The main point that modern historians note was the conflict.

The White Guards, firstly, had no 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 aspects were often assigned to officers who only knew how to fight, but not how to conduct diplomatic negotiations.

The Red Army soldiers created a powerful ideological network. A clear system of concepts was developed that was drummed 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 receive maximum support from the population.

Consequences

The victory of the “Reds” in the Civil War was very costly for the state. The economy was completely destroyed. The country lost territories with a population of more than 135 million people.

Agriculture and productivity, food production decreased by 40-50 percent. The surplus appropriation system and the “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 slipped to the level of the Russian Empire during the reign of Peter the Great. Researchers say production levels have fallen to 20 percent of 1913 levels, and in some areas to 4 percent.

As a result, a massive outflow of workers from cities to villages began. Since there was at least some hope of not dying of hunger.

“Whites” in the Civil War reflected the desire of the nobility and higher ranks to return to their previous living conditions. But their isolation from the real sentiments that reigned among the common people led to the total defeat of the old order.

Reflection in culture

Civil War leaders were 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 wartime environment.

The films “Chapaev”, “Little 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.

One can give examples almost endlessly, because the social catastrophe that resulted from the Civil War found a powerful response in the hearts of hundreds of artists.

Thus, today we learned not only the origin of the concepts “white” and “red,” but also briefly became acquainted with the course of events of the Civil War.

Remember that any crisis contains the seeds of future changes for the better.