BMKMUN’20HISTORICAL COMMITTEE -RED ARMY STUDY GUIDE

CHAIR & DEPUTY CHAIR

Deniz EVKURAN & Meltem ESER

Esteemed Delegates,

Welcome to Historical Committee of BMKMUN’20! As the chairing team, we are all thrilled to work

with you during these four days. We hope this conference will be an unforgettable experience, both

for you and the team. We expect each delegate to come to the conference well prepared and with an

understanding of his/her position. We are looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

So onwards our revolutionaries, onwards to war and victory! All power to the Soviets!

Historical Committee Chairing Team

RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR (7 November 1917 - 25 October 1922)

Background:

World War 1 (1914-18) was the

most devastating and costly war

in the history of the world up to

that point. A crucial member of

the Triple Entente, the Russian

Empire was in the war since its

beginning in 1914. The already

weak and outdated army was

unprepared for the war and the

much better armed armies of

Germany landed a crucial blow

to the Russians in Tannenberg,

which started the offensive

which pushed them back all the

way to Riga in the north and

behind the Carpathians in the

south in 1917. Although often

times successful against the

slightly weaker Austro-

Hungarian armies and performing the effective Brusilov offensive in 1916, the casualties were

simply too high for the Russians. Between 1914 and 1917, they had between 2.8 and 3.4 million

casualties, 1.7 million of them being military. The military casualties rose up to 5 million with the

wounded included. By 1917, the Russian government proved far too ineffective, the nation lost too

much man and too much land. Famine and disease was rampant in the country and by February Tsar

Nicholas II had to abdicate his throne.

Following the Tsar’s abdication, the Russian Provisional Government was established and soviets

(elected councils of workers, soldiers, and peasants) were organized throughout the nation. The

country was declared a republic in September.

The Revolutions:

The Russian Revolution, consists of two revolutions in 1917, the first of which, in February

(March in New Style) , overthrew the tsar and established a parliament and the second of which, in

October (November), placed the Bolsheviks in power.

February Revolution (8–16 March 1917): The main events of the revolution took place in and

near Petrograd (present-day Saint Petersburg), the then-capital of Russia. The discontented

peasantry revolted against the government. The catalyst were the protests against food rationing on

23 February Old Style (8 March New Style). The revolts lasted for eight days, involving violent

armed clashes with police and gendarmes, the last supporters of the Russian monarchy in the city.

On 27 February O.S. (12 March N.S.) unhappy Russian Army forces also joined the revolutionaries.

Three days later Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, ending Romanov rule and the Russian Empire. A

Russian Provisional Government under Prince Georgy Lvov replaced the Council of Ministers of

Russia. At the same time, soviets (elected councils of workers, soldiers, and peasants) were

organized throughout the country, which lead to a duality of power within the nation.

October Revolution (7–8 November 1917): The Provisional Government, led by Socialist

Revolutionary Party politician Alexander Kerensky, was unable to solve the most pressing issues of

the country, most importantly failing to bring an end to the war with the Central Powers. A failed

military coup by General Lavr Kornilov in September 1917 led to a steep rise in support for the

Bolshevik party, who gained majorities in the soviets, which until then were under Socialist

Revolutionary control. Promising an end to the war and "all power to the Soviets," the Bolsheviks

then ended dual power by overthrowing the Provisional Government in late October, in what would

start the second Revolution of 1917.

How did the Russian Revolution lead to the Russian Civil War?

The October Revolution(Russian Revolution) saw Vladimir Lenin’s Bolsheviks take over power at

the expense of more moderate social democrats (Mensheviks) and conservative “Whites.” Russia’s

former allies, who were still fighting in World War I.

TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK:

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918 between the new Bolshevik

government of Russia and the Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the

Ottoman Empire), that ended Russia's participation in World War I. The treaty was signed at

German-controlled Brest-Litovsk, following two months of negotiations. The treaty was agreed

upon by the Bolsheviks to stop the Germans invading even more. According to the treaty, Soviet

Russia defaulted on all of Imperial Russia's commitments to the Allies and eleven nations became

independent in Eastern Europe and western Asia.

THE RED IDEOLOGY:

The Bolshevik ideology was that

of communism. Lenin was

considered especially strict in

this and the Bolshevik party refused to collaborate with a lot of different left-wing parties, which led

to them being isolated to a certain degree. To them, the revolution against the bourgeois capitalist

rule was to be lead by a heavily centralized "Vanguard Party", who would help the workers,

peasants and other oppressed classes liberate themselves. Their main goals were the overthrow of

the Tsar and the establishment of a solely Bolshevik government, first in Russia and then in the

surrounding ex-Tsardom states such as Poland, Ukraine and Finland. The definition and goals of

communism itself will be explained in the final explanation of key terms.

MAJOR PARTIES INVOLVED

RED ARMY: Volunteer-based main military force of the Bolsheviks, was established after the

October Revolution of 1917. The Bolsheviks raised an army to oppose the military confederations of

their rivals during the Russian Civil War.

WHITE ARMY: A confederation of the various anti-communist force groups --collectively known

as the White Army-- that fought the Communist Bolsheviks (Red Army), in the Russian Civil War.

GREEN ARMY: Semi-organized local militias that opposed the Reds, Whites and foreign

interventions and aimed to protect their community from demands carried out by third parties.

BLACK ARMY: The Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine, Makhnovshchina, was an

anarchist army formed largely of Ukrainian peasants and workers during the Russian Civil War of

1917–1922. They were led by Nestor Makhno.

LEFT SR: The Party of Left Socialist-Revolutionaries was a revolutionary socialist political party

formed during the Russian Revolution. In 1917 it split between those who supported the Russian

Provisional Government; and those who supported the Bolsheviks who favoured a communist

insurrection (Left Socialist-Revolutionaries or Left SRs).

FAR EASTERN REP.: The Far Eastern Republic was established in the aftermath of the Russian

Civil War. During the Civil War local authorities generally controlled the towns and cities of the

Russian Far East, cooperating to a greater or lesser extent with the White Siberian government of

Alexander Kolchak and with the succeeding invading forces of the Japanese Army.

Members of the Red Army

A. V. I. Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov) (Head of government of Soviet Russia)

Vladimir Lenin was the main founder, inspirer and leader of the Russian Communist Party

(Bolsheviks). He served as head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and as head of

the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. He ensured the Russian Communist Party to rule over Russia

and later the wider Soviet Union.

B. Leon Trotsky (People's Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs of the Soviet Union)

Leon Trotsky joined the Bolsheviks just before the 1917 October(Russian) Revolution, and

immediately became a leader within the Communist Party.

Leon Trotsky played a very important role as a leader of the Communist Party, since his leadership

was a crucial factor in keeping the Bolshevik Regime alive. During the civil war, Trotsky was made

war commissar built up the Red Army, and waged war on the White Russian forces.

C. Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (People's Commissar, Nationalities of the Russian SFSR)

After the Bolsheviks seized power during the 1917 October Revolution and created a one-party state

under Lenin's newly renamed Communist Party, Stalin joined its governing Politburo. During the

Civil War, Stalin was leading troops in the Caucasus while also forming alliances with Kliment

Voroshilov and Semyon Budyonny. In the Caucasus, he gave the command to kill former Tsarist

officers and counter-revolutionaries. He burned villages to threaten local citizens into submission

and discourage food bandit raids.

D. Nikolai Podvoisky (Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee)

Nikolai Podvoisky was Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee. He was an Old

Bolshevik. According to Trotsky, Nikolai Podvoisky was a unique and old type of person in the

borders of Bolshevism. He was a man of "great although undisciplined energy". He was known for

his creative imagination which often went outside reality and to the length of fantasy. Under

Podvoisky's commandership, which he had mastered easily, an improvisational general staff was

formed.

E. Kliment Voroshilov (Commander of the Southern Front)

During the Russian Civil War, Kliment Voroshilov was closely connected with Stalin and helped

him in the Revolutionary Military Council which was led by Leon Trotsky.

Voroshilov and Stalin co-equally served as Political Commissar while Voroshilov's main role during

the civil war was his commandership of the Southern Front.

F. Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky (Commander of the Western Armies)

Tukhachevsky was a Soviet military leader who was nicknamed "Red Napoleon" by foreign

newspapers. During the Russian Civil War his responsibility was to defend the Moscow area. He

was a successful officer in the newly established Red Army and thanks to his outstanding abilities,

his rank rapidly changed. Leon Trotsky, landed Tukhachevsky command of the 5th Army and with

this duty he led the campaign to take over Siberia from Aleksandr Kolchak's anticommunist White

forces.

G. Mikhail Kalinin (Chairman of the Central Executive Committee)

Kalinin was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a Soviet politician. He served as head of state of the

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and later of the Soviet Union from 1919 to 1946. From

1926, he was a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

H. Jukums Vācietis (Latvian Soviet Military Commander)

Vācietis was a Latvian Soviet military commander. He was a rare example of a notable Soviet leader

who was not a member of the Communist Party or any other political party.

Vācietis was the first commander-in-chief of the Red Army and from July to September 1918,

Vācietis was responsible for commanding the Eastern Front. He was a member of the Revolutionary

Military Council and this is where he created a productive working relationship with Leon Trotsky.

I. Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko (Chief of Political Administration of the Red Army)

Antonov-Ovseenko returned to Russia after the February Revolution, because he had been living in

France after getting arrested two times. In May he joined the Bolsheviks and soon afterwards he was

appointed to the party’s Central Committee.

Antonov-Ovseenko was the main architect of the armed insurrection and led the Red Guards that

seized the Winter Palace on the 25th October, 1917. After the October Revolution he was appointed

Commissar for Military Affairs in Petrograd and Commissar of War.

During the Civil War Antonov-Ovseenko commanded the Bolshevik campaign in Ukraine and

organized efforts to reduce starvation in Samara province. Antonov-Ovseenko worked closely with

Leon Trotsky and in 1922 he was appointed Chief of Political Administration of the Red Army.

J. Alexei Rykov (People's Commissar for Internal Affairs)

During the Russian Civil War (1917–23), Rykov oversaw the implementation of the "War

Communism" economic policy. He helped organise the distribution of food to the Red Army and

Navy.

EXPLANATION OF IMPORTANT TERMS

BOLSHEVIK: A member of the majority faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party, which

seized power in the October Revolution of 1917. A person who supports the political system and

ideas that Lenin introduced after the Russian Revolution of 1917.

COMMUNISM: Advocacy of a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished

and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community.

MONARCHY: A form of government in which supreme authority is vested in a single and usually

a hereditary figure and whose powers can vary from those of an absolute despot to those of a

figurehead.

CIVIL WAR: A war fought between geographical sections or political factions of the same nation.

FOREIGN INTERVENTION: Any interference in the affairs of others, by one government in the

affairs of another.

WARNING: Historical committees work starts from March 3, 1918, the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and moves on forward.

DETAILED BACKGROUND OF THE ISSUE:

Everything started in 1894, after the Tsar Nicholas II’s coronation as the new Emperor of Russia. As

the leader of the government, he had the final say on any authoritative statement concerning Russia.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Russia was under the effect of sudden industrial growth and

new ideologies, such as communism. People like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels quickly caught the

public's eye.

One of the purposes of the communist action was to abolish religious leaders and monarchy,

alongside of forming a central government which controls the economy and any other affair

regarding the commonwealth of the public. Meanwhile, the imperial government was incompetent.

The country was low on agricultural growth. Agricultural inadequacy, along with rapid

industrialization, caused new economic problems. The government’s tardiness also caused foreign

policy problems. Some of these misleading policies sowed the seeds of a war between the Russian

Empire and the Empire of Japan, the Russo-Japanese War. The Russian Army was defeated.

After the defeat, the imperial government failed to receive public support, and a few reforms were

arranged. An event called the Bloody Sunday, where some people were hurt and shot, took place

and caused several riots in the country. These riots led to some reforms in the government. Although

national assembly, Duma, ran a voting procedure, the tsar did not allow it to be entertained.

After the election, Pyotr Stolypin was elected prime minister. Stolypin started production focused

renovations for agricultural growth. He was assassinated in 1911. In 1914, St. Petersburg, the

capital, was renamed as Pertograd.

Russia taking part in World War I was one of the main events, tsar’s expectation was that the empire

would be able to intimidate other countries and achieve more authority. The emperor selected

himself as the head-commander. He left Empress Alexandra and her advisor Grigory Rasputin in

charge of Petrograd. After the army’s defeat, the public held Rasputin responsible for the corruption

and accused him of misguiding the royal family.

He was assassinated by tsarist aristocrats in 1916, blamed for failure by misleading the army.

Russia’s loss was a major issue. The government was malfunctioning and food shortages led to

protests. Tsar tried interfering with manpower to put these protests to an end, yet, the army

supported his opponents. Tsar Nicholas II was abdicated. This matter is named as the February

Revolution.

300 year Romanov rule ended. After the abdication, new names appeared. Vladimir Lenin became a

very distinct figure. Firstly, he gathered the bolsheviks. For his plans of overthrowing the

government, he convinced the public, promising land, food and peace. Protests were a lot more

intense and difficult to control now. The imperial government was struggling and different

ideologies were spreading quickly.

The Petrograd Soviet and the national assembly, Duma, decided to collaborate. However, the

Marxist Mensheviks approved the Petrograd Soviet better. The government and mensheviks had no

intention to end the war sooner. Bolsheviks, who followed Lenin’s policies, received more

sympathy from the public. The communist ideology expanded even further.

The slogans like: “Bread, Peace and Land” were echoing around the capital and the country. In June

18th 1917, the June Offensive occurred and the army fell, with 400.000 casualties. After the

collision most of the revolutionary leaders were arrested such as Leon Trotsky. Stalin helped Lenin

to get away to Finland with fake documents, as a caution for a possible case of assassination or

exile. During this period, Alexander Kerensky became the prime minister. Kerensky was thought to

be the one to save Russia from anarchy.

The general of the army Lavr Kornilov accused Lenin of spying for the Germans, and a traitor to his

land. Kornilov claimed Lenin was a threat, and held him responsible for the war loss. He

commanded nearly half of the army to march back to Petrograd to set order, an event now referred

to as the Kornilov Affair. Meanwhile the Bolshevik leader Trotsky was released from prison, and he

gathered a militias the “Red Guards”. They fought, and he sent troops to the key parts of the city to

defend the important spots.

Bolsheviks started a movement in order to stop Kornilov from taking over Petrograd, by breaking

railroads. Some soldiers started to change routes and the others chose to keep on moving.

Lenin returned from Finland, thus Bolsheviks gained some authority in the Petrograd Soviet. The

majority were the Bolshevik. After Lenin’s return, Bolsheviks started a movement and invaded the

Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government took place. It was referred to as the Bolshevik

Revolution, it was successful.

The Bolshevik Propaganda has officially started. Kerensky saved the city from being conquered

with struggle. At the second all-Russian congress, Lenin announced that the Provisional

Government was officially overthrown. After the congress, Lenin brought in accessible public

education, health care and improved rights of women along with accepting Finland’s Declaration of

Independence.

After this, Bolsheviks called for a true election. The election did not go as Lenin planned, thus he

used manpower to have himself elected. Moscow became the new capital of Russia, the Julian

calendar was switched to the Gregorian calendar. In March, 1918, after the invasion of specific part

of Russia in Europe, Trotsky and his men ended up demanding peace in between the central powers.

On March 3, 1918, the Treaty of Brest- Litovsk was signed.

Bibliography

Russian Revolution, Wikipedia Article

Russian Civil War, Wikipedia Article

Russian Civil War, Britannica Article

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Wikipedia Article

February Revolution, Wikipedia Article

Leon Trotsky, Wikipedia Article

Vladimir Lenin, Wikipedia Article

Yukums Vacietis, Wikipedia Article

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Kamenev

Joseph Stalin, Britannica Article

Joseph Stalin, Wikipedia Article

Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Wikipedia Article

Alexei Rykov, Wikipedia Article

Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko, Wikipedia Article

Mikhail Kalinin, Wikipedia Article

Kliment Voroshilov, Wikipedia Article