Causes of the Civil War in Russia

The civil war in Russia, which began in 1917 (according to other sources in 1918), and ended with the victory of the Red Army in 1922, was the result of political, social and national contradictions that arose in the country after the February 1905 revolution .

The causes of the Civil War to this day are the subject of discussion of historians. Despite the fact that many political groups participated in the war, the main struggle was between the White Movement and the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Both sides, in case of their victory, expected to establish a regime of dictatorship in the country. The Bolsheviks proclaimed the intention to establish in Russia and Europe a communist society based on the equality of all people, and the supporters of the White Movement declared their goal to be the convening of a new Constituent Assembly that could resolve the question of the political order.

The Bolsheviks were not only ready for war, but also sought to bring it closer, considering military action the only possible way to resolve contradictions in society.

The following causes of the Civil War can be named:

• The seizure of power by the Bolsheviks who overthrew the Provisional Government.
• Refusal of the Bolsheviks to comply with the principles of parliamentarism.

These measures provoked outrage not only monarchists, but also liberal-minded citizens. Repression, dictatorship and the emergence of the Red Terror negatively incited the intelligentsia, as well as workers and peasants, against the Bolsheviks. These sentiments led to the revival of the Menshevik movement.

In addition, some researchers call the following causes of the Civil War:

• Exit the First World War by concluding the Brest Peace with Germany on extremely unfavorable conditions.
• The Bolsheviks in the villages, which consisted in predatory actions against the peasants.
• Nationalization of banks, real estate and means of production.
• The solution of the agrarian question contrary to the interests of landowners.

It can be said that the causes of the Civil War lie in the proletarian revolution, when there was a division of society, and contradictions arose that could not be resolved peacefully. The absence of a clearly defined authority, the dictatorship of the Bolsheviks led to the outbreak of hostilities.

Foreign states (England, France and Italy) decided to take part in the Civil War in Russia with the aim of supporting the anti-Bolshevik forces. In addition, they considered the possibility of spreading their influence in Russia, using the emerging separatist sentiments.

However, despite all the measures, the Red Army won the war. Historians have long disputes about the causes of the defeat of the White Movement.

The reasons for the victory of the Reds in the Civil War did not lie in their numerical superiority. During the entire war, more soldiers deserted from the Red Army than there were in the White army. And it is unlikely that the population supported the Bolsheviks. According to researchers, the white movement has ruined the disunity and inability of leaders to unite all those who are dissatisfied with the new power.

In addition, the peasantry did not want to join any of the armies or unite with other adversaries, since they did not want to leave their lands. As a result, the Bolsheviks had the opportunity to suppress single peasant uprisings without special difficulties.

The reasons for the defeat of the Whites in the Civil War were also that the Reds controlled the most densely populated points. The inability of the leaders of the White movement to negotiate was the reason for insufficient assistance from the Entente.

So, the main causes of the Civil War were the political situation of that time, and the defeat of the White Movement was due to the poor organization of military operations and the disunity of individual resistance forces.