Russian Civil War (4/5)

Alpha History2 minutes read

The Bolsheviks faced significant challenges in Transcaucasia and Central Asia, with various local forces declaring independence and foreign powers intervening, yet managed to strengthen their military despite a struggling economy. By late 1919, the rise of guerrilla warfare among the Reds and the collapse of Admiral Kolchak's authority ultimately secured the Soviet regime's dominance east of the Ural Mountains.

Insights

  • The Bolsheviks encountered significant resistance in Transcaucasia as Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan sought independence from Russia, compounded by military threats from Turkey, which ultimately led to Turkish forces entering Baku after a brief British intervention.
  • In the Far East, foreign powers like the United States and Japan exerted control, while the Bolshevik government faced severe economic challenges but simultaneously bolstered its military strength, leading to the rise of guerrilla warfare tactics that contributed to the downfall of anti-Bolshevik leaders like Admiral Alexander Kolchak by early 1920.

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Summary

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Bolshevik Struggles and Foreign Interventions 1918

  • The Bolsheviks faced challenges in Transcaucasia as Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan declared independence from Russia but struggled against Turkish military forces; the Baku city council sought British aid on August 14, 1918, leading to a small British unit's arrival, which left a month later, allowing Turkish forces to enter the city.
  • In Central Asia, by the end of 1918, the Red Turkistan Army had grown to approximately 20,000 men despite a tradition against military conscription, while anti-Bolshevik forces, including the Bukhara Emirate and the Hiaat, launched attacks against the Soviets.
  • Significant events unfolded in Europe, including the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm on November 9, 1918, and the declaration of Germany as a Democratic Republic, which allowed Allied resources to be redirected for intervention in Russia, resulting in 130,000 Allied troops landing in the Black Sea region by November 1918.
  • The Russian Far East fell under foreign control by the end of 1918, with American and Japanese forces holding strategic locations, while the Bolshevik government struggled with a devastated economy, widespread hunger, and disease, yet managed to strengthen its military.
  • In January 1919, the Red Army captured key cities including Riaa, Vilnus, Harkov, and Baranovichi, while the new Soviet governments in Lithuania and Belarus formed a Soviet Socialist Republic, with Antonov Faena leading the Ukrainian front.
  • Admiral Alexander Kolchak became the supreme ruler in Siberia, commanding a force of 112,000 men, and launched an offensive on March 6, 1919, recapturing 200,000 square kilometers and a population of 5 million by the end of April.
  • By late 1919, Japanese troops in the Far East numbered around 880,000, ruling with terror and contributing to the disorganization of white support, while guerrilla warfare became a significant strategy for the Reds, leading to the eventual collapse of Kolchak's authority and his execution on February 7, 1920, marking the end of threats to the Soviet regime east of the Ural Mountains.
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