How long is the civil war. "White" and "Red" movement in the Civil War

After the demise of the Soviet Union, the spirit of the Civil War is in the air. Dozens of local conflicts have brought countries to the brink of war: in Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Ukraine. All these regional clashes require contemporary politicians of all states to learn from past mistakes in the bloody Civil War of 1917-1922. and prevent their repetition in the future.

Learning facts about the Russian Civil War, it is worth noting the moment that it is possible to judge it only unilaterally: the coverage of events in the 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 long time interval between the October Revolution and the Civil War, so that it would be impossible to determine their interdependence, and to lay responsibility for the war on intervention from outside.

Causes of the bloody events of the Civil War

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

Members of the Civil War

As noted above, G civil war is an armed 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
Red	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 worker-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.
Green	This group included bandit formations of anarchists, criminals, unprincipled lumpen, who traded in robbery and fought in certain territories against everyone.
Peasants	Peasants who want to protect themselves from the surplus appropriation.

Stages of the Russian Civil War 1917-1922 (briefly)

Most of today's Russian historians believe that the initial stage of the local conflict is the clashes in Petrograd that took place during the October armed uprising, and the final stage is 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. A preparatory period from February to November 1917, when the first dismemberment of society into different groups took place, they are singled out separately.

In the years 1920-1980, there were discussions that did not cause much controversy about 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. Another part of the authors is 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 the participants and the conditions of the foreign policy situation.

It is useful to know: who are they, their role in the history of the USSR.

First stage (October 1917 - November 1918)

During this period, the creation 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, in Denikin's words, to restore health to "the country's weak, poisoned organism."

Civil war at this stage gained momentum against the backdrop of the ongoing world war, which led to the active participation of the military formations of the Quadruple Union and the Entente in the struggle within Russia of political and armed groups. The initial hostilities can be described as local clashes that did not lead to real success for either side, eventually developing into a large-scale war. According to the former head of the foreign policy department of the Provisional Government, Milyukov, this stage was a general struggle of forces opposing both the Bolsheviks and the revolutionaries.

Second stage (November 1918 - April 1920)

Characterized by 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, first brought victories 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 the Bolshevik government.

In April 1920, Poland launched a military campaign against Russia. In May, the Poles were 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 no longer able to conduct military operations, therefore, 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 took over the Crimean peninsula. With the taking Crimea in the European part of Russia the last white front has been eliminated. The military question ceased to occupy a dominant place in the affairs of Moscow, but the battle on the outskirts of the country lasted for some more time.

In the spring of 1920, the Red Army reached the Trans-Baikal District. Then the Far East was under the control of Japan. 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 FER army began hostilities against the whites, who were supported by the Japanese. In October 1922, Vladivostok was occupied by the Reds., completely cleared of the White Guards and the interventionists of the Far East, which is displayed on the map.

The reasons for the success of the Reds in the war

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

Results and consequences of the Civil War

Its useful to note, that a victorious outcome for the Soviet government 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 remains one of the most important events in Russian history. The events of those times left an unforgettable imprint in the memory of people. The consequences of that war can be traced in various spheres of life and modern society, from political to cultural.

works, covering the events of the Civil War, have found their reflection not only in historical literature, scientific articles and documentary publications, but also in feature cinema, theatrical and musical creativity. It is worth mentioning that there are more than 20 thousand books and scientific papers on 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 in Russian history. There are supporters of both the White movement and the Bolshevik movement, but often the history of that time is presented in such a way that people are imbued with sympathy even for bandit groups that bring only destruction.

After the October Revolution, a struggle for power began in the country, and against the background of this struggle, Civil War. Thus, October 25, 1917 can be considered the date of the beginning of the civil war, which continued until October 1922. differ significantly from each other.

Civil War- the first stage (Stages of the civil war ) .

The first stage of the civil war began with the armed seizure of power by the Bolsheviks on October 25, 1917 and continued until March 1918. This period can be safely called moderate, since no active hostilities were observed at this stage. The reasons for this lie in the fact that the "white" movement at this stage was only being formed, and the political opponents of the Bolsheviks, the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, preferred to seize power by political means. After the Bolsheviks announced the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries realized that they would not be able to seize power peacefully, and began to prepare for an armed takeover.

Civil War- the second stage (Stages of the civil war ) .

The second stage of the war is characterized by active hostilities, both on the part of the Mensheviks and on the part of the "whites". Until the end of the autumn of 1918, a rumble of distrust of the new government swept through the country, the reason for which was given by the Bolsheviks themselves. At this time, a food dictatorship was declared and the class struggle began in the villages. Wealthy peasants, as well as the middle stratum, actively opposed the Bolsheviks.

From December 1918 to June 1919, bloody battles took place in the country between the red and white armies. From July 1919 until September 1920, the White Army was defeated in the war against the Reds. At the same time, the Soviet government at the 8th Congress of Soviets declares the urgent need to focus on the needs of the middle class of peasants. This forced many wealthy peasants to reconsider their positions and once again support the Bolsheviks. However, after the introduction of the policy of war communism, the attitude of wealthy peasants towards the Bolsheviks again noticeably deteriorated. This led to mass peasant uprisings that took place in the country until the end of 1922. The policy of war communism introduced by the Bolsheviks once again strengthened the positions of the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries in the country. As a result, the Soviet government was forced to significantly soften its policy.

The civil war ended with the victory of the Bolsheviks, who were able to assert their power, even though the country was subjected to foreign intervention by Western countries. Russia's foreign intervention began as early as December 1917, when Romania, taking advantage of Russia's weakness, occupied the region of Bessarabia.

Russian foreign intervention actively continued after the end of the First World War. The Entente countries, under the pretext of fulfilling allied obligations to Russia, occupied the Far East, part of the Caucasus, the territory of Ukraine and Belarus. At the same time, foreign armies behaved like real invaders. However, after the first major victories of the Red Army, the majority of the invaders left the country. Already in 1920, Russia's foreign intervention by England and America was completed. Behind them, the troops of other countries also left the country. Only the Japanese army continued its presence in the Far East until October 1922.

Where did the terms "red" and "white" come from? The Civil War also knew the "greens", "cadets", "SRs" and other formations. What is their fundamental difference?

In this article, we will answer not only these questions, but also get acquainted briefly with the history of 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 less and less concerned with young people. According to polls, many do not even have an idea, what can we say about the Patriotic War of 1812...

However, such words and phrases as "red" and "white", "Civil War" and "October Revolution" are still well known. Most, 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 just an ideological move by Soviet propagandists and nothing more. Now you will understand this riddle yourself.

If we turn to the textbooks and reference books of the Soviet Union, it explains that the “whites” are the White Guards, supporters of the tsar and enemies of the “reds”, the Bolsheviks.

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

After all, the country has lived for seventy years in opposition to 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. The "Whites", according to the 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 honor did not suffer from this. Nicholas II abdicated the throne, but his brother did not accept the crown. Thus, all the royal officers were free from the oath.

Where, then, did this “color” difference come from? If the Bolsheviks did have 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 wore a white banner, a sign of the dynasty of the French rulers. Their opponents, after the seizure of power, hung a red canvas in the window of the city hall as a sign of the introduction of wartime. On such days, any gathering of people was dispersed by soldiers.

The Bolsheviks were opposed not by monarchists, but by supporters of the convocation of the Constituent Assembly (Constitutional Democrats, Cadets), anarchists (Makhnovists), "Green Army" (fought against the "Reds", "Whites", interventionists) and those who wanted to separate their territory into a free state .

Thus, the term "whites" has been cleverly used by ideologues to define a common enemy. His winning position turned out to be 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.

Background of the war

When the Civil War is studied in the classroom, the table is simply necessary for a good assimilation of the material. Below are the stages of this military conflict, which will help you better navigate not only in the article, but also in this period of 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 proceed to a deeper study of them. Let's start with the prerequisites.

So, the main reason for such a heat of passion, which subsequently resulted in a five-year Civil War, was the accumulated contradictions and problems.

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

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

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

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

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

The former begin to deal with the social and political spheres of the crisis, while the Bolsheviks concentrated on increasing their influence in the army. This path led them subsequently to the opportunity to become the only ruling force in the country.
It was the confusion in the administration of the state that led to the formation of "red" and "white". 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 more confidently went 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 to help him with troops. Kerensky seems to be getting support from the Cossacks, but suddenly the Cadets leave the regular army. Now the Constitutional Democrats refuse to support the head of government.

Not finding proper support in Pskov, Alexander Fedorovich travels 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 a key one. But in fact, it happened without resistance from the deputies.

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

In view of the coup, Krasnov decides to help Alexander Kerensky. On October 26, a cavalry detachment of seven hundred people leaves in the direction of Petrograd. It was assumed that in the city itself they would be supported by the uprising of the Junkers. 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 bargained with the Bolsheviks for the opportunity to return to Ostrov with the detachment without hindrance.

Meanwhile, the Socialist-Revolutionaries begin a radical struggle against the Bolsheviks, who, in their opinion, have gained more power. The answer to the murders of some "red" leaders was the terror of the Bolsheviks, and the Civil War began (1917-1922). We now consider further developments.

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 tight control of the Headquarters, then completely different moods reigned in the eastern detachments.

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

An unexpected surprise for the Bolsheviks in the form of tremendous support from the confused and tired soldiers was announced by the "Reds" as "the triumphal march of the Soviets."

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

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

The entry of the Entente troops in Siberia was reinforced by a revolt of the Kuban Cossacks led by 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 more years.

Second period of the Civil War

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

The difficulty of this period lies in the fact that as soon as the First World War was completed, the German troops had to leave the territory of Russia 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 such a turn of events that the Civil War enters a phase of particular cruelty and bloodshed. The failure of the commanders, who were guided by Western governments, was aggravated by the fact that they were sorely lacking in qualified officers. So, the armies of Miller, Yudenich and some other formations disintegrated only because, with a lack of middle-level commanders, the main influx of forces came from captured Red Army soldiers.

Newspaper reports of this period are characterized by headlines of this type: "Two thousand servicemen with three guns went over to the side of the Red Army."

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

The victory over this enemy was to rouse the workers in Europe to the struggle. But all the plans of the Red Army leaders failed after a devastating defeat in the battle, which has been 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, the financing of the "white" movement decreased, and the Civil War in Russia began to decline.

In the early 1920s, similar changes in the foreign policy of Western states led to the fact that the Soviet Union was recognized 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, the only rival of which was the United States.

Reasons for victory

Let's see 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 they received 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 the occupied territories with a million people, they could not even carry out a minimal mobilization to replenish the ranks.

Of particular interest are the statistics provided by the Civil War. The "Reds", "Whites" (table below) suffered particularly from desertion. Unbearable living conditions, as well as the lack of clear goals, made themselves felt. The data relates only to the Bolshevik forces, since the White Guard records did not save intelligible figures.

The main point noted by modern historians was the conflict.

The White Guards, firstly, did not have a 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 moments were often assigned to officers who only knew how to fight, but not to conduct diplomatic negotiations.

The Red Army soldiers created a powerful ideological network. A clear system of concepts was developed, which were hammered 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 get the maximum support of the population.

Effects

The victory of the "Reds" in the Civil War was given to the state very dearly. The economy was completely destroyed. The country has lost territories with a population of more than 135 million people.

Agriculture and productivity, food production have decreased by 40-50 percent. Prodrazverstka and "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 sunk to the level of the Russian Empire during the reign of Peter the Great. According to the researchers, production figures have fallen to 20 percent of the volume in 1913, and in some areas up to 4 percent.

As a result, a mass exodus of workers from cities to villages began. Since there was at least some hope not to die of hunger.

The "whites" in the Civil War reflected the desire of the nobility and higher ranks to return to their former living conditions. But their isolation from the real moods that prevailed among the common people led to the total defeat of the old order.

Reflection in culture

The leaders of the Civil War have been 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 atmosphere of wartime.

The films "Chapaev", "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.

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

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

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

Civil War - armed confrontation between different groups of the population, as well as the war of different national, social and political forces for the right to dominate the country.

The main causes of the Civil War in Russia

A nationwide crisis in the state, which sowed irreconcilable contradictions between the main social strata of society;
Getting rid of the Provisional Government, as well as the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly by the Bolsheviks;
A special character in the anti-religious and socio-economic policy of the Bolsheviks, which consisted in inciting hostility between population groups;
An attempt by the bourgeoisie and the nobility to recapture their lost position;
Refusal to cooperate with the Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and anarchists with the Soviet government;
Signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in 1918;
Loss of the value of human life during the war.

Key dates and events of the Civil War

First stage lasted from October 1917 to the spring of 1918. During this period, armed clashes had a local character. The Central Rada of Ukraine opposed the new government. Turkey launched an attack on Transcaucasia in February and was able to capture part of it. The Volunteer Army was created on the Don. During this period, the victory of the armed uprising in Petrograd, as well as the liberation from the Provisional Government, took place.

Second phase lasted from the spring to the winter of 1918. Anti-Bolshevik centers were formed.

Important dates:

March, April - the capture by Germany of Ukraine, the Baltic states and the Crimea. At this time, the Entente countries are thinking of setting foot with an army on the territory of Russia. England sends troops to Murmansk, and Japan - in Vladivostok.

May June - the battle takes on nationwide proportions. In Kazan, the Czechoslovaks took possession of the gold reserves of Russia (about 30,000 pounds of gold and silver, at that time their value was 650 million rubles). A number of Social Revolutionary governments were created: the Provisional Siberian Government in Tomsk, the Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly in Samara, and the Ural Regional Government in Yekaterinburg.

August - the creation of an army of about 30,000 people due to the uprising of workers at the Izhevsk and Botkin factories. Then they were forced to retreat with their relatives to Kolchak's army.

September - was created in Ufa "all-Russian government" - the Ufa directory.

November - Admiral A. V. Kolchak dissolved the Ufa directory and presented himself as the "supreme ruler of Russia."

Third stage lasted from January to December 1919. There were large-scale operations on different fronts. By the beginning of 1919, 3 main centers of the White movement were formed in the state:

Army of Admiral A. V. Kolchak (Urals, Siberia);
Troops of the South of Russia, General A. I. Denikin (Don region, North Caucasus);
Armed Forces of General N. N. Yudenich (Baltic).

Important dates:

March, April - Kolchak's army attacked Kazan and Moscow, attracting many resources by the Bolsheviks.

April-December - The Red Army makes counteroffensives at the head (S. S. Kamenev, M. V. Frunze, M. N. Tukhachevsky). The armed forces of Kolchak are forced to retreat beyond the Urals, and then they are completely destroyed by the end of 1919.

May June - General N. N. Yudenich makes the first attack on Petrograd. Barely fought back. General offensive of Denikin's army. Part of Ukraine, Donbass, Tsaritsyn and Belgorod were captured.

September October - Denikin makes an attack on Moscow and advances to Orel. The second offensive of the armed forces of General Yudenich on Petrograd. The Red Army (A.I. Egorov, SM. Budyonny) is making a counteroffensive against Denikin's army, and A.I. Kork against Yudenich's forces.

November - Yudenich's detachment was driven back to Estonia.

Results: towards the end of 1919 there was a clear preponderance of forces in favor of the Bolsheviks.

Fourth stage lasted from January to November 1920. During this period, the White movement was completely defeated in the European part of Russia.

Important dates:

April-October - Soviet-Polish war. Polish troops invaded Ukraine and captured Kyiv in May. The Red Army makes a counteroffensive.

October - Treaty of Riga signed with Poland. Under the terms of the treaty, Poland took Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. However, Soviet Russia was able to release troops for an attack in the Crimea.

November - the war of the Red Army (M. V. Frunze) in the Crimea with the army of Wrangel. The end of the Civil War in the European part of Russia.

Fifth stage lasted from 1920 to 1922. During this period, the White movement in the Far East was completely destroyed. In October 1922, Vladivostok was liberated from Japanese forces.

Reasons for the victory of the Reds in the Civil War:

Broad support from various populace.
Weakened by the First World War, the Entente states were unable to coordinate their actions and make a successful offensive on the territory of the former Russian Empire.
It was possible to win over the peasantry by the obligation to return the seized lands to the landowners.
Weighted ideological support for military companies.
The Reds were able to mobilize all resources through the policy of "war communism", the Whites were unable to do this.
More military specialists who have strengthened and made the army stronger.

The results of the civil war

The country was actually destroyed, a deep economic crisis, the loss of efficiency of many industrial production, the fall of agricultural work.
Estonia, Poland, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Western, Bessarabia, Ukraine and a small part of Armenia were no longer part of Russia.
Loss of population of about 25 million people (famine, war, epidemics).
The absolute formation of the Bolshevik dictatorship, strict methods of governing the country.

Every Russian knows that in the Civil War of 1917-1922, two movements opposed - "red" and "white". But among historians there is still no consensus on how it began. Someone believes that the reason was Krasnov's March on the Russian capital (October 25); others believe that the war began when, in the near future, the commander of the Volunteer Army, Alekseev, arrived on the Don (November 2); there is also an opinion that the war began with the fact that Milyukov proclaimed the “Declaration of the Volunteer Army, delivering a speech at the ceremony, called the Don (December 27). Another popular opinion, which is far from unfounded, is the opinion that the Civil War began immediately after the February Revolution, when the whole society split into supporters and opponents of the Romanov monarchy.

"White" movement in Russia

Everyone knows that "whites" are adherents of the monarchy and the old order. Its beginnings were visible as early as February 1917, when the monarchy was overthrown in Russia and a total restructuring of society began. The development of the "white" movement was during the period when the Bolsheviks came to power, the formation of Soviet power. They represented a circle of dissatisfied with the Soviet government, disagreeing with its policy and principles of its conduct.
The "whites" were fans of the old monarchical system, refused to accept the new socialist order, adhered to the principles of traditional society. It is important to note that the "whites" were very often radicals, they did not believe that it was possible to agree on something with the "reds", on the contrary, they had the opinion that no negotiations and concessions were allowed.
The "Whites" chose the tricolor of the Romanovs as their banner. Admiral Denikin and Kolchak commanded the white movement, one in the South, the other in the harsh regions of Siberia.
The historical event that became the impetus for the activation of the "whites" and the transition to their side of most of the former army of the Romanov empire is the rebellion of General Kornilov, which, although it was suppressed, helped the "whites" strengthen their ranks, especially in the southern regions, where, under the command of the general Alekseev began to gather huge resources and a powerful disciplined army. Every day the army was replenished due to newcomers, it grew rapidly, developed, tempered, trained.
Separately, it must be said about the commanders of the White Guards (this was the name of the army created by the "white" movement). They were unusually talented commanders, prudent politicians, strategists, tacticians, subtle psychologists, and skillful speakers. The most famous were Lavr Kornilov, Anton Denikin, Alexander Kolchak, Pyotr Krasnov, Pyotr Wrangel, Nikolai Yudenich, Mikhail Alekseev. You can talk about each of them for a long time, their talent and merits for the "white" movement can hardly be overestimated.
In the war, the White Guards won for a long time, and even brought their troops to Moscow. But the Bolshevik army was growing stronger, besides, they were supported by a significant part of the population of Russia, especially the poorest and most numerous sections - workers and peasants. In the end, the forces of the White Guards were smashed to smithereens. For some time they continued to operate abroad, but without success, the "white" movement ceased.

"Red" movement

Like the "whites", in the ranks of the "reds" there were many talented commanders and politicians. Among them, it is important to note the most famous, namely: Leon Trotsky, Brusilov, Novitsky, Frunze. These commanders showed themselves excellently in battles against the White Guards. Trotsky was the main founder of the Red Army, which was the decisive force in the confrontation between the "whites" and the "reds" in the Civil War. The ideological leader of the "red" movement was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, known to every person. Lenin and his government were actively supported by the most massive sections of the population of the Russian State, namely, the proletariat, the poor, landless and landless peasants, and the working intelligentsia. It was these classes who quickly believed the tempting promises of the Bolsheviks, supported them and brought the "Reds" to power.
The main party in the country was the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party of the Bolsheviks, which was later turned into a communist party. In fact, it was an association of intelligentsia, adherents of the socialist revolution, whose social base was the working classes.
It was not easy for the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War - they had not yet completely strengthened their power throughout the country, the forces of their fans were dispersed throughout the vast country, plus the national outskirts began a national liberation struggle. A lot of strength went into the war with the Ukrainian People's Republic, so the Red Army during the Civil War had to fight on several fronts.
Attacks of the White Guards could come from any side of the horizon, because the White Guards surrounded the Red Army soldiers from all sides with four separate military formations. And despite all the difficulties, it was the “Reds” who won the war, mainly due to the broad social base of the Communist Party.
All representatives of the national outskirts united against the White Guards, and therefore they also became forced allies of the Red Army in the Civil War. To win over the inhabitants of the national outskirts, the Bolsheviks used loud slogans, such as the idea of "one and indivisible Russia."
The Bolsheviks won the war with the support of the masses. The Soviet government played on the sense of duty and patriotism of Russian citizens. The White Guards themselves also added fuel to the fire, since their invasions were most often accompanied by mass robbery, looting, violence in its other manifestations, which could not in any way encourage people to support the "white" movement.

Results of the Civil War

As has been said several times, the victory in this fratricidal war went to the "Reds". The fratricidal civil war became a real tragedy for the Russian people. The material damage caused to the country by the war, according to estimates, amounted to about 50 billion rubles - unimaginable money at that time, several times higher than the amount of Russia's external debt. Because of this, the level of industry decreased by 14%, and agriculture - by 50%. Human losses, according to various sources, ranged from 12 to 15 million. Most of these people died from starvation, repression, and disease. During the hostilities, more than 800 thousand soldiers from both sides gave their lives. Also, during the Civil War, the balance of migration dropped sharply - about 2 million Russians left the country and went abroad.