In January 1918, after significant Bolshevik reverses in combat, the future Russian People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs Leon Trotsky headed the reorganization of the Red Guards into a …

Sep 22, 2025 · The Red Army, commanded by Leon Trotsky, grew in strength as the conflict progressed, numbering around 500,000 soldiers in 1918, 3 million in 1919, and 5 million (including …

Dec 31, 2025 · Russian Civil War (1918–20), conflict in which the Red Army successfully defended the newly formed Bolshevik government led by Vladimir Lenin against various Russian and …

While resistance to the Red Guard began on the day after the Bolshevik uprising, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and the political ban became a catalyst for the formation of anti-Bolshevik groups both inside …

Feb 8, 2021 · Like most socialists, the Bolsheviks generally despised militarism and regarded the standing army as the chief instrument of state oppression of the working class.

During this time, the Bolsheviks faced massive opposition to their rule in the form of the White Armies, led by former officers of the Tsarist state, and also from intervention by the forces of...

Apr 1, 2025 · First, there was the internal threat of a Russian civil war where the Bolshevik forces (called the Reds) were confronted by many separate anti-Bolshevik forces (called the Whites and the Greens).

5 days ago · Summary: The Russian Civil War was a complex and brutal struggle for the future of the former Russian Empire following the October Revolution of 1917. The conflict was primarily between …

It had many problems and flaws, but its creation was a prerequisite to the Bolshevik victory in the Civil War. This had repercussions for the Soviet state, the Communist Party and the army itself. The …

Mar 17, 2025 · Explore the clash between the Red and White factions during the Russian Revolution and Civil War, a pivotal struggle shaping Russia's future.