Red and White Armies: Key Figures and Policies

Study Notes

Red and White Armies

Red Army: Organized by Leon Trotsky, it overcame both internal and external opposition to secure Bolshevik power.
White Army: Opposed the Red Army but struggled with organization and lacked sufficient Allied support, which allowed the Bolsheviks to enforce authoritarian measures.

Key Revolutionary Figures

Leon Trotsky: Joined Lenin in 1917, became the Red Army's leader, and played crucial roles in early Bolshevik governance. Exiled in 1929 after power struggles and later assassinated in Mexico in 1940.
Vladimir Lenin: Founder of the Soviet Union; suffered strokes in 1922 and warned against Stalin's potential tyranny in his testament. Died on January 21, 1924, creating a power vacuum leading to Stalin's rise.
Josef Stalin: General Secretary of the Communist Party, rose to power through control of party organizations. Introduced collectivization of agriculture after solidifying his authority.

Government and Policies

Cheka: Lenin's secret police set up on December 20, 1917, pivotal in maintaining Bolshevik control.
War Communism: Implemented forced grain requisitions leading to economic hardships and peasant rebellions between 1918 and 1921.
New Economic Policy (NEP): Introduced by Lenin in March 1921, it allowed limited capitalism to revive the struggling economy post-Civil War.

Ideological Movements

Comintern: Formed in 1919, aimed at promoting Bolshevism globally; imposed conditions on socialist parties seeking membership.
Soviet Party: Maintained power from 1917 to 1991, originating from the Bolshevik revolution.

Alexandra Kollanti: Utopian writer advocating feminist ideas in "Communism and the Family", emphasizing liberation through shared domestic duties.
Familial Legislation: Initiatives aimed at reshaping family structures and gender roles in Soviet society.

Fascism and Mussolini

Benito Mussolini: Nationalist leader who founded the Fascio di Combattimento in 1919, combining nationalism with socialist elements. Became Italy's dictator.
Fascism: Totalitarian ideology promoting hyper-nationalism, often anti-democratic and anti-communist, emerging as a response to economic and social unrest.
Fasci di Combattimento: Formed by war veterans feeling marginalized post-WWI, influencing Italy’s political landscape.

Political Developments

Black Shirt March: The October 1922 march by fascists to Rome led to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister when the monarchy hesitated to intervene.
Raymond Poincare: French nationalist Prime Minister responsible for occupying the Ruhr to enforce reparations payments from Germany.

Labor and National Movements

Labour Party (British): Established as a breakthrough in British politics with Ramsay Macdonald leading the first Labour ministry.
General Strike of 1926: Triggered by a miners' strike, it escalated into a nationwide conflict but ended in surrender by unions.

Irish Nationalism

Sinn Fein: Extremist nationalist party claiming sovereignty and forming an Irish Parliament, bypassing Westminster.
IRA: Military arm of Sinn Fein, instrumental in the fight for Irish independence.

Yugoslav Tensions

Serbs and Croats: Ethnic tensions within Yugoslavia shaped by religious and regional differences.

Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany

Weimar Republic: Established in Germany post-WWI, struggling with economic instability and political extremism.
Adolf Hitler: Leader of the Nazi Party, gaining power through populism and extremist ideologies blamed Jewish and socialist forces for Germany's woes.
Mein Kampf: Hitler's autobiography outlining his political ideas, published in 1924.

Economic Recovery Efforts

Gustav Stresemann: Chancellor who stabilized the Weimar Republic post-inflation, introduced currency reforms to restore confidence.
Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg: Elected president, symbolized conservative support for the republic while governing constitutionally.

Major Historical Contexts

Locarno Treaties: Agreements intended to normalize relations between European countries and secure peace post-WWI traumas.

Description

Explore the dynamics between the Red and White Armies during the Russian Civil War, focusing on key figures like Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, and Josef Stalin. Understand their roles, policies, and the impact these had on the formation of the Soviet Union. Analyze how internal struggles shaped the future of Communist governance.

Red and White Armies: Key Figures and Policies

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Questions and Answers

Who fought under the organizational direction of Leon Trotsky?

Which army fought against the Red Army?

Who was the 'Father' of the Red Army?

What serious health issue did Vladimir Lenin suffer in 1922?

Who was the General Secretary of the Soviet party in 1922?

What was the Cheka?

What economic program brought disaster and social upheaval in the Soviet Union?

What does NEP stand for?

Who was known as the extreme nationalist writer that seized Fiume?

What was the significance of the Black Shirt March in 1922?

What was David Lloyd George's role after the war?

What was the outcome of the General Strike of 1926?

What does the acronym IRA stand for?

What was the Weimar Republic?

What is 'Mein Kampf'?

Who was Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg?