Russian Civil War Books

About Russian Civil War

The Russian Civil War (1917–1922) was a brutal and complex conflict fought between the Bolshevik (Red) forces and a variety of anti-Bolshevik (White) groups, following the Russian Revolution of 1917. After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the Bolsheviks’ seizure of power in the October Revolution, Russia descended into chaos. The war involved not only ideological divisions—between communists, monarchists, liberals, and nationalists—but also ethnic tensions and foreign interventions. The Whites were a loose coalition lacking unity, while the Reds, under Lenin and Trotsky’s leadership, implemented centralized command and ruthless strategies through the Red Army and Cheka secret police. Major theaters of the war included Siberia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and the Volga region. The conflict caused widespread famine, atrocities, and mass displacement, with civilian populations suffering enormously. Foreign powers like Britain, France, the United States, and Japan intervened in support of the Whites, fearing the spread of communism. However, the Bolsheviks ultimately prevailed, consolidating power and establishing the Soviet Union in 1922. The war had far-reaching consequences: it ended the Romanov dynasty, eradicated the old social order, and entrenched a single-party communist regime that would shape global politics for decades. It also set the precedent for state terror and suppression of dissent that characterized much of Soviet history. The Russian Civil War is remembered not just for its scale and brutality, but also for the ideological fervor that drove it, marking a pivotal turning point in the 20th century.