Russian Civil War

From Metapedia

The Russian Civil War (1917-1922/3) was a multi-sided international conflict that took place in Russia following the collapse of the Russian provisional government and the Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd (St. Petersburg). The conflict rapidly intensified after the dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly by the Bolsheviks in January 1918, and the Bolsheviks signing the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918.

The main hostilities took place between Bolshevik Red Army, and loosely-allied anti-Bolshevik forces, known as the White Army. Many foreign armies also participated, and additionally many foreigners volunteered to fight on one or other of the sides. The largest foreign intervention was Japan's, which involved 70,000 men, nominally in support of the Whites but to a large extent pursuing Japanese expansionist goals in the Russian Far East in operations which were detrimental to both sides. Other forces included various nationalist and regional movements such as the Ukrainian nationalist Green Army, other political movements such as the Ukrainian anarchist Black Army, and independent warlords such as Ungern von Sternberg. These forces sometimes fought against both Reds and Whites, sometimes sided with one of the two, and sometimes switched sides. Additionally the warring sides spilled over Russia's borders into Persia and Mongolia.

In Soviet historiography the end of the Civil War is dated to October 25, 1922 when the Red Army occupied Vladivostok, previously held by the Provisional Priamur Government. The last enclave of the White Forces was the Ayano-Maysky District on the Pacific coast, where General Anatoly Pepelyayev did not capitulate until June 17, 1923.