Where did the White army came about?

Question by Tim: Where did the White army came about during the Russian civil war?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Canute
Please rephrase the question so that it is capable of comprehension.

Answer by thomas l
the white army was led by Trotsky and were mensheviks

Answer by Gromm
There was more than one “White Army” in the Russian Civil War. White Armies were formed to oppose the Bolsheviks in different regions of Russia, and at different times.

There was little or no coordination between the various White Armies. The main reason for this was that they were separated from one another by hundreds or even thousands of miles. But it was also due to rivalry and political differences between their leaders.

The soldiers who fought for the various White Armies were a mixture of all those Russians who were opposed to the Bolsheviks. These included: –
•Loyal soldiers (including many Cossacks) from the old Imperial Army.
•Members of the “Cadets” political party.
•Members of the “Menshevik” political faction.
•Members of the “Socialist Revolutionaries” political group.
•Devout members of the Russian Orthodox Church.
•Landowners and Factory owners whose property was threatened.
•Royalists intent on restoring the monarchy.

Leaders of the White Armies included: –
•Alexander Kerensky, the most prominent politician in the Provisional Government after the February (1917) Revolution. Defeated by Bolshevik forces near Petrograd in late 1917, Kerensky escaped to England. Later lived in France and the USA. Died in 1970.
•General Lavr Kornilov, supreme commander of the Russian Army under the 1917 Provisional Government. Killed in action during the siege of Ekaterinodar in April, 1918.
•General Anton Denikin, became commander of the White forces in South-East Russia following the death of Kornilov. Successful for a time in the Kuban, but then forced back into the Crimea. Fled into exile in April, 1920. Died in France, 1947.
•General Peter Wrangel, initially subordinate to Denikin, but conspired against him and was dismissed. Recalled to defend the Crimea when Denikin went into exile. Held out for 6 months against impossible odds, but finally forced out in November, 1920. Died in exile, 1928.
•General Nikolai Yudenich, raised an anti-Bolshevik army in Finland in 1918, and advanced to within 50 Km of Petrograd, but was forced back by hordes of Bolsheviks. Fled to France, where he died in 1933.
•Admiral Alexander Kolchak, raised an anti-Bolshevik army in Omsk and was successful until mid/late 1919, but then was defeated and fled. Captured by Czechs, who handed him over to the Bolsheviks. Executed February, 1920.

Bonus! Note about “GREEN” armies.

The Russian Civil War was not simply a struggle between Reds and Whites. It was also often a three-way fight involving groups who opposed both the Reds and the Whites. These are commonly referred to as the “Green Armies”, although in fact they usually had even less central program or coordination than the various White armies.

Both White and Red armies required conscripts and supplies for their campaigns. They force-recruited and force-requisitioned these from the peasants. Rather than be pushed into starvation or forced to fight against their will, many thousands of peasants formed resistance forces to defend their villages against both Whites and Reds. There were 344 such peasant revolts in progress by mid 1919. In addition, regional separatist movements formed other Green armies, intent on resisting rule from Moscow, be it White or Red.

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