Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War?

Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War? BRIEF OVERVIEW The Soviet Union was one of the world’s two super powers during the second half of the twentieth century. The idea that almost everyone has is that the Soviet state was founded in the year 1917, which was the year of the Bolshevik revolution; the truth is that the state has risen only after the end of the civil war in which the Bolsheviks were the ultimate victorious side. After the establishment of Lenin’s government in 1917, opposition members, especially those who had military positions under the Tsar regime, started to appear. General Alexeyev, who was the imperial chief of staff under the Tsar, started creating an anti-Bolshevik army immediately after the revolution. Soon after that, other leading tsarist military officials joined that group; those included Kornilov, Denikin, and many others. General Lavr Kornilov, who was the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army under the Tsar, created an army of volunteers that reached approximately three thousand men in 1918, and that army was the core of what later became the White Army that fought against the Reds (the Bolsheviks). Even if the White Army managed to control certain regions, for limited periods of time, such as the Ukraine, the Kuban region, Omsk, and Gatchina, and even though it succeeded in winning some battles, such as those at Simbirsk and Kazan, their ultimate fate was defeat. The Red Army prevailed and the Soviet state was finally established. WHY THE BOLSHEVIKS WON Many historians and researchers studied the Russian civil war, and the reasons for the defeat of the Whites they all agreed on were not always identical. According to Lee, the reason of victory laid in the effective handling of the war by the Bolsheviks themselves [The Bolsheviks were] outflanked to the east by Socialist Revolutionary regimes and surrounded by White military offensives. Yet this widespread opposition and apparently vulnerable position both worked in the favour of the Bolsheviks, making it possible for them to secure eventual victory. What made this certain was the effectiveness of their own diplomacy, organisation and military strategy (80) Some other researcher, however, contend that the Reds won the war not because of their exceptional and ingenious handling of the war, but because of reasons related to the mishandling of the war, and its various phases and stages, by the White army and its military chiefs. What must be stated here is that while the Red army was a unified military force under one Bolshevik (communist) leadership, the White army was composed of different groups which had different political views and, most importantly, which did not agree on what concerned the future they wanted for the new Russian state. As explained by Treadgold, the various components of the White army did not have a common efficient war strategy. The Whites had lacked coordination, and were plagued by personal rivalries among their leaders. They denounced Bolshevism, but affirmed nothing. Denikin and Kolchak were moderates, who lacked effective political or economic programs. Their slogan: ‘A united and indivisible Russia’ alienated national minorities, and played into Bolshevik hands. White generals made military blunders, but their political mistakes and disunity proved decisive. (Western New England College) The national minorities formed another factor that the Whites did not succeed in convincing. In fact, those minorities feared the Whites because of their constant call for a united Russia and felt threatened by them, and this was another positive element for the Reds. The above mentioned point of view is presented also by Phillips. He states that the main objective of the various groups that formed the White forces was to stop the victories of the Bolshevik revolution and to put an end to Lenin’s ambitions of creating a new Russian government and, ultimately, a new face for the Russian state. And even though all the fractions of the Whites agreed on that final goal, they did not agree on practically anything else. The Whites did not succeed in presenting a clear vision of what should come after the desired defeat of the Bolsheviks. The Whites were an amalgam of different groups united only by their desire to get rid of the Bolsheviks. On what was to replace the communist regime they were deeply divided. Some wanted a return to the Tsarist regime; others a democratic republic. There was little in common between the Tsarist groups and socialist groups like the Mensheviks. The aims of the national minorities were more limited and often at odds with the White leaders. The slogan ‘Russia One and Indivisible’ did little to keep the minorities fighting for the Whites. (Philips 42) Another factor that worked in the favour of the Reds was the foreign aid that the Whites were receiving. This gave the chance to the Bolsheviks to present their case against the opposition stating that they were tools in the hands of external powers that wanted to interfere in the future of Russia both politically and economically. Treadgold states that Allied intervention was of dubious value: foreign arms and supplies aided the Whites, but were insufficient to insure victory and let the Reds pose as defenders of Mother Russia. Bolshevik propaganda portrayed White generals (wrongly) as reactionary tools of Western imperialism, and (more correctly) as aiming to restore the landlords. (Western New England College) For what concerns the foreign powers, it must be noted that their abandonment of the Whites when the Reds began winning some of the battles was crucial in determining the outcome of that conflict. This was an enormous drawback for the White army that found itself alone and weak. Habeck confirms that the division of the groups that the White army was formed of was certainly an important element, but it was not the only one. The author states that the Allied forces were always offering assistance to the Whites, but they stopped it when the Whites needed it the most. When they were successful on the battlefield, the Allied powers (Britain, France, and the United States) provided critical military assistance, but as the Whites began to lose, the aid disappeared, consigning the Whites to their fate. The fluid nature of the civil war also meant that the Whites never created permanent institutions. Matters were not helped by the officers’ reluctance to involve themselves in political matters, leaving chaos and banditry to reign in much of their territory. (Habeck 1665) This abandonment of the Whites, according to Philips, was the result of the Versailles treaty of 1919. The author suggests that â€Å"the Allied leaders may have had no taste for communism but neither did they desire to carry on fighting.† It is also known that â€Å"the Whites did receive money and military equipment from the Allies although not enough to have an impact on the course of the war† (43). The pure military strategies and realities were not the only direct reason why the Bolsheviks won the war; another aspect was the method in which the Whites conducted their various issues and their personal lifestyle affairs. Corruption was one of the factors; another one was the total dependence on vodka and cocaine among the White soldiers. This even reached a more serious level when an official of the White army stated that his army was composed of members who were ignorant and incompetent (Anderson 22). The nature of the civil war was, just as any war, cruel and brutal, the White army was responsible for many crimes: â€Å"White troops were allowed to commit atrocities during the war, such as pogroms against the Jews who lived in White-occupied lands† (Habeck 1665) The last of the reasons that led the Bolsheviks to victory is purely economic; they were in control of the most important industrial and manufacturing plants in the country, while the Whites simply had far less and, as mentioned earlier, were dependent on foreign aids and on outside help to keep their campaign alive. Laver summarises the reasons by stating that the Reds had many advantages; such as the unified leadership of the communists under Lenin, the skills of Trotsky, and the control of industrial centres which were highly populated areas. The Whites, on the other hand, were divided, they lacked a common strategy, and they did not have popular support. Not to mention the ineffectiveness of the limited foreign support that they received (76-77). Works Cited Lee, Stephen J. Lenin and Revolutionary Russia. London, UK: Routledge, 2003. Treadgold, Donald W. Twentieth Century Russia. 1987. The Russian Civil War. Western New England College. 2000. 21 October 2006.  http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/russia/lectures/28civilwar.html>. Philips, Steve. Lenin and the Russian Revolution. London, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2000. Habeck, Mary R. â€Å"White Army.† Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed. James Millar. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference-Thomson/Gale, 2004. Anderson, Peter. â€Å"Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War?† History Review 43 (2002): 22 27 Laver, John. The Modernisation of Russia 1856-1985. Oxford, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2002.

Counseling Youth in Times of Crisis

Counseling Youth in Times of Crisis â€Å"Teenagers can be like elephants. If youVe spent any time around them, this thought has probably crossed your mind, but hopefully wasn't said out loud. † We sometimes think teenagers aren't able to go far in life, or be anything but a problem. Living a carefree life not worried about anything or one around them. Some adults have no idea of all the struggles teenagers have to deal with. Just like adults they deal with stress, death, peer pressure, and lots more.It is sometimes hard to see past the shield these youth have put up around them. They will test you until they trust you, ut only once they trust you will the real test come. Youth struggle with crisis Just like everyone else, and need a counselor or caregiver to help them through it. Eating Disorder â€Å"Eight million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, the most common of which is bulimia nervosa. Eighty six percent of suffers report the onset of the dis order before the age of twenty; only half report being cured.Six percent of serious cases die of the disorder. † This is very serious and should never be taken lightly. It is getting harder and harder to be a youth in our culture. They have to deal ith constant scrutiny of their peers and coaches; often comparing themselves to the airbrushed, photo shopped models in todays' magazines. They try to be perfect while knowing they never can be. Some feel extremely guilty about what they are doing but the stress and guilt only leads to them doing it more.Here are some characteristics that are hints of Anorexia Nervosa: Looks not Just lean, but abnormally thin Extreme attraction/avoidance language and behavior regarding food Obsessive weighing Baggy clothes to hide shape Now here are some characteristics that are hints of Bulimia Nervosa: Abnormally requent trips to the bathroom abnormal fixation on exercise, no matter what Cuts and calluses on knuckles and backs of hands Car or clos et smells of vomit When dealing with this in teenagers the first thing you need to do is make sure they are going to get proper treatment and counseling for their disorder.They need help and telling you was probably very hard, so don't make them get other help by themselves and also help them inform their parents. Suicide If you are going to work with youth there is a chance that you will work with someone that has attempted suicide, contemplated suicide or had a friend commit uicide. â€Å"Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-old Americans. An average ot one person dies by suicide every 16. 2 minutes. † A very good triend ot mine from high school committed suicide; although no one knows why he did it the last thing posted on his Facebook wall by a friend was the comment mfou're gay'.His friend who posted this goes to the school counselor once a week now; he blames himself for his friend's death; thinking it was Just an innocent Joke. Some of the signs that may alert a parent, teacher, youth leader, pastor or friend to a possible uicide attempt include: Previous suicide attempts Threats of suicide Talking about death Preparation of death (cleaning out locker, giving away possessions, etc. ) Depression Sudden change in behavior (acting out, violent behavior etc. Moodiness Withdrawal Somatic complaints (sleeplessness, sleeping all the time) Fatigue Increased risk-taking Drafting a suicide note We need to watch for these signs when dealing with youth and remember it is better to be safe in checking on a youth's life, than sorry if they take their life. If you ask a teenager about an issue like this, I think, they are more likely to be thankful than to hink you upset. And if they are upset about you asking those questions about their feelings and life the chances are they are trying to hide something from you or their parents.When someone comes to us about suicide it is vital that we listen to them and not throw the bible in their fa ce. â€Å"Be nonjudgmental. Statements such as mfou can't be thinking of suicide, it is against the teaching of your church† or â€Å"l had a similar problem when I was your age and I didn't consider suicide† are totally inappropriate during a crisis situation. † We as caregivers should never make the are receiver feel unworthy of your time or lower their self-esteem. There are a few different reasons that youth attempt suicide: for attention, depression, loss, manipulation, and lots more.In saying that my sister has attempted suicide three times; she has done it for attention and she has also threatened suicide for the purpose of manipulation. But we should always remember that while the person attempting suicide may be your first concern the family and friends are suffering Just as much if not more. One of the times she was threating to commit suicide she grabbed a kitchen knife and tried to run to her room. Her boyfriend saw her grab it and was attempting to t ake it from her when my then 9 year old brother walked into the house.He could not see the knife and didn't know what was going on; he only knew that his sister looked like she was being beaten up by her boyfriend. Naturally the first thing he did was try to get her boyfriend off of her. This led to the boyfriend yelling at my brother, â€Å"Go away! She is trying to kill herself. † When my brother heard this he ran to his room in tears. It was his snapping point after losing two of his grandparents and his Dad moving away. Now he is taking three medications and ees a counselor once a week. He has been diagnosed with depression, bipolar, and schizophrenic tendencies.He has never tried to attempt suicide but we a constantly watching for signs and praying for his health. I believe that he will never attempt suicide because we saw the signs as soon as they started to appear. But I believe that way too many times the siblings ot the suicide attempter are overlooked and not given the help that they may need. Always remember that suicide affects everyone around that person. Death I have never met someone who hasn't dealt with death in some way; whether that s a friend, a parent, a grandparent, a significant other, a sibling, or they themselves are dying.The five stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. These steps may come in order, they may Jump around, or experience more than one at a time. There is no correct way to grieve it is a process that is different for everyone involved. Some youth may begin to act out when dealing with grief because; they don't know what else to do. For some students this may be their first experience with death. When dealing with death we must explain to the youth ho is dealing with it that grief is a process. â€Å"Listen.When a teenager is grieving, this isn't the time to view the conversation as a teachable moment. You don't need to correct his perceptions or theology, nor do you need to giv e advice. You need to quietly and attentively listen to him. † When a teenager losses a parent or parents, make sure they don't Just Jump into their new adult responsibilities before they are ready. Help them to realize the changes that have to be made in their daily life with the death of this person. Let them see what has to be changed and what kind of help they need to do that.Always make sure to be available to youth after a death. Be the one to text or call them they won't always take the initiative to ask for help. Some common mistakes youth workers make when helping a teenager deal with grief are: Being overbearing, looking for teachable moments, hiding their own grief, etc. We want to help but we need to still be aware that the youth has a whole lot to deal with and needs some space to process everything. One of the worse things you can do is try to teach a grieving youth theology; they have enough to worry about and don't need to have your opinions shoved at them too.

Advertising Ethics 4 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 591 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/09/22 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Influence Essay Did you like this example? Ethics and Advertising Sisley Fashion Junkie This Sisley ad is not just unethical but also denigrating for the fashion industry. It represents two models consuming a product from a shirt that appears to be cocaine. The the slogan â€Å"Fashion Junkie† is establishing a correlation between drugs and fashion. The company is promoting the product in an inappropriate and immoral way. Drug abuse is an issue attacking todays’ society, thousands of adolescents dye every year as a result of the ingestion of illegal substances like cocaine, crack and heroin. Governments enforce strict laws prohibiting the production, exportation and importation of such goods but it is a tough fight due to the considerable amounts of money this market generates. Drug addiction is a disorder that drastically changes somebody’s lifestyle, social life and overall health. Addicts feel an uncontrollable desire to consume drugs or alcohol, they self destruct and in the majority of the cases do not want help. Families, together with hospitals, church facilities and government organizations are fighting this terrible decease that is attacking our society on its weakest point; youth. Advertisements influence millions of lives every second around the world, this ad is a classic example that some companies would do anything to stand out on the market even promote an illegal and harming product like cocaine. The fashion industry is a center point, it crates prototypes. Girls and boys want to be like the beautiful models they see on the screen. If their role model is promoting drugs as if it was something as fashionable as clothe, this message will translate into a big issue in the future. In the other hand fashion companies have developed the idea of a beautiful woman being extremely skinny and tall. This stereotype is clearly illustrated in Sisley’s ad where the models are extremely skinny so, that they even look sick. The girls and boys looking at these apparently perfect people illustrating what they should look like start feeling ugly, unaccepted and insignificant. Humans are extremely sensitive to visual incentives and unconsciously create a profile of how the world should be based on magazines, TV, movies, etc. the Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders that are closely related to personality issues and have been blamed on advertisement and media sources many times, must of them represent perfect-looking people rather than reality where not everybody is physically attractive. There is also the interpretation that in the commercial the girls are not sniffing cocaine, they are actually sniffing the shirt. The message is that their clothe makes you feel as good as if you were high and it is addictive. In my opinion the advertisement is in fact relating drugs and fashion. Cocaine is considered the â€Å"rich kids† drug, the company is establishing a relationship between the people that have the money to do cocaine and those that can afford its brand. Sisley has been widely criticized for the lack of morality and social responsibility of this advertisement. The company felt so embarrassed that on July, 2007 United Colors of Benetton released the following statement to the press regarding it’s Sisley brand â€Å"In the recent days, images which are told to be part of the new Sisley advertising campaign have been published in internet. One of these images shows some girls sniffing a vest. The allusion to drugs and alcohol is more than clear. We would like to clearly state that the Sisley brand (and the Benetton company) has nothing to do with these images and therefore we refuse to be linked with them. † Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Advertising Ethics 4" essay for you Create order