Red Victory: A History Of The Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 Review

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(More customer reviews)It is rare to find a book on any civil war that is both factual and objective. _Red Victory_ is one of the rare exceptions. It is remarkably unbiased, and tells the stories of both the "Reds" and the "Whites" without taking sides. It also succeeds in presenting the facts of the fast-moving and unconventional Russian Civil War in a format that is easy to read. It covers not only the civil war but the early years of Communist government, as well. Those who want to dig deeper into the various aspects of the conflict will find the abundant footnotes and bibliography to be of great value.
The author's greatest achievement is his excellent analysis of why the Reds ultimately prevailed. Unlike those revisionist authors who claim that the Bolsheviks' military triumph was inevitable, W. Bruce Lincoln shows how the Reds were able to make the most of their opportunities and consolidate their gains while the Whites squandered many of their considerable advantages. Neither enjoyed widespread popular support. Both sides were also guilty of atrocities, as the conditions of post-World War 1 Russia left little room between repression or anarchy. The difference is that the Communists combined repression with reform, and were able to win the reluctant support (or at least toleration) of much of the populace. The Whites, by contrast, even when initially welcomed as liberators, alienated many with their reactionary policies (which included restoring the estates of the hated landowners). Given a choice between "Red Terror" and the Old Order, most Russians opted to take their chances with the former.
My only disappointment was the lack of detailed information on the military campaigns of the war. However, this book is much better than _Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime_, by Richard Pipes, which is the only other single-volume work widely available on the topic.

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