Higher History Essay Plan
Russia Essay 6: AN EVALUATION OF THE REASONS FOR RED VICTORY IN THE RUSSIAN CIVIL
WAR
Wording: As with every Higher essay, this could be worded in a number of ways, but the question will always ask you the same thing. It will ask you to EVALUATE THE REASONS AS
TO WHY THE REDS WON. As you should now, there were a variety of factors that contributed to this. This question is essentially asking you to evaluate which reasons were more important than others.
Possible titles:
A.
How important was Lenin in the Red Army victory in the Civil War?
B.
How important was Trotsky to the Red Army victory in the Russian Civil War?
C.
Did the Reds win the Civil War or did the Whites lose it?
D.
How important was the disunity of the White Army in the Reds success in the
Russian Civil War?
A good tip for writing essays is to continually refer to the wording of the question. Don’t be put off by a tricky question (essay c); it’s still asking the same thing
“In this sense, it could be said that it was indeed the Reds that WON the
Civil War, rather than the Whites losing it. Their effective and brilliant leadership and excellent tactical awareness certainly undermined an already disunited and poorly led
White Army.” (for essay C)
PLEASE USE THE RUSSIA ESSAY 6 NOTES AND THE MARKING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE BLOG
TO HELP WITH OVERALL UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TOPIC
Holy Cross High School Faculty of Social Subjects (History)

Introduction:
Starting Period: Make sure you set the essay in context. The Bolsheviks took power in October, signalling the start of Communist rule in Russia. This was only the beginning, however and their opponents were to bring them into a brutal Civil War for the next 3 years. (summarise briefly but try to grab my attention effectively - DON’T BE BORING- THIS IS THE START AN ESSAY DISCUSSION A
PERIOD THAT WAS TO SHAPE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY)
Ending Period: It was only after a long and difficult 3 years of struggle that the Red victory, against all odds, was complete.
Argument: The leadership of the Bolshevik Party certainly played a role in this amazing victory
(summarise why).
Factors: But!!! Acknowledge that other factors also contributed. Briefly summarise the evidence you will use to answer the question; Make sure you signpost!!! Factors you might want to mention are 1)
Geography and Resources 2) The disunity of the White Armies 3) Foreign Intervention
Remember for each ‘other factor’ you will have to provide as summary as to what was actually done, rather than a list to achieve 4/4 for your introduction.
Paragraph 1: The Role of the leadership of the Bolshevik Party
I would argue that this WAS the most important factor. You should write about Lenin, Trotsky, Terror,
Propaganda. Argue the case that they contributed more than any other factor.
Paragraph 2: Luck
REMEMBER TO LINK PARAS!!! Acknowledge that Lenin and Trotsky used the resources they had very well, but that they did get lucky by having a good ‘area to defend’. You also might want to make the point that it was due to the effectiveness of their leadership in Oct 1917 that they had these areas!
Paragraph 3: Disunity of the Whites
Here you need to explain who made up the White Army, and how this helps the Reds win.
Paragraph 4: Foreign Intervention
LINK!!! The only thing keeping the Whites going was Foreign support. What happened when it stopped?
A top essay will also include awareness of historical debate. It will also continually refer to the question and summarise at the end of paragraphs.
Conclusion:
Summarise!!! Make sure you come to a BALANCED but strong conclusion (Take a side, but acknowledge other sides). I want you to let me know the real extent to which you think the reforms worked!
Remember the structure (use as a basis for your conclusion but try to develop)
1) In conclusion… (1 sentence answering the question)
2) On one hand…(summarise one side of the argument i.e it was the leadership)
3) On the other hand… (summarise the other side of the argument i.e other factors)
4) Overall…(One final sentence summing up your whole essay)
Holy Cross High School Faculty of Social Subjects (History)