The Russian Civil War

October 1, 2007
The Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War are hardly new territory for scholars, yet Mawdsley's excellent work here is not redundant but fresh throughout. With orderliness and clarity, the scholarly and prolific Mawdsley (modern history, Glasgow Univ.; "Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 19411945") presents the minority view that the civil war began in October 1917, concurrent with rather than after the revolution. The "specter of Russian fighting Russian," seen as a possibility when Tsar Nicholas was overthrown in February 1917, became reality in Petrograd when armed soldiers and workers organized by the Bolsheviks brought down Aleksandr Kerensky's provisional government. The fighting spread and continued for three years, costing more than seven million lives. Although Mawdsley's frequent interjections explaining how and why this happened may have something of the lecture room about them, they are ultimately useful rather than distracting. However, despite its readability, this book is more for the informed than the lay reader.Harold V. Cordry, Tecumseh, KS

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2007
A fundamental question about the Russian Civil War of 191720 is not why the Bolsheviks won, but why they took three years to do it. Ruthless and ideologically certain, their material advantages were many: control of central Russias population, railroad network, industry, and most of the czarist military. The opposing Whites, ranged on the periphery of the Russian heartland, were fewer in number, hampered by non-Russian nationalitiesat the rear, and disunited about their war aims. Nevertheless, the Bolshevik regime tottered near defeat more than once. As objectively as possible, history professor Mawdsley chronicles the war and tenders explanations for its result, keeping in view the devastating death tollin the millionsit exacted on the populace. As military narrative, Mawdsleys account is concise and cogent about strategic factors. Also important, he includes political factors: the Reds simply were better than the Whites at commanding sufficient popular support, albeit with draconian doses of terror. For sorting out this pitiless, fateful convulsion in Russian history, Mawdsley is an exceptionally clear guide.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)