Why Did The Civil War Break Out In Russian 1918?

7.6 Why did civil war break out in Russia in 1918?
Who were the Whites and what did they stand for?
With the second revolution in 1918, sections of the population in Russia were separated from theBolshevik government but without aims for the opponents. The whites formed no grouping and consisted of those attached to revolutionary groups that were hostile or rejected by Bolsheviks, formerofficers of the Imperial army, usually resentful of the ‘betrayal’ of Brest-Litovsks and nationalists groups seeking independence for their particular minority. The military leaders were Tsarist generalswho also held office under the Provisional Government. Politicians also joined them in the fight for order in the nation to be restored. In the Don region, the nationalists element was represented bythe Cossacks whose local ambitions clashed fundamentally with such White slogan as “Russian One and Indivisible.” Soviet historians and Bolsheviks believe they fought a defensive war. The Cossackswere able to beat off attempts of ‘white’ forces. However, Evan Mawdsley saw the war as a series of expeditions by the Red Army to extend their control to more remote areas of the former Russian Empirewith the imitative lying in most cases with the Bolsheviks.
The disintegration of the Russian Empire
Several regions in the Russian state quickly declared themselves independent when traditionalauthority collapsed. Republics such as Ukraine, Transcaucasia and Finland was proclaimed. Others also claimed their independence with German war effort. The Polish claim for independence was complicatedbecause it was unclear whether to choose the boarders by the Curzon Line or by historical partitions before 1772. The dispute raises tensions between Poland and its new communist neighbour that wereculminated in war in 1920.
The role of the Czechoslovak Legion
The successful revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion acted as a catalyst for civil conflict. It was formed in 1917 by Czechs and Slovaks...