The Cheka and the Red Army Flashcards

What was the Cheka?

The Bolsheviks' secret police, set up in December 1917 to fight counter-revolution and sabotage.

Who led the Cheka?

Felix Dzerzhinsky.

What powers did the Cheka have during the Civil War?

They could arrest, hold, and execute people without a trial.

What was the Red Terror?

A campaign by the Cheka from 1918 to crush enemies through arrests and shootings.

What was the Red Army?

The Bolshevik army formed in early 1918 to fight in the Civil War.

Who organised the Red Army during the Civil War?

Leon Trotsky, the Commissar for War.

How did the Red Army get its soldiers?

By conscription from 1918, with some volunteers.

Why did the Red Army use former Tsarist officers?

For their experience, kept loyal by political commissars.

What did political commissars do in the Red Army?

They watched officers, spread Bolshevik ideas, and made sure orders were obeyed.

How was discipline kept in the Red Army?

Strict rules, harsh punishments for desertion, and Cheka units to stop deserters.

How did Trotsky use his armoured train?

He toured the fronts to direct battles, bring supplies, and boost morale.

What did the Cheka do inside the Red Army?

It placed units in the army to find spies, stop desertion, and punish traitors.

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