Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War

Significance

The Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War unfolded across several years and involved forces from multiple nations operating under shifting strategic rationales. The initial motivation was to prevent munitions and supply depots from falling into German hands following the Bolshevik signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and to extract Allied personnel trapped in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917. After the Armistice of November 1918 removed the German threat, the intervention's purpose shifted to supporting the White forces against the Bolsheviks. Allied forces numbered between 50,000 and 70,000 and sustained over 4,000 casualties. When the White forces collapsed, the Allies withdrew, completing their departure by 1925. The intervention ultimately failed to alter the outcome of the civil war; the Bolsheviks consolidated control, and the episode became a defining grievance in Soviet political memory, shaping the new state's posture toward the Western powers for decades.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (52)