Russian Civil War

Gibson Bell Smith’s article on the events prior to and throughout the American military’s intervention offers a great insight into President Wilson’s motives for sending troops to Siberia. Smith offers up dates and figures, as well as quotes and names. The detailed article will prove to be very useful for proving my thesis since it is able to provide an in depth view of the entire Civil War.

President Woodrow Wilson’s decision to dispatch eight thousand men to Russia in order to protect the “billion dollars worth of American guns and equipment,” to “facilitate the safe exit of the forty-thousand-man Czech Legion” and to “promote democracy and self-determination” has clearly been shown within the text. All three of these points support my thesis and will obviously be helpful in both writing my essay and presenting my seminar.

The Bolshevik’s brand of communism and Wilson’s distorted sense of democracy both seem to have played into the controversy over the American intervention. American hegemony has never proven to be advantageous to the occupied nation, and certainly in this case to America, the occupying force. The very idea of one nation controlling another nation by force or by diplomacy seems to be an unspeakable crime. And in regards to the Russian Civil War, I believe Smith has proven indirectly that whether or not the Americans succeeded in their plans to dominate the world, at least in this case, it was quite fortunate that the Bolsheviks did thrive, and did come to form a government.

The BBC's article on the Allied Forces involvement in the war offers a unseen perspective into the overall perception the figures of the Civil War held. Mentioning that English, French and American "were no friends of Lenin - but neither were they particularly enamoured of the White generals," this article definitely is able illustrate the events in relatable terms. Although the overall format of the piece is a brief summary of events and sentiments it is still successful in educating, and allowing a view of the dealings of the American government and their ignorance towards cultural and political differences throughout Asia. One can clearly see the American intentions in suppressing communism and retaining their investments. Dr. Smele has been able to create an objective analysis of American imperialism and America's momentous sense of patriotism. Furthermore, the provided bibliography is an excellent source for further research, and will surely prove to be a priceless resource for this project. Also, the article extends to the current sentiments between Russia and America mentioning Putin and the conflicts in the Middle East.