Comrades, the Koolak Uprising in your five districts must be crushed without pity.

You must make example of these people.

One, hang. I mean hang publicly, so that people see it. At least 100

Kulaks. Rich bastards and known bloodsuckers. Two, publish their names. Three, sees all their grain. Four, single out the

hostages per my instructions in yesterday's telegram. Do all this so that for miles around people see it all.

Understand it. Tremble and tell themselves that we are killing the bloodthirsty

Kulaks and that we will continue to do so.

Yours?

Lenin.

P.S. Find tougher people.

Welcome to Russian History Retold episode 184, the Russian Civil War Part 3, the background.

As you may have noticed, we're not starting off with any music.

We're going to start off with the quote.

A quote that relates to what we're going to be talking about that particular episode to start us off.

I hope you like the new idea. It's just something we're trying out and see what our reaction is.

Anyways, let's get back to the podcast.

Last time, we looked at the commanders of the Red and Black armies.

Today, we will recount the events leading up to the Russian Civil War.

Before we get into the Civil War, which would cost upwards of 7 million lives, and with some

estimates claiming 12 million. We have to talk about the events leading

up to the Bolsheviks seizing power, their ability to overthrow the provisional government

and then hold on to power during the last 10 months of

...