Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History Magazine.

In 1918, after years of bitter fighting in the First World War, the Bolsheviks resolved to sign a separate peace

with Germany. And in response, the governments of Britain, France, America and Japan launched

a joint military intervention aimed at overthrowing the Soviet regime and recommitting Russian forces

to the war. Historian Anna Reid spoke to Danny Bird about

this overlooked Allied invasion and its dubious support for Russia's ultra-conservative faction,

The Whites. Anna, thank you very much for joining me today to discuss your new book, A Nasty Little

War. We're going to jump straight in and I I was wondering, Anna, if you could begin by explaining

the immediate historical context that prompted the intervention.

Well, the intervention begins in 1918, in the closing stages of the First World War.

And what prompts it is the Bolshevik takeover, the Bolshevik coup,

in November of 1917. Because up till then, Russia had been one of the allies, along with France

and Britain and then later on, America, fighting Germany. And great hopes had initially been placed in the Russian army. Popular

Press called it the Russian steamroller and it was expected that it would sweep over the Austrian

and German armies with no problem because with vast Russian manpower. And straight away, it proved

a disappointment and the Russians suffered various defeats.

And when they did have victories, they were extremely costly.

And then in 1917, after Tsar Nicholas resigns in March, he abdicates, the whole Russian army starts falling to pieces.

And basically, the French and British and American governments turn a blind eye to this.

They sort of get sunk into wishful thinking. They think the provisional government, which takes over from Sir Nicholas, is going to last and succeed in reviving the war effort. And it's plain to everyone who hasn't got the pink tinted spectacles on that this is not true. And the government's very fragile and the army's still collapsing. But nonetheless, when the Bolsheviks take over in November, taking over the public buildings in Petersburg and Moscow, almost unopposed, only a little bit of street

fighting. It's a shock to everybody because they themselves are such a tiny group and almost

unknown up to that point.

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