When did the Red Terror begin and end?
The Red Terror period spanned from December 1917 to February 1922. This timeframe covers the initial executions following the Bolshevik takeover through the conclusion of major civil war campaigns.
Questions about Red Terror
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who issued the decree for mass shooting during the Red Terror?
The Council of People's Commissars issued a decree on the 5th of September 1918 prescribing mass shooting without hesitation. Felix Dzerzhinsky directed the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission known as Cheka which carried out these orders starting in December 1917.
How many people died during the Red Terror according to historical estimates?
Estimates for total executions range from 50,000 to 200,000 people plus an additional 400,000 killed in prisons. Some contemporary historians present figures exceeding one million victims while W. Bruce Lincoln states best estimations put the figure at about 100,000.
What specific methods were used by Chekists during the Red Terror?
Chekists employed brutal methods including scalpings hand-flayings crucifixion and stoning to death. Chinese Cheka detachments placed rats in iron tubes sealed with wire netting and heated them until they gnawed through the victim's body.
Which groups targeted by the Red Terror faced execution or deportation?
Socialist Revolutionaries over whom more than 800 members were executed formed among the first targets. Industrial workers clergy peasants and White Guard forces also faced execution or deportation during campaigns like the Tambov Rebellion between 1920 and 1921.