Not everyone was happy about the Bolshevik seizure of power. By the end of 1918 several groups of people joined together to oppose the Bolsheviks. These became known as The Whites and they were largely made up of Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, supporters of the Tsar, landlords and factory owners and former prisoners of war from the old army. The Whites were supported by some foreign powers such as the USA, Japan, France and Britain who sent troops.
The Bolsheviks (The Reds) had their strongholds in western Russia and much of the rest of the country supported the Whites, namely the Socialist Revolutionaries (the group who had gained the most votes in the elections). Despite being outnumbered and under several sieges, the Reds managed to hold out against the whites. Leon Trotsky managed to create a new Red Army of over 30,000 men, The Bolsheviks were ruthless and ensured that no-one in Red territories co-operated with the whites, hanging, beating and shooting opponents. This became known as The Red Terror.
Eventually the Bolsheviks won the civil war. They had made sure the towns they occupied were fed by forcing the peasants to hand over food and rationed supplies. They took over the factories of Moscow and Petrograd so that only their own army could be supplied. The Red terror also kept the people in check. Finally, the Bolsheviks raised the fear of foreign invasion by excellent propaganda. Unlike the Reds, the whites were not united as they represented so many different groups. They had the common goal of defeating the Bolsheviks but not much else in common. This meant their organisation was poor and there were many disagreements. They did not have the support of much of the people, especially the peasants who preferred the Bolsheviks and their promises of land.