User blog:TotalDarkness/First Season: Battle 3 - IRA VS Bolsheviks

IRA - Irish Freedom Fighters who fought a Guerrilla War against their British Occupiers in the Irish War of Independence and won freedom for 26 of the 32 Irish counties.

Bolsheviks - Russian Communists who overthrew the Imperial Government and fought in the Russian Civil War against the White Movement and their foreign allies.

 The Warriors  IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916. In 1919, the Irish Republic that had been proclaimed during the Easter Rising was formally established by an elected assembly and the Irish Volunteers were recognised by Dáil Éireann as its legitimate army. Thereafter, the IRA waged a guerrilla campaign against British rule in Ireland in the 1919–21Irish War of Independence.IRA

Bolsheviks

The Bolsheviks came to power in Russia during the October Revolution phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, and founded the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Bolsheviks then fought the Russian Civil War against the White Russians and their allies, who included troops from Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, Japan, Czechoslovakia and many other countries who supported the White Movement.

(The above information is from Wikipedia.org)

 The Weapons 

 The X-Factors 

Training - Many Bolsheviks were in the Imperial Russian Army before the start of the Revolution and would have recieved military training. Irishmen who joined the IRA were trained to fight a Guerrilla War against an organised military force.

Terrain Familiarity - This battle is taking place in Ireland so the IRA would be able to use their local knowledge to their advantage just like they did against the British.

Combat Experience - The Ex-Russian Army Bolsheviks would have fought on the Eastern Front in WW1 although many of them deserted even before the Revolution started. Apart from that the Bolsheviks had little to no combat experience. Some IRA members would have fought in the Easter Rising although many survivors of the battle were executed.

Tactics - The IRA's tactics were hit and run and they would often ambush British Patrols. The Bolsheviks fought a conventional war very similar to the tactics of WW1.

My Personal Edge

I'm giving my edge to the IRA. While the Bolsheviks were able to win the Russian Civil War against the White Russians and the Western Allies, I think the IRA's local knowledge and effective Guerrilla Warfare tactics will give them victory. I also think the IRA have overall superior weaponry.

 Other Information 
 * Battle will take place in the Irish Countryside
 * The Area has a Village, a few Farms and a road running through it
 * Will be 12 vs 12
 * Voting ends on the 23rd November
 * If the teams are tied at the end of voting then I will include my own vote.

Happy Voting!