European states (Russia): Evaluate social developments in one European country (other than Germany, Italy, or Spain) in the 1920s.

Question 1

Introduction/thesis

Question 2

Paragraphs (in each claim, say how much they were transformed and how much of an impact they had on society)

Answer 2

-Religious life

-Women and the family

-The arts

-Education

Question 3

Religion- examples

Answer 3

-Immediately after the revolution, a series of measures were introduced to severely limit the power and influence of religion. For example, the Decree on the Separation of Church and State, in January 1918, declared that the Church could not own property and church buildings were to be destroyed or used for other purposes.

-The level of violence towards the Church also increased. The shooting of priests began and it is estimated that between 1922 and 1923, around 700 clergy members were killed in clashes with soldiers.

Question 4

Religion- explanation

Answer 4

-Prior to the revolution, the Russian Orthodox Church was fully entrenched in people’s lives and an important part of Russian national identity

-As Marxists, Lenin and the leading Bolsheviks were atheists and were determined that people should believe only in communism.

-The significant decrease it the level of influence that the church had on society and the violence towards clergy demonstrate a significant shift in the role of religion in society.

Question 5

Religion- counterargument

Answer 5

Although the influence of the Orthodox Church as an organization was broken, surveys of the peasantry in the mid-1920s indicate that over half of the peasantry were still Christian and that they stilll continued with religious practices.

Question 6

Religion- mini judgment

Answer 6

The Bolsheviks did incite a significant shift in the influence of religion in society, although they were not able to fully suppress religion as it continued to live through the peasants.

Question 7

Women and the family- examples

Answer 7

-The Bolsheviks wished to change the position of women in society by freeing women from housework and marriage, which were considered Bourgeois institutions.

-Creches were encouraged as well as guaranteed paid maternity leave.

-Attempts to break the family ‘unit’ by encouraging communal spaces in housing blocks.

Question 8

Women and the family- explanation

Answer 8

Gender roles were to be changed, once marriage was freed there would be more equality. Marriage was considered bourgeois and was likened to slavery.

Question 9

Women and the family- counterargument

Answer 9

The government was unable to fund most promised creches, kindergartens, etc, leaving many children on the streets.

Question 10

Women and the family- mini judgment

Answer 10

The Bolsheviks had hoped to change the role of women and the family. Despite having implemented several policies, lack of funding as well as ‘loopholes’ such as the ability to divorce practically with no backlash led to little change, and the change that did happen was negative.

Question 11

The arts- examples

Answer 11

-After the October Revolution, the Bolshevik government set up the Commissariat of Popular Entitlement. The focus moved away from ‘high art’, such as ballet, opera, etc. to ‘popular culture’.

-Workers and peasants were encouraged to produce their own art.

-In the early 1920s, Proletkino was formed to produce political films that were aligned with party ideology. In 1925, however, the Politburo’s decision not to intervene in the arts allowed Soviet cinema a brief period of creativity.

Question 12

The arts- explanation & historiography

Answer 12

-As the revolution was led by the working class, Lenin felt it was important that the country’s art reflected this.

-There was a significant increase in the use of propaganda to advance the party’s message.

-In this way, there were significant changes to the arts. Explain impact on society.

**B. Williams: “For Lenin, propaganda, education and cultural development were not peripheral aims but absolutely central to the building of socialism.”

He believed that individual self-expression was just a form of ‘bourgeois-anarchists individualism,’ and that art should be developed from existing culture through a Marxist world outlook.

Question 13

The arts- counterargument

Answer 13

However, complete freedom in the arts didn’t last long as after Lenin consolidated his power, government control over the arts was introduced.

Question 14

The arts- mini judgment

Answer 14

There was freedom of expression in the arts at the early stages of the revolution, due to Lenin scrambling to maintain power. However, as Lenin managed to tighten his grip on power and developed a centralized state, many artists were drawn into creating propaganda for the Bolsheviks, and publishing fell under state control.

Question 15

Education- examples

Answer 15

-Religious teachings were replaced by communist values and atheism

-Pupils were cleansed of ‘bourgeois’ ideas

-By 1926, 51% of the population was considered literate, compared to 43% in 1917.

Question 16

Education- explanation

Answer 16

-The introduction of the NEP (New Economic Policy) in 1921 dramatically changed the method of teaching in Russia. Prior to 1921, education wasn’t very widespread, and teachers lacked authority. After the NEP began, more traditional methods of education were employed and there was an emphasis on learning by doing, with students visiting factories and state farms.

-Furthermore, the improvements in literacy were very significant and large resources were put towards literacy courses throughout European Russia. The Bolsheviks employed extreme methods to enforce literacy education, even threatening to prosecute people criminally for refusing to learn.

Question 17

Education- counterargument

Answer 17

However, matters did not improve much, as financial pressures under the NEP meant that the idea of universal schooling had to be abandoned.

Question 18

Education- mini judgment

Answer 18

Overall, while the Bolsheviks’ attempts to improve literacy were somewhat successful, the developments in education of children were limited, halted by a lack of financial resources and teachers’ understanding of the progressive teaching methods.