Russia

Question 1

3 reasons for The Feburary Revolution?

Answer 1

1.On 22 February, Nicholas left Petrograd for army headquarters 780 km away, totally unaware of the rapidly growing crisis.He only recieved the news once he reached the army headquater but by then it was too late. On 25 February, Nicholas sent an order to the police and army in Petrograd to end the unrest .
2.The effects of WW1.Over 15 million people were conscripted .This led to food production taking a hit as less people were home The army also requisitioned peasant crops and horses as well as prioritising the railway for the army. These factors meant there was less food for city populations as well as the countryside,leading to hunger and suffering.
3.There were many strikes during this period and the weather was unusually mild which therfore led to many more people that usual protesting.The** 80000 protestors that were complaining against the Tsar and in support of the duma were met with women protestors a week later at internation womens day.The mood was dangerous and it was a crucial week as they were going to announce bread rations.**

Question 2

What did the feb revolution achieve?

Answer 2

The Tsar was replaced with the PG.

Question 3

W

Who was alexander Kernesy?

Answer 3

Kerensky was a member of both the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet and liaised between them. When he became leader of the Provisional Government in July 1917.

Question 4

W

What were 3 crutial mistakes that alexander Kerensky made?

Answer 4

1.He continued to support the war, which angered ordinary soldier
2.He acted against the old ruling classes, which lost him support from conservatives
3.He failed to control the Bolsheviks

Question 5

3 weakness of the povisional gov?

Answer 5

1.Lack of control over the military – Order Number 1 meant the Petrograd Soviet had the final say on military matters, not the Provisional Government. Continuing to fight the war rather than only defending Russia’s borders was very unpopular.They had no military power.
2.Continuing to fight the war – the June Offensive was a failure, making the Provisional Government’s commitment to fighting the war even more problematic.
3.‘Dual Power’ meant the Provisional Government was in a very weak position and there were areas it had no
control over, such as the railways and postal service.They also didnt have access to newspaper outlets so had no way of controling the peasants.

Question 6

What was the June offensive.

Answer 6

Provisional Government decided to attack German and Austrian forces in June 1917. It was a disaster, with 200 000 Russian casualties and further losses of Russian territory. After the June Offensive, Kerensky took over the
leadership of the Provisional Government from Prince Lvov.

Question 7

Explain the kornilov revolt?

Answer 7

Kornilov sent troops to Petrograd on 24 August with orders to shut down the Petrograd Soviet. Kerensky allowed the Bolsheviks to arm their supporters to defend Petrograd from Kornilov’s troops. These armed supporters were named the Red Guards. At the same time, railway workers blocked Kornilov’s route to Petrograd and Bolsheviks met the troops and convinced
them not to attack. The ‘revolt’ was over

Question 8

3

3 consequence of the Kornilov revolt?

Answer 8

1. Kerensky’s plan to act as the saviour of Petrograd backfi red. The people saw the Bolshevik Red Guards – not Kerensky –
   as having defended Petrograd and the revolution.
   2.The Kornilov Revolt increased the popularity and infl uence of the Bolsheviks and weakened the Provisional Government
   further.
   3.Any trust soldiers had for their officers was lost altogether. The establishment of the Red Guards to defend Petrograd gave the Bolsheviks a military advantage.

Question 9

What 3 things were stated in Lenins manifesto (The April Thesis)?

Answer 9

1.End of War.
2.All power to the soviet at every level local to national.The pg were not to be supported.
3.Distribute the land of rich landlord to the peasants.

Question 10

3 Reasons why the Bolsheviks became more popular?

Answer 10

1.Lenin’s April Theses meant the Bolsheviks had a clear and powerful message for workers, peasants and soldiers
2.Bolshevik newspapers in most Russian cities constantly criticised the failures of the Provisional Government
3..the Germans secretly sent money to the Bolsheviks to fund their campaigning.

Question 11

Explain the July Days.

Answer 11

Riots and demonstrations against the Provisional gov from 3rd July to 7th July 1917.They were rioting against food shortage and failure of June offensive.The Bolsheviks didnt start it but Lenin believed it was the right time to takeover, so the Bolsheviks joined in.However the Petrograd Soviet didnt support July days and therfore helped the PG put down the uprising.Many Bolsheviks were arrested and Lenin fled to Finland.

Question 12

What happened on 10 oct and why did he think that way?

Answer 12

On 10 October, Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd. In meeting with senior Bolsheviks, Lenin managed to convince
his colleagues to support a new attempt to seize power.This is because Kornilov event made Blosheviks more popular and PG weaker.The Bolsheviks had 340 000 members,60 000 in Petrograd including 40 000 armed Red Guards.He believed despite the July days it was the right time.

Question 13

What did Trotsky do to help with the October revolution?

Answer 13

Trotsky, as leader of the Petrograd Soviet, convinced the Soviet to set up a Military Revolutionary Committee (the MRC) to bring
together all the Soviet-supporting soldiers in Petrograd. Most of Petrograd’s regiments had promised loyalty to the MRC.

Question 14

What 3 things did Trotsky take over using the MRC?

Answer 14

• road and canal bridges
• army headquarters
• telegraph offices.

Question 15

How did Kerensky on 24 Oct do to try to stop the rumours of the takeover(October revolution)?

Answer 15

• closing Bolshevik newspapers
• blocking river crossings between the city
  centre and working class districts
• calling for the arrest of the MRC.

Question 16

When did the Bolsheviks take over the Winter Palace?

Answer 16

25–26 October

Question 17

3 Reasons why the October Revolution was successfull.

Answer 17

1.Lenin was single-minded with a clear plan of attack.On 10 October, Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd. In meeting with senior Bolsheviks and Convinced his collegues to sieze the opportunity.Lenin was smart and a great convincer he had perfect timing.He was able to convince the general public to side with Bolsheviks and appealed to the working class by using April Thesis.
2.Kerensky didn’t disband the Red Guards after the Kornilov affair.Kerensky didn’t take the Bolshevik threat seriously
after the July Days.
3.Trotsky was an amazing planner who formed Red Guards into an effective fighting force.Formed the MRC and took control of key areas.

Question 18

What were the 4 decrees passed when the Bolsheviks took over.(1917)

Answer 18

1.Decree on Peace
2.Decree on Land
3.Decrees on workers’ rights
4.Decree on Nationalities.

Question 19

What was decree of peace?

Answer 19

• All countries should seek peace.
• Peace to be achieved without land seized and large fines)

Question 20

What was Decree Of Land?

Answer 20

• Land taken from wealthy landowners now belonged to the peasants.
• Church land was nationalised.

Question 21

What were the 3 subsection of decree of workers right and what did they entail?

Answer 21

• Decree on Work – 8-hour day.
• Decree of Unemployment – unemployment insurance for those unable to work.
• Decree on Workers’ Control – workers’ committees now ran their own factories.

Question 22

What was Decree on Nationalities?

Answer 22

All different peoples of the old Russian Empire could have their own governments.However the Bolsheviks were still in charge.

Question 23

Why did Lenin abolish the Constituent
Assembly?

Answer 23

Lenin had promised to hold a general election for the Constituent Assembly: however, the SRs won with 53 per cent of the vote. The Bolsheviks got only 24 per cent.At the first Constituent Assembly it refused to bolsheviks pass key decrees and principles of all power to the soviet Union.Lenin ordered the Red Guards to shut it down. It never reopened. Soon after, all political parties apart from the Bolsheviks were banned.

Question 24

When did Lenin set up Cheka?

Answer 24

December 1917

Question 25

Why did Lenin set up Cheka?

Answer 25

Lenin said that the revolution was under threat from the class enemies of the workers and peasants- The bourgeosies.These were people who were middle or upper class before the October Revolution.

Question 26

What did the Cheka do and why was it useful?

Answer 26

Bolsheviks supporters attacked anyone they suspected of being a bourgrosies.It was easy to denounce people as bourgrosies to the Cheka.they would be arrested and their houses and property could then be taken by poor people.The Cheka became the main way in which the Bolsheviks used terror to consolidate their hold over Russia .

Question 27

3 reasons for the Treaty of Brest Litovsk?

Answer 27

• Ending the war would mean the Bolsheviks could concentrate all their forces on wiping out political opponents within Russia.Thebourgrosies
• Many Bolshevik supporters were soldiers and sailors who were desperate for an end to the war and a ‘breathing space’ as Lenin had promised.
• Lenin and Trotsky were certain that there would soon be a revolution in Europe and any treaty they signed with Germany would no longer have any effect.

Question 28

What was the consequence of the Treaty to Russia as a whole?

Answer 28

In exchange for peace, Russia lost a huge area of its former western territories: Ukraine, Finland and parts of Poland.
They lost:
* 50% of its Industrys
* 25% of its Railways
* 25% of its population: 62 million

Question 29

What were two good reaction to the treaty of Brest Litovsk?

Answer 29

1. Soldiers were pleased that the war had ended, and Russians were relieved that the threat of German invasion was over.
2. Bolsheviks believed that German workers would be disgusted by the harsh terms of the treaty. This would then be another reason for German workers to rise up in revolution,like they did.

Question 30

What were two bad reaction to the treaty of Brest Litovsk?

Answer 30

1. The Left SRs walked out of the government in protest at the treaty and they even assassinated the German ambassador, hoping to re-spark the war.
2. Nationalists and conservatives were horrified at the losses to Russia and its empire.It become important for Russians to fight to stop Bolsheviks.They began to form the white army to fight the red army.

Question 31

3 reasons for the Civil war?

Answer 31

1.* The huge territorial losses from the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk appalled many Russians and therfore didnt trust Bolsheviks to run the country.
2.Former moderates, Mensheviks and some SRs opposed the Bolshevik dictatorship – they had wanted the Constituent
Assembly.
3.The Bolsheviks also made enemies of the “Czech Legion’, 40 000 Czech troops who took control of the Trans-Siberian Railway.Stalin.

Question 32

What was Bolsheviks Strengh in the civil war?

Answer 32

1. The Red Army – conscription built the army up to a powerful fighting force of over 5 million soldiers.They had power in numbers compared to the white army.
2. The role of Trotsky
3. Control of central Russia – this meant shorter distances to supply their armies and most of the population was in central rusia so had many people they could conscript.This meant they had Control of most of Russia’s industries and resources.

Question 33

What 5 things did Trotsky do in the civil war.

Answer 33

1.Trotsky organised the mobilisation of the Red Army into a huge fighting force.
2.Realsied the Red Army needed experienced tsarist officer and kept their family hostage for loyalty.
3.Trotsky kept strict discipline in the army and also spread Bolshevik propaganda.
4.He encouraged soldiers to learn to read and write and taught them about the aims of the Bolsheviks.
5.Trotsky introduced a Socialist Military Oath for all Red Army soldiers to swear. This was to encourage loyalty to the Bolsheviks.

Question 34

What were the weaknesses of the white army in the civil war?

Answer 34

1.The Whites did not have large populations to conscript soldiers from; many troops would fight only for their own area.Fewer thatn 250 000 soilders.
2.Foreign intervention British, French, Japanese and US soldiers were all sent to help the Whites.The foreign interventions helped the Whites for a while, and made them seem stronger than they really were.Bolsheviks used foreign intervention as
propaganda: they urged that Russians should help the Reds prevent the foreign invasions
3.There was no single White leader: instead the leaders competed with each other.The Whites did not share the
same aims: monarchists, liberals and left wingers all disagreed about how they would run Russia.

Question 35

What was the Role of Cheka 1918-1919

Answer 35

Grew to 100000 member by 1919.The Cheka had enormous power:the Cheka could arrest, imprison, torture or
execute anyone they suspected.It estimated that 12000 were executed by Cheka between 1918-20

Question 36

When was Red terror created?(Not a date)

Answer 36

Lenin introduced the Terror after surviving an assassination attempt by an SR, Fanya Kaplan.

Question 37

What was the red terror.

Answer 37

All workers were to report anyone who made any remarks against the soviets and their government. These ‘class enemies’ often went to prison camps.Red terror grew alot in thee civil war as once the red reclaimed the land from the white they used the cheka to arrest anyone suspected of supporting the Whites.Many were executed.The Terror was also used in the Red
Army. The Cheka shot any deserters they recaptured.

Question 38

Explain the context to The Kronstadt Mutiny ?

Answer 38

1. The Kronstadt naval base guarded Petrograd. Its sailors fought in all revolution Febuary,July days and October revolution.
2. To Bolshevik Suprise Kronstadt sailors rebelled against the Soviet government on Feb 1921
3. They were sick of war communism ,the way Bolsheviks requsitioned food,the red terror and lack of political freedom.

Question 39

When was Kronstadt mutiny ?

Answer 39

Feb 1921

Question 40

How did Trotsky react to the Kronstadt mutiny?

Answer 40

1.sent 50 000 Red Army soldiers to take back the base.
2.there was fierce fighting and it took until17 March for the sailors to be defeated:500 executed by Cheka

Question 41

What happened in 1919 with the communist party?

Answer 41

elected a five man Politburo(people who make the big decisions); the five members were Lenin,Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin.

Question 42

What happened to the All-Russian Congress of Soviet? in 1919,

Answer 42

became a ‘rubber stamp’: it simply agreed whatever the government told it to. This made the Soviet Union a centralised dictatorship.The 5 politburo decisions determined what happened in the Soviet Union. Ultimately, the soviets had no power at. all.

Question 43

Why was war communism created?

Question 44

4 features of War communism

Answer 44

1. Peasants were not allowed to sell their crops. The Cheka requisitioned their crops for a fi xed low price, and left the peasants a small amount for their own needs.
2. Industries were nationalised and given production targets by the government.
3. People’s rights and freedoms were restricted: strikes were banned and any suspected political opposition was dealt with the cheka
4. Money was abolished and people were paid in kind(paid in goods and services) and the government forced people to work.

Question 45

What were 5 consequence of war communism?

Answer 45

1.farm production had fallen to 37 per cent of 1913 levels
2. The numbers of people working in factories fell by half
3. Food shortages turned into famine. People were dying from starvation
4. Industries were producing almost no consumer goods
5. A black market developed:

Question 46

What was the political condsequence of war communism?

Answer 46

1. Factory workers organised protests and strikes over their falling living standards and lack of food. The Kronstadt
   Mutiny was partly due to war communism.
   2.Communist Party members protested at the way they were excluded from decisions.

Question 47

What was 2 reasons for NEP (1921)?

Answer 47

1 the disastrous economic consequences of War Communism
2 the political opposition caused by War Communism.

Question 48

5 features of NEP?

Answer 48

• The free market was reintroduced.
• The state stopped requisitioning grain and other crops from the peasants: now peasants paid tax on what they sold.
• Money was reintroduced; workers were paid wages again.
• small businesses and farms could be privately owned and run to make a profit
• Foreign experts were brought in to improve how factories were run.

Question 49

3 economic impacts of the NEP?

Answer 49

1. Agricultural production increased as peasants began to produce more.1923 63 million tones of grains.
2. Industrial growth increased, but more slowly.The shortage of insutrial products led them to be very expensive while food was getting cheaper.The scissor crisis..Peasant stopped creating foood which lead to fear of famine.The gov had to decrease prices.
3. led to inequality within the USSR, which was not socialist.Traders made profits from food shortage and manafactured goods.Wealthier peasants also did well

Question 50

List the 4 Communist education policies from 1921 to 24?

Answer 50

1. Co-education was introduced, as a way of reducing discrimination against women.
2. There was a major literacy drive in the Red Army
3. Peasants were encouraged to learn to read and write.
4. By 1926 over 58 per cent of the population was literate

Question 51

What was Agitprop and what was the Agitation?

Answer 51

Propaganda Section of Communist Party It used art, literature, film and music to promote communist ideas and portray
the USSR’s communist future.

Question 52

When was the power struggle ?

Answer 52

1924 after Lenins death.

Question 53

What was the 4 main groups/people involved in power struggle?

Answer 53

Stalin
Trotsky
Bukharin
Zinoviev and Kamenev

Question 54

What was Stalins pros and cons in power sruggle?

Answer 54

Pros:
* Position as General Secretary: power to appoint supporters to key party jobs.
* no extreme views, always respectful to rivals. Kept private opinions to himself.
Cons :
* Seen as boring, unlike many key rivals
* Lenin’s testament criticised his rudenessand lust for power.

Question 55

What was Bukharin pros and cons in power sruggle?

Answer 55

Pros:
* Very popular within the party
* Excellent writer and theorist
Cons:
* strongly against Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which was later used against him
* The main supporter of NEP, which many Bolsheviks viewed as capitalist.

Question 56

What was Zinoviev and Kamenev pros and cons in power sruggle?

Answer 56

Pros:
* Worked closely together, strengthened them both.
* Worked closely with Stalin to run the party and weaken Trotsky after Lenin’s death.
Cons
* opposed Lenin’s plan to seize power in October 1917.
* Power was limited to Petrograd and Moscow, while Stalin controlled the party.

Question 57

What was Trotsky pros and cons in power sruggle?

Answer 57

Pros:
* Brilliant speaker.
* Lenin’s close comrade through the revolution and Civil War.
* His organization and leadership led to Red vitcotry in civil war.
Cons
* Arrogant and bossy
* Lack of supporters outside the military
* Menshevik until 1917

Question 58

3 key steps to Stalin as the leader.

Answer 58

1.Stalin made sure that he took the lead role at Lenin’s funeral, which Trotsky was too ill to attend.
2.Stalin then worked with Kamenev and Zinoviev (with Bukharin’s support) to undermine Trotsky. But when Kamenev and Zinoviev then opposed Bukharin, Stalin criticised them for trying to split the party.
3.Economic difficulties put pressure on NEP, which Bukharin supported. Stalin switched to arguing for
rapid industrialisation and the collectivisation of agriculture. Stalin won the party’s support and Bukharin lost his
influence.

Question 59

When was kirov executed?

Answer 59

December
1934

Question 60

Explain context of kirov executution?

Answer 60

Kirov, one of his closest allies, called for a policy change. Stalin suspected Kirov wanted to take the leadership from him.After Kirov’s death, Stalin purged the party of potential rivals. These purges spread to the whole of Soviet society

Question 61

What were the 4 nature of the purges.

Answer 61

1. Attack on the party and government:After the purges linked to Kirov, arrests focused on party members and government staff accused of not following orders.

2.Forced ConffessionsThose arrested were beaten until they confessed to any crime they had been accused of. But many never knew why they had been arrested.

3..Mass terror (Yezhov) The NKVD had targets for the arrests. They forced those arrested to name others. Under Yezhov’s leadership of the NKVD (1937–38), no one was safe

.4.Use of Gulags The Gulag was the state system of labour camps. By 1941 there were 8 million in the camps, with perhaps a further million in prisons.

Question 61

3 Reasons for the purges?

Answer 61

1.Stalin’s paranoia Stalin had made it to the top, but then became paranoid about any possible rivals to power
2.Economic problems Accidents and economic underperformance blamed on imaginary ‘wreckers’.Used as scapegoats.
3.**Following Lenin’s example The Red Terror **during the Civil War was a precedent for the purges.

Question 62

4 consequences of the purges.

Answer 62

1. **Stalin dominant: **Stalin’s purges terrifi ed everyone else into obedience. No one dared to question his leadership.
2. ‘Old Leninists’ destroyed: the Bolsheviks who had built the Communist Party with Lenin were dead. No one now could challenge Stalin. New party members all owed their position to Stalin.
3. Chaos in government and the economy: the **loss of so many experienced managers, administrators and specialists left the government and industry with a serious shortage of skills. **
4. **Weakened armed forces: **there was no evidence of any military plot against Stalin, but the purge of the military killed off most of Stalin’s experienced officers. Soldiers arrested by the NKVD often accused their officers in turn. This loss of military leadership and experience seriously weakened the armed forces and was to prove a significant setback when Germany invaded Russia

Question 63

What did the NKVD do in Stalin terrors(1930s)

Answer 63

Intimidation ,arresting ,forced conffessions through repeated interegation ,running prisions and executition.There was no legal process of trial and from 1935 a three man team of NKVD would decide wether people were innocent.

Question 64

How many had dide from gulags and what were the condition.

Answer 64

Over 2 million they were forced to do hard lavoue and lived miserable life.They were slaves with poor living conditions .Camps were spread accross the soviet union .

Question 64

What were show trials?(1936-38)

Answer 64

These were for only high profile leading party member.This was a public decleration of guilt which was used to make the Soviet people believe that the countrys was really under attack by enemies of the people.These enemies were used as scapegoat for Soviet Union Problems.

Question 64

What was the posotives of the new constitution of 1936.

Answer 64

1. Congress of Soivet Union replaced by Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
2. All people allowed to vote.
3. Vote done in secrete
4. Guarantee workers right to holiday,health care, houseing education and other benefits.

Question 65

What was the Negatives of the new constitution of 1936.

Answer 65

1. Could vote but only 1 part to vote for
2. Workers right could be ignored by secrete police.
3. Stalin ignored the constitution and ran USSR as dicatatorship.

Question 66

3 reasons for the cult of Stalin?

Answer 66

1. Set Stalin as the perfect leader and gave the Soviet people confidence of the hardships and the sacrifices were worth it to build socialism together.
2. Long standing relationship In Russia that the ruler being a father father as the whole country fitting in with Stalin portrayal as leader teacher friend.
3. Cult was needed to gain support for his reign and to portray him as good.

Question 67

Moto of Cult of Stalin?

Answer 67

leader teacher friend.

Question 68

Explain 3 way the Cult of Stalin was achieved?

Answer 68

1. Art:Leader teacher friend was dipected in painting statues all over the USSR.Artist reimaggined him as close firends with Lenin which he was not and as the master of the October revolution and Civil war.
2. Propoganda messages:Stalin face was everywhere and his policies and reforms were praised as though he is superhuman.
3. Books poems and Plays:authore playwriter and poets praised Stalin .Soviet history books were gave Stalin a leading role in October revolution and civil war.

Question 69

3 reasons for Collectivisation?

Answer 69

1. Failing grain productionGrain production started to decrease under the NEP .In 1927 grain production was lower than what was needed to feed the city.
2. Stail rival Bhukahrin.Bukharin heavily supported NEP and its idea and by going aginst NEP he would essentially attack him.
3. Concerns about NEP.NEP favoured individuals peasant farmers who sold grain for a profit.This looked like Capatalist which went against Stalins ideas.

Question 70

4 probelms with the NEP?

Answer 70

1. Many hated the idea that the Kulaks were benefiting the most from this while the peasants paid more for gain
2. Socialism and communism are about working together for everyone but NEP was working for your own profit in private own farms.
3. Peasant agriculture was not modernising.It led to less yield and less development compared to other country.Still used hores to plugh fields instead of Tractors.#
4. 1927 there was not enought grain to feed the Urban populkation in the soviet union.

Question 71

How many Kulaks died between 1930 and 31

Answer 71

30000

Question 72

3 reasons for Industrilisation

Answer 72

1. Scissor crisis Peasant had less money to spend on manafacturing goods .Industrial production could grow with a mraket.
2. Ideological motives-Marxism taught that Socialist country would be industrialised countrys with the industry under the control of the workers.
3. Political move-Bukharin s upported NEP and was against rapid industrilisation .Stail argued for rapid industilisation and undermined him

Question 73

What was the first five year plan

Answer 73

Focused on increasing output of heavy industry

Question 74

What was the second five year plan

Answer 74

Also Focused on increasing output of heavy industry but with greater efficiency.Also increased outpute of consumer products,

Question 75

What was the third five year plan

Answer 75

Focused on an increase in military production and improvement to education

Question 76

What was Gosplan and what did it entail.

Answer 76

Responsible for setting targets fo all key industries to meet.
Involved setting up new factories and organised new ones.5000 new factories were made from 1928 and 37
Pressure put on to the manager and worker to deliever target.Emphasise on quantity over quaility.
If thet met target they get higher wage.

Question 77

What was the Stakhovnite movement,

Answer 77

Aleksey Starkhovnite was a coalminer famouse for delievering 14 X its quota.Soviet propogada made him a celebrity and ecouraged everyone to be a stakhovnite and try to overfill their target and meet plans early.

Question 78

Failure of Industrilisation

Answer 78

• Some prodcution depended on slave labour from Gulag
• Factory conditions weree dangerouse
• Living conditon didnt improve with many living in tents
• Target meant quailty was comprimised and many goods broken easuily
• Productivity was low compared to some industrial countries

Question 79

Success of Industrilisation

Answer 79

• Fully industrilised
• Increase in production of arms helped repel the germann invasion in WW2.
• Supply of raw material increased
• No unemployment
• New towns created.
• Huge new factories and industrial complexes built
• Got support from factory workers.
• Targets set low and some targets overlooked.Many factories didnt give an accurated reading.