russia essay plans

Question 1

to what extent was economic backwardness the most important factor weakening the Russian State in 1855?

Answer 1

•economic backwardness was the most important factor
•social backwardness was the most important factor
•political backwardness was the most important factor

Question 2

‘Alexander II’s reforms transformed Russia into a liberal state’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 2

•emancipation edict was liberalising for serfs
•government/ censorship/ educational reforms
•counter reforms reversed previous liberal ones

Question 3

to what extent were Alexander II’s reforms the result of Russian defeat in the Crimean war?

Answer 3

•Crimea highlighted Russia’s need for change
•peasant unrest was growing and needed to be tackled with liberal reforms
•Alexander’s own feelings/ Russia’s economic state/ wanting to catch up with Western countries

Question 4

‘The emancipation of the serfs caused more problems than it solved’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view

Answer 4

•failures of the emancipation edict (payments, land)
•the serfs were not truly free (Mir, landowners)
•disturbances didn’t end (anger at the emancipation from many social classes)

Question 5

The reforms were ‘half hearted concessions from men intent on preserving the old ways as much as possible’ Assess the validity of this view of Alexander II’s reforms between 1855 and 1870.

Answer 5

•failures of the emancipation
•reforms (half-hearted)
•counter reforms (intent on preserving the old ways)

Question 6

‘Policies towards the ethnic minorities in the reigns of Alexander II and Alexander III helped to strengthen the empire.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 6

•Russification strengthened Russia
•Russification increased radical opposition
•Russification increased liberal opposition

Question 7

‘The Emancipation Edict of 1861 was successful in improving the lives of the Russian peasants by 1881.’ To what extent do you agree with this view.

Answer 7

•it improved the lives of Russian peasants
•it did not improve the lives of Russian Peasants
•backwardness persisted which limited the ability of the peasants to improve their condition

Question 8

‘The military, local government and judicial reforms of 1864-1874 were a direct result of the emancipation of serfs.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

Answer 8

•Military reforms
•local government reforms
•judicial reforms

Question 9

‘The ethnic minorities suffered more than any other group from the policies of Alexander III.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 9

•ethnic minorities were targeted and eliminated
•liberals who worked in the zemstva and legal professions were bitterly disappointed
•opposition movements (particularly students) suffered

Question 10

‘The foundations for Russia’s industrial growth were firmly laid in the years 1855 to 1895.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 10

•industrial growth began under Von Reutern
•Vyshnegradsky made advances towards industrialisation yet this was at the expense of the wider economy
•industrialisation properly started to occur under WItte (due to the growth in the urban worker population)

Question 11

‘The Russian economy was modernised successfully between 1892 and 1914.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 11

•Stolypin’s land reforms started the process of westernising agricultural practices
•Witte launched rapid industrialisation, yet failed to modernise the economy
•only after 1908 was modernisation seen

Question 12

‘Opposition to the tsarist regime achieved nothing in the years 1866 to 1894.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 12

•liberal opposition (intelligensia/westerners/slavophiles) had a minor impact on the tsarist regime
•radical opposition (young russia) was more effective yet their influence was at its early stages
•populist movements were hurt by government actions and internal divisions (narodniks, land and liberty, people’s will)

Question 13

‘During the course of Alexander II’s reign, Tsarist authority was severely undermined by opposition groups.’ Explain whether you agree or disagree with this view.

Answer 13

•marxist ideas and thinkers posed the greatest threat to the Tsar’s authority
•the populists message were attractive to the people and undermined the tsar’s authority
•radical action was successful in intimidating the tsar and undermining his authority

Question 14

‘There was more continuity than change in Russian society in the years 1881 to 1917.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 14

•the role of the nobility changed but they retained their influence
•middle class developed but it was too small to create any major change
•a new working class emerged

Question 15

‘The political unrest of January-September 1905 was brought about by failures in the Russo-Japanese War.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

Answer 15

•the war made people lack confidence in the tsar
•the tsar was seen as weak and his government policy was widely disliked
•it was the strength of opposition movements which led to the 1905 revolution

Question 16

To what extent was the survival of tsardom in the years 1900 to 1914 due to repression?

Answer 16

•repression was effective in shutting down any opposition to the Tsar
•concessions appeased liberals and allowed the tsar to reduce their influence
•opposition was too small and inadequate to pose any major threat to the Tsar

Question 17

To what extent did Nicholas II uphold his pledge to ‘maintain the principle of autocracy’ in the years 1894 to 1914?

Answer 17

•the reaction to the 1905 revolution caused a backtrack of previous autocratic policies
•the dumas were effectively suppressed so the Tsar had reasserted his autocratic rule
•by 1914, opposition seemed to pose a limited threat to the Tsar and his autocracy was firmly in place

Question 18

‘Problems of land ownership and use remained acute throughout the years 1894 to 1914.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 18

•Land use was backwards and traditional which kept many peasants in subsistence farming
•Stolypin’s land reforms revolutionised the ownership of land and significantly transformed Russian agriculture
•Stolypin’s land reforms only achieved minor changes and the former land ownership structure remained in place

Question 19

‘Russian society changed little in the years 1894 to 1914.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 19

•a middle class developed and the nobles position was degraded- Russian society began transforming to a more western society
•a working class started to develop, overall at the bottom of the social ladder there was little change
•there was the biggest change culturally- Russia modernised

Question 20

To what extent was the collapse of the Tsarist regime in February 1917 brought about by the opposition of the Bolsheviks? Answer with reference to the years 1894 to 1917.

Answer 20

•The Bolsheviks had a limited role in the February revolution
•World War 1 created the most discontent towards the Tsar and led to his regime collapse
•People were the most concerned with the Tsar’s control of political changes

Question 21

The collapse of tsarist authority in March 1917 was due to the First World War.’ Assess the validity of this view with reference to the years 1894 to 1917.

Answer 21

•The First World War showed the weaknesses of the Tsarist regime and led to peaking discontent
•Political developments in Petrograd were more significant in raising discontent
•Economic problems created desires for change and revealed the shortfalls of Russia’s economy

Question 22

‘In the years 1894 to 1914, opposition movements achieved little.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 22

•Liberal opposition retained minor influence although it was not successfully repressed
•The Socialist Revolutionary Party was more successful at intimidating the Tsarist regime and garnering support for opposition
•Although the Social Democratic Workers’ Party would later bring revolution between 1894-1914, it wielded little influenced and achieved little

Question 23

‘The October Revolution was a coup d’etat, not a revolution’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 23

•The revolution was organised by a few professional revolutionaries- not a mass uprising
•The revolution had mass support driven by the will of the people
•Lenin’s new state which emerged was run by an elite few and didn’t meet the demands of the masses

Question 24

‘The Communist government faced similar difficulties, in the Civil War, to the Tsarist government in the First World War, but responded very differently.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 24

•The Civil War was seen as legitimate by the People, while WW1 was much despised
•Both wars brought the economy near to collapse, but the Bolsheviks introduced more radical economic policy which more successfully mobilised resources for War
•The communist dictatorship also responded to opposition with repression, but on a much bigger level from the Tsar

Question 25

‘By 1924, there were more similarities than differences between Tsarist autocracy and communist dictatorship.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 25

•Treatment of opposition was much more severe under Lenin and the communist dictatorship •Both regimes had a highly centralised, autocratic style of government •Within the government, the communist dictatorship was much more divided, while the Tsar’s right to rule had previously been unquestioned

Question 26

To what extent did Lenin fulfil the revolutionary aims of the early Russian Marxists during his years as leader of Russia?

Answer 26

•Lenin achieved the main aim of banishing capitalism •Lenin established Marxist social principles •Lenin failed to liberate the previously oppressed class of the proletariat

Question 27

‘The peasantry suffered greatly during the period 1914-41.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 27

•The NEP helped the peasants become prosperous and sell their surplus •Collectivisation was a disaster which led to falling production and starvation for many peasants •Kulaks were heavily targeted and effectively wiped out as a group

Question 28

To what extent in the years 1903 to 1924, did Lenin abandon ideology in order to gain and consolidate power?

Answer 28

•Before 1917, Lenin made significant changes to Marxism in order to quicken the road to revolution •Lenin largely abandoned ideology by establishing one-party government •Lenin acted purely pragmatically in his elimination of opposition after the Russian Revolution

Question 29

‘There was more continuity than change between the type of state established by Lenin in the 1920s and that of Stalin in the 1930s’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 29

•Continuity: Stalin firmly kept the centralised and one-party structure •Change: Stalin concentrated power in the hands of one person much more than Lenin and side lined the party •Change: Stalin extended the purges of opposition far beyond Lenin which created a state based on terror

Question 30

‘Purges and attacks on opposition had considerably weakened the USSR by 1941.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 30

•The purge of specialists and administrators created many economic problems •Military purges created serious problems in WW2 •Legitimate opposition to the state had been eradicated by 1941, thereby strengthening the state

Question 31

‘The living standards of the Soviet people were stagnant in the years 1917-41.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 31

•Industrialisation was rapid and created a booming economy •Social reform were progressive and helped improve the lives of many previously left behind •Problems of capitalism such as inequality and privilege were not solved

Question 32

How successful were Soviet leaders in creating a socialist economy in the years 1917-1941?

Answer 32

•War Communism launched socialist economic principles •The New Economic Plan employed capitalist methods to increase economic output •The Five Year Plans and Collectivisation used the socialist principle of top-down economic management

Question 33

To what extent was a new Soviet society created in the USSR in the years between 1917 and 1941?

Answer 33

•Class divisions were effectively abolished •Women’s lives changed dramatically as they gained much more freedom •There was a huge expansion in the quality and quantity of education provision

Question 34

How successful were the communist leaders in crushing opposition in the years 1917-41?

Answer 34

•Political opposition was successfully eliminated •No individuals could threaten the communist leadership because they were crushed •A sense of terror eliminated opposition from the general population

Question 35

‘The nature of Stalin’s rule changed little during the Second World War.’ Assess the validity of this view in the context of the period from 1928 to 1945.

Answer 35

•Stalin kept power centralised and concentrated in his hand •Stalin continued to use Terror as a tool •Stalin’s authority and personal prestige reached new heights

Question 36

To what extent did the Second World War change the nature of the Soviet economy and society? Answer with reference to the period of 1928 to 1945

Answer 36

•The role of women was transformed as they became increasingly important •The economy was devastated and struggled to ever recover •The planned nature of the economy changed little under WW2 •Agriculture remained in a dire condition and exploited by the state

Question 37

To what extent did political authority and government change under Stalin between 1945-53?

Answer 37

•Stalin remained as determined as ever to root out opposition •Stalin reinforced his political authority after the war •Stalin’s cult of personality grew to a level never seen before

Question 38

To what extent was the Soviet Union different in the years 1945-53 compared to before 1941.

Answer 38

•Stalin’s political authority and cult of personality grew to unprecedented heights •Cultural controls were tightened more than ever before •The economy remained centralised and heavily dependent on industry

Question 39

‘Khrushchev was totally committed to dismantling Stalinism.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 39

•The Secret speech marked a major step in dismantling Stalinism •The role of the party was changed so it became more democratic •The Stalinist Terror ended

Question 40

How far did the nature of Soviet government change in the years from 1941 to 1964?

Answer 40

•Between 1941-53, the government became much more powerful and Stalin’s power was unquestioned •Khrushchev created a more democratic, decentralised state, radically different from Stalin •The one man, repressive rule was consistent throughout this period so did not change

Question 41

‘No communist leader was ever able to solve USSR’s agricultural problems.’ Assess the validity of this view with reference to the years 1921 to 1964.

Answer 41

•Stalin’s failures •Stalin’s successes •Khrushchev’s successes •Khrushchev’s failures

Question 42

‘Khrushchev’s reforms transformed the nature of the Soviet economy’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 42

•Agriculture was transformed and most importantly modernised •Industry was more effective and continued to grow •For the first time a consumer-based economy was created

Question 43

To what extent do you agree that industry was developed and agricultural was neglected throughout the years from 1941 to 1964.

Answer 43

•Under Stalin all focus was on heavy industry and agriculture saw no significant reform •For the first time Khrushchev developed new modern industries particularly consumer goods •Khrushchev made major agricultural reforms which modernised agriculture

Question 44

‘The living standards and freedoms of the Soviet people improved consistently in the years 1945-64.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Answer 44

•Under Stalin control remained tight and restrictions were even stronger after WW2 •Khrushchev’s reforms led to a rapid improvement in living standards •Cultural freedoms were looser under Khrushchev

Question 45

‘Opposition from within the Party was more dangerous to the leader than the opposition of cultural dissidents in the years 1945 to 1964.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 45

•Opposition under Stalin was totally crushed and posed no danger •Khrushchev’s liberalisation made cultural dissidents a major threat •Khrushchev failure to deal strongly with opposition from within the party which would eventually bring about his downfall