Russia- the nature of government

Question 1

What does the word ‘autocrat’ come from?

Answer 1

The Greek word for ‘self rule’

Question 2

What themes does the nature of government cosist of?

Answer 2

• Structure
• Ideology (beliefs)
• Repression/reform
• Opposition

Question 3

What are some key terms to use when talking about ideology?

Answer 3

• Autocracy
• Marxism-Leninism
• Totalitarianism/Stalinism
• Destalinisation
• Communism
• Tsarism

Question 4

What are some key words/phrases to use when writing nature of government questions?

Answer 4

• Diluted
• Liberalised
• Fundamental Differences
• Reaffirmed
• Strengthened
• Fundamental
• Limited
• Stark differences

Question 5

How did Alexander III strengthen the secret police?

Answer 5

by introducing the Statute of State Security, which gave more powers to the Okhrana.

Question 6

Why is Alexander II known as the Tsar Liberator?

Answer 6

because he gave the serfs legal freedom, with 40 million serfs
freed from being tied to the land

Question 7

Can Alexander III be said to be reactionary?

Answer 7

Yes

Question 8

Why can the provisional government be said to have a liberal ideology?

Answer 8

because they gave many freedoms during their rule, including freeing all
political prisoners and abolishing the secret police

Question 9

What did Marxism-Leninism focus on?

Answer 9

Class, persecution of religion, equality etc

Question 10

What did Totalitarianism focus on?

Answer 10

-Control of every part of people’s lives.

-Internal passports introduced, use of terror, propaganda, personality cult, and 5 year plans/collectivization to control all of Russian life

Question 11

What did Destalinisation focus on?

Answer 11

Reduction in repression from Stalin’s rule. Millions released from repression, by 1960 only 11,000 political prisoners left in Gulags.

Question 12

What are the best pieces of evidence for changes in ideology during this time period?

Answer 12

• Lenin’s introduction of Marxism-Leninism, as it marked the end of Tsarism and the autocracy.
• Alexander’s liberalism, with the emancipation and the introduction of the lateral reforms.
• Alexander III reaffirming his ideology with the Statute of State security, which gave more poweres to the Okhrana.
• Nicholas II reaffirming his autocracy by introducing the Fundamental Laws of 1906, which significantly reduced the powers of the Duma.
• Destalinisation under Khrushchev . Decentralised power, no more command economy.

Question 13

How should a synoptic paragraph be written?

Answer 13

• Clear sentence starter
• At least 3 examples
• Trends/Exceptions?
• Explanation of why in relation to the q
• Mini judgement

Question 14

Give some key features of a Tsarist autocracy:

Answer 14

• selected by God.
• Violent repression of real or imagined opposition.
• Service state
• Absolute power that wasn’t shared with anyone else.
• Power of monarchy legally unrestricted.
• Church justified autocracy.
• No democracy.
• Cult of personality built around the Tsar

Question 15

Define ideologies

Answer 15

a system of ideas and ideals, especially ones which form the basis of economic or political theory or policy

Question 16

When did Alexander II sign the Treaty of Paris?

Answer 16

In 1856

Question 17

Before Alexander II was killed, was he going to introduce a new constsitution?

Answer 17

Yes

Question 18

Who was the most repressive Tsar?

Answer 18

Alexander III

Question 19

Who suspended all of Alexander II’s reforms?

Answer 19

Alexander III

Question 20

Who introduced an intense form of Russification?

Answer 20

Alexander III

Question 21

What is Russification?

Answer 21

forcing everyone to be Russian

Question 22

Which Tsar closed newspapers and unis?

Answer 22

Alexander III

Question 23

Did Nicholas II lose the Japanese war?

Answer 23

Yes

Question 24

Which Tsar did the bloody sunday massacre happen under ?

Answer 24

Nicholas II

Question 25

Who introduced the duma?

Answer 25

Nicholas II

Question 26

Why did Nicholas II introduce the Duma?

Answer 26

Because of the 1905 revolution

Question 27

Do all the Tsar's change the structure of government?

Answer 27

Yes

Question 28

What is Marxism?

Answer 28

The idea that the workers would overthrow the middle classes, then there would be a dictatorship for a short period of time, then a communist society would be established where everyone would be equal.

Question 29

Who are the Proleteriat?

Answer 29

The working classes

Question 30

Who are the burgeoise?

Answer 30

the middle classes/the better off

Question 31

Where were the basis of karl Marx's ideas laid out?

Answer 31

In 'The Communist Manifesto', which he and Friedrich Engels published in 1848

Question 32

When was the Communist manifesto laid out ?

Answer 32

in 1848

Question 33

What were the key phases of Marx's views?

Answer 33

- Feudal phase - Capitalist phase - Socialist phase - Communism

Question 34

What was the feudal phase?

Answer 34

- Where there was competing social and economic classes. - For example, the landowners and the serfs. - This will change when society industrialies and the business middle class gain power.

Question 35

What was the Capitalist phase?

Answer 35

- Where there was competing social and middle classes. - For example, the middle class and the industrial workers. - This will change when industrial workers are treated so badly under capitalism that they decide to revolt.

Question 36

What was the Socialist phase?

Answer 36

- This was where equality and harmony will develop under the political guidance of the industrial working class. - This will change when all class conflict finally ends and as a result, communism is achievede.

Question 37

What did Karl Marx say about the economy?

Answer 37

That it was the dominant factor in a country and that it shaped the governement

Question 38

what is the base?

Answer 38

the economy

Question 39

what is the superstructure?

Answer 39

- everything thing else other than the economy. - i.e government, family, religion, education, culture

Question 40

did karl marx believe that the base should dictate the superstructure?

Answer 40

yes

Question 41

who said that 'power should rest with the proletariat and the poorer peasants'?

Answer 41

Karl Marx

Question 42

What is the difference between Marx's path towards revolution and Lenein's?

Answer 42

- Lenin argued that the move to worker control of the means of production, distribution and exchange should be sped up. - He rushed through Marx's stages and didn't wait for Russia to be industrialised. - So, there wasn't enough workers. - This allowed the government to use political power to determine the character of the economy. - Lenin also rejected democracy.

Question 43

What did Stalin follow?

Answer 43

Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism

Question 44

Did Stalin put an emphasis on the command economy?

Answer 44

Yes

Question 45

What is a comman economy?

Answer 45

where the economy is dictated by the state, hence giving the government more control

Question 46

Did Stalin rule as a dictator?

Answer 46

Yes

Question 47

Did Stalin use propaganda to build a positive image of himself?

Answer 47

yes

Question 48

What happened to the superstructure of Russia under Stalin's rule?

Answer 48

It became hughly personalised

Question 49

What did Stalin's propaganda centralise on?

Answer 49

a cult of personality

Question 50

What are the evidence of the use of a command economy in Stalin's rule?

Answer 50

- 5 years plans

Question 51

does the scale and scope of everything increase under Stalin?

Answer 51

Yes

Question 52

Why did Stalin make all the changes that he made?

Answer 52

- Because of the circumstances i.e war - Because of the megalomania - Because he was continuing Lenin's policies, just at a greater scale and scope

Question 53

What is the definition of megalomania?

Answer 53

an individual's belief that they are very powerful and important

Question 54

Who launched a fierce attack on Stalin?

Answer 54

Khrushchev

Question 55

Who blamed Stalin for all the atrocities of the terror and purges?

Answer 55

Khrushchev

Question 56

What happened when Khrushchev made a deliberate and distinct shift from Stalin's totalitarianism?

Answer 56

This allowed for the decentralisation of power and reduced repression. There was also a relaxation of censorship

Question 57

Who coined the term 'destalinisation'?

Answer 57

Khrushchev

Question 58

Did Khrushchev progress with the idea of central leadership?

Answer 58

Yes

Question 59

What did Khrushchev do to politcal prisoners?

Answer 59

He released them from labour camps

Question 60

Under Khrushchev, was the legacy of the cult of personality destroyed?

Answer 60

Yes

Question 61

What type of economic plans did Khrushchev have in place?

Answer 61

7 year economic plans

Question 62

What were the similarities in ideologies of the Russian rulers?

Answer 62

- All believed in the need for absolute control. - All used personalised power. - All used repression as a means of maintaining control. - All used reform to maintain control. - All reluctant to allow openness and the proliferation of freedom. - All used a cult of personality.

Question 63

What were the differences in the ideologies of the Russian rulers?

Answer 63

- They had different justifications for autocratic rule- Tsar's used God, whilst the Communists sued the need to transfer power to the workers. - They had different views on progress. Backwardness VS forward-looking. - The society under Tsars was upheld by the peasants, whilst the society under the Communists was upheld by the workers.

Question 64

Why did the Russian rulers have ideological similarities?

Answer 64

because of... - their desire to control every aspect of society. - the size and diversity of Russia. - difficulties in imposing new ideologies.

Question 65

Why did the Russian rulers have ideological differences?

Answer 65

- because of the background of their ideology. - because they were all trying to achieve different aims.

Question 66

What does the Nature

Question 68

Did the Fundamnetal Laws of 1906 re-assert Nicholas II's autocracy?

Answer 68

Yes