Q1: Explain the main effects of the First World War on the industries in Russia.
Ans:
- Russian industries were limited during World War I due to a lack of diversity, and the country faced isolation from other industrial suppliers because of German dominance over the Baltic Sea.
- Industrial equipment deteriorated at a faster rate in Russia compared to other European nations.
- By 1916, the railway infrastructure in Russia started to deteriorate, aggravated by the conscription of able-bodied men into the war effort.
- Due to the labor shortages caused by conscription, several small workshops that produced essential goods were forced to close down.
- A significant amount of grain was redirected to feed the army, leading to shortages of bread and flour in urban areas.
- By the winter of 1916, bread riots became a common occurrence in cities due to the scarcity of essential food items.
Q2: What were the immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution? (CBSE 2010)
OR
What were the impacts of the Russian Revolution on Russia?
Ans:
- The Russian Revolution marked the end of autocratic monarchy in Russia, leading to the transformation of the Tsarist empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
- One of the significant outcomes of the Bolshevik Revolution was the establishment of a Socialist Government, where all means of production came under state control. This included banks, mines, factories, railways, telephones, and more, all of which were declared as government property.
- Additionally, properties belonging to the Church were nationalized, with work becoming a mandatory requirement for all individuals. Those who did not work were deprived of voting rights.
- Before the revolution, the Russian population faced dire conditions exacerbated by World War I. The primary concern for the people was securing food rather than territorial expansion.
- Post-revolution, the government seized control of all means of production and nationalized both small and large industries. Consequently, Russia rapidly developed into a formidable industrial nation within a short span of time.
- Through the growth of industrial and agricultural sectors, poverty levels diminished, paving the way for the country's progression towards prosperity.
Q3: Discuss the causes that led to the Revolution of 1917.
OR
Describe the circumstances which were responsible for Russian Revolution.
Ans:
The circumstances which were responsible for the Russian Revolution as given below :
- The Russian peasantry was in a miserable condition. The farmers could not get even two square meals a day. Their land holdings were very small and they had to pay heavy taxes.
- The Russian as well as the foreign capitalist industrialists exploited the workers by taking 12-14 hours of work and paying very low wages to them. The workers had no right to form trade unions or seek reforms. They led a miserable life.
- The Tsar Nicholas II was a despotic and autocratic ruler. He enjoyed unlimited powers and rights. The people of the higher strata enjoyed great privileges. The bureaucracy was corrupt and inefficient. The common people who suffered most, were fed up with the absolute rule of the Tsar and wanted to get rid of him.
- Karl Marx propagated strongly opposed capitalism which meant untold exploitation of the common men.
Q4: Discuss Stalin’s collectivisation programme.
OR
What was Collectivisation? How did Stalin use this programme?
Ans:
- Stalin felt that collectivization would definitely solve the problem of shortage. From 1929 the Party forced the peasants to cultivate in collective farms (Kolkhoz).
- The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms.
- Peasants worked on the land and the Kolkhoz profit was shared. Enraged peasants resisted the authorities and destroyed their livestock.
- Between 1929 and 1931 the number of cattle fell by 1/3. Those who resisted collectivization were severely punished. Many were exiled and deported.
- The peasants argued that they were not rich and were not against socialism but they opposed collectivization for a variety of reasons. Some independent cultivation was allowed by Stalin’s government but such cultivators were treated unsympathetically. In spite of all these measures production did not increase immediately.
Collectivization in Russia
Q5: Explain how a society, according to socialists, can operate without property. What would be the basis of socialist society?
Ans:
Socialists' Visions of the Future
- Robert Owen, an influential English manufacturer, envisioned the establishment of a cooperative community known as New Harmony in Indiana, USA.
- Some socialists believed that the widespread creation of cooperatives required more than just individual efforts.
- Louis Blanc in France advocated for government support to promote cooperatives and supplant capitalist enterprises.
- According to these socialists, cooperatives were meant to be associations of individuals engaged in collective production, with profits distributed based on the members' contributions.
- Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels expanded on these ideas, with Marx emphasizing the capitalist nature of industrial society where factory owners reaped profits generated by workers.
- Marx argued that workers could only improve their conditions by liberating themselves from capitalist exploitation and establishing a socialist society where all property was collectively owned—a communist society.
- The Second International was formed to coordinate the endeavors of these socialists.
Q6: How did socialism spread in Europe?
Ans:
Socialism spread in Europe through a combination of influential thinkers, practical experiments, and political activism:
Intellectual Advocacy: By the mid-19th century, socialism had become a prominent ideology in Europe. Socialists criticized private property as the source of social inequalities, arguing that societal control of property would better serve collective interests. Key thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels expanded on these ideas, with Marx advocating for a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a communist society.
Cooperative Experiments: Socialists proposed various models for a society without private property. Robert Owen, an English manufacturer, established a cooperative community in New Harmony, Indiana. Other socialists, like Louis Blanc, advocated for government support to establish cooperatives that would replace capitalist enterprises, aiming to distribute profits based on individual contribution.
Political Mobilization: By the 1870s, socialist ideas gained traction, leading to the formation of the Second International to coordinate efforts among socialists across Europe. Workers' associations in England and Germany fought for improved conditions, reduced working hours, and political rights, such as voting.
Formation of Political Parties: Socialists began forming political parties to advance their agendas. In Germany, these associations supported the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which gained parliamentary representation. Similarly, in Britain, socialists helped establish the Labour Party, and in France, the Socialist Party emerged.
Legislative Influence: Despite their growing presence, socialists did not form governments in Europe before 1914. However, their ideas influenced legislation and shaped public debates, while conservative, liberal, and radical parties continued to dominate government.
Through these channels, socialism spread across Europe, impacting both political structures and social policies.
Q7: Discuss the role and importance of Lenin in the history of the USSR.
OR
Examine the role of Lenin in the Russian Revolution.
Ans:
- In April 1917, the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia from exile. He said it was time for the Soviets to take overpower.
- He declared that the war is brought to a close, the land is transferred to peasants, banks are nationalized. These three demands were Lenin’s ‘April Theses’.
- He argued that Bolshevik Party is renamed the Communist Party. In January 1918, Lenin dismissed the Constituent Assembly.
- There was only one party — the All Russian Congress of Soviets. It also became the Parliament of the country. The secret police OGPU and NKVD punished those who criticised the Bolsheviks.
- By 1920, the Bolsheviks controlled most of the former empire.
- The Bolsheviks created the USSR from the Russian Empire in December 1922.
Vladimir Lenin
Q8: What were the social, economic, and political conditions in Russia before 1905?
Ans:
A. Social Conditions
- People of different social statuses, classes, religions, and diverse nationalities were there.
- Imposition of the Russian language was made to belittle the cultures of these people. The main groups of the Russian population were farmers, workers, landowners, capitalists, industrialists, and traders.
B. Economic Conditions
- 85 per cent of Russians were agriculturists.
- Agriculture provided employment to a vast population.
- Cultivators produced food for the market as well as their own needs
C. Political Conditions
- Nobles got their power and position through their services to the Tsar, not through local popularity.
- This was unlike France where peasants respected nobles and fought for them. In Russia, peasants wanted the land of the nobles, they refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords.
Q9: In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917?
Ans:
- Workers were a divided social group in Russia.
- Some had strong links with villages, some had settled in cities. Workers were divided by skill.
- Metalworkers considered themselves aristocrats.
- Despite the division, they did unite to strike work when they disagreed with employers. Like workers, peasants were also divided.
- But they had no respect for the nobility.
- They wanted the land of the nobles. They refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords.
Q10: What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution?
Ans:
- Most industries and banks were nationalised. This meant that the government took over the ownership and management.
- The land was declared social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
- In cities, Bolsheviks enforced the partition of large houses according to family requirements. The use of old aristocratic titles was banned.
- New uniforms were designed for the army and the officials.
- The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party.
- Russia became a one-party state.
- The secret police OGPU and NKVP punished those who criticised Bolsheviks.
Q11: Comment on the global influence of the Russian Revolution.
OR
What were the international consequences of the Russian Revolution?
Ans:
- Existing socialist parties in Europe did not wholly approve of the way the Bolsheviks took power and kept it.
- Still, the possibility of a workers’ state fired their imagination across the world. In many countries, communist parties were formed.
- Bolsheviks encouraged colonial people to follow their example. Many non-Russians received education in the USSR’s communist University of the Peoples of the East.
- By the time the Second World War broke out, the USSR had given socialism a global face and world stature.
Q12: How did Russia's participation in the World War cause the fall of the Tsar?
Ans:
- The war was initially popular and people rallied around Tsar Nicholas II. But as the war continued, support became thin and Tsar's popularity declined.
- Anti-German sentiments became high. The Tsarina Alexandra's German origins and poor advisers, especially a monk called Rasputin, made the autocracy unpopular.
- Defeats were shocking and demoralising.
- Russia's armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916. There were over 7 million casualties by 1917.
- The destruction of crops and buildings led to over 3 million refugees in Russia. The situation discredited the government and the Tsar.
- The war also had a severe impact on the industry. Many of them producing essential goods were shut down.
- Able-bodied men were called up to the war. Large supplies of grains were sent to feed the army. For the people in the cities, bread and flour became scarce. By the winter of 1916, riots at bread shops were common.
Q13: What were the immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution?
Russian Civil War
Ans:
- The Russian army began to break up after Bolsheviks ordered land redistribution. Soldiers who were mostly peasants wished to go home for the land and desert.
- Now Bolshevik Socialists, Liberals, and supporters of autocracy condemned the Bolshevik uprising. Their leaders organised the troops to fight the Bolsheviks.
- During 1918 and 1919, the ‘greens’ (Socialist Revolutionaries) and ‘whites’ (pro-Tsarists) controlled most of the Russian empire. They were backed by French, American, British, and Japanese troops. As these troops and the Bolsheviks fought a civil war, looting, banditry, and famine became common.
- Supporters of private property among ‘whites’ took harsh steps with peasants who had seized land.
Q14: What was Bloody Sunday? Or Describe the incident known as ‘Bloody Sunday’? State any two events after the Bloody Sunday which led to the revolution of 1905 in Russia.
- On Sunday, 22nd January, 1905, workers led by Father Gapon in Russia marched to the winter palace of the Tsar to present a petition.
- Tragically, they were met with indiscriminate firing by the police and cossacks, resulting in the deaths of over 100 workers and injuries to 300 more.
- This event marked the beginning of what would be known as the 1905 Revolution, with this tragic incident being referred to as 'Bloody Sunday' in Russian history.
Consequences of Bloody Sunday:
- The news of Bloody Sunday sparked widespread unrest across Russia, leading to strikes occurring nationwide.
- Universities in Russia were shut down as students protested the government's suppression of civil liberties.
- Professionals such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, and middle-class workers formed the Union of Unions, demanding a constituent assembly.
Q15: Describe the main events of the October Revolution in Russia.
- On 16th October, 1917, Lenin convinced the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik party to approve the seizure of power. A military Revolutionary committee was established with Leon Trotskii at the helm.
- The uprising commenced on October 24, as pro-government forces were dispatched to secure telephone and telegraph offices and guard the Winter Palace. In response, the Military Revolutionary Committee instructed its backers to capture government facilities and detain ministers.
- The city fell under the committee's authority, leading to the surrender of the ministers. Uprisings erupted in other cities as well. By December, the Bolsheviks had dominance over the Moscow Petrograd region.
