Class 9 History Chapter 2 HOTS Questions - Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

Q1: Name the socialist party formed in Russia in 1898 on Marx's ideas.
Ans: The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP).

Q2: How did this socialist party work in monarchy?
Ans: It had to operate as an illegal organisation. It set up a newspaper, mobilised workers, and organised strikes.

Q3: What role was played by 'The Socialist Revolutionary Party' in 1900 Russia?
Ans: This party struggled for peasants’ rights and demanded that land belonging to nobles be transferred to peasants.

Q4: Who were 'Bolsheviks'?
Ans: It was a political organisation led by Lenin, who thought that in a repressive society like Tsarist Russia, the party should be disciplined and should control the number and quality of its members. He believed in a socialist system.

Q5: Who were Mensheviks?
Ans: 'Mensheviks' were also a political organisation, who thought that the party should be open to all and accept a democratic set-up of government.

Q6: What was the demand of workers of St. Petersburg in 1904?
Ans: The workers went on strike demanding a reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in wages, and improvement in working conditions.

Q7: Which incident was the immediate cause of the 1905 Revolution in Russia?
Ans: 'Bloody Sunday' was the incident, where over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded on a Sunday.

Q8: What was a 'Duma'?
Ans: The 'Duma' was an elected legislative body formed with the permission of the Tsar after the 1905 Russian Revolution, though its powers were very limited.

Q9: Name the leader who led the procession of workers to the Winter Palace.
Ans: Father Gapon.

Q10: Name the countries that formed Allied Powers in World War I.
Ans: France, Britain, and Russia. Later, Italy, Romania, and the USA also joined them.

Q11: Which countries formed the Central Powers bloc during World War I?
Ans: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey (Ottoman Empire), and Bulgaria.

Q12: What was the new name of St. Petersburg?
Ans: It was a German name, so it was changed to Petrograd, a Russian name.

Q13: Which world war situation discredited the government of Russia and the Tsar?
Ans: There were over 7 million casualties by 1917, and the Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from living off the land. This situation discredited the government of Russia and Tsar Nicholas II.

Q14: What was located on the right bank of river Neva in Petrograd?
Ans: The workers’ quarters and factories were located on the right bank of the river Neva.

Q15: Which buildings were located on the left bank of river Neva?
Ans: On the left bank were the fashionable areas, the Winter Palace, and official buildings, including the Palace where the Duma met.

Q16: What is 'Soviet'?
Ans: 'Soviet' was a council of soldiers and striking workers of Russia.

Q17: What was 'Petrograd Soviet'?
Ans: When the Soviet met in the same building where the Duma met, it was named the 'Petrograd Soviet'.

Q18: What was the result of the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia?
Ans: It brought down the monarchy, and leaders of the Duma and the Soviet formed a provisional government.

Q19: What was Lenin's 'April Thesis'?
Ans: Lenin’s April Thesis had three major demands:

• War to be ended, and Russia to withdraw from World War I.
• Land to be given to the tiller.
• Banks to be nationalised.
  It also included the slogan “All power to the Soviets.”

Q20: What new name was given to 'Bolshevik Party'?
Ans: The Bolshevik Party renamed itself 'The Communist Party' to indicate its new radical aims.

National Bolshevik Party

Q21: Who was the Prime Minister of Russia when the October Revolution began?
Ans: Kerensky.

Q22: Which secret police was formed to punish those who criticised the Bolsheviks?
Ans: The secret police called 'Cheka', later renamed OGPU and NKVD.

Q23: Who controlled the Russian Empire in 1918 and 1919?
Ans: The 'Greens' (Socialist Revolutionaries) and 'Whites' (pro-Tsarists and other anti-Bolsheviks) controlled much of the Russian Empire.

Q24: What was Centralised Planning?
Ans: A process of centralised planning was introduced by the Bolsheviks. Officials assessed how the economy should work and set targets for a five-year period called 'Five-Year Plans'.

Q25: How did centralised planning lead to economic growth?
Ans: Industrial production increased significantly in oil, coal, and steel, and many new factory cities came into being.

Q26: Who was Stalin?
Ans: Stalin was a close associate of Lenin and came to power in Russia after Lenin's death. He introduced firm emergency measures.

Q27: Who were 'kulaks'?
Ans: It was the name given to the well-to-do peasants of Russia.

Q28: Why did Kulaks need to be eliminated?
Ans: To develop modern farms and run them along industrial lines with machinery, it was necessary to eliminate Kulaks, take away land from peasants, and establish state-controlled large farms.

Q29: What does 'Kolkhoz' mean?
Ans: These were collective farms. Peasants worked on this land and the profit was shared amongst them. Those who resisted collectivisation were severely punished.

Q30: What is Comintern?
Ans: It is Communist International, a union of pro-Bolshevik socialist parties.

Q31: Differentiate between the ideas of liberals, radicals and conservatives.
Ans: (i) Liberals: They believed in changing society. They wanted a nation which tolerated all religions and safeguarded the rights of individuals against government. However, they thought that only propertied men should have the right to vote. They also opposed women’s suffrage.
(ii) Radicals: They believed in the rule of the majority. They opposed the privileges of landowners and factory owners and supported women’s right to vote.
(iii) Conservatives: They opposed both liberals and radicals. Initially, they opposed any change, but by the nineteenth century they accepted change if brought slowly and with respect for tradition.

Q32: What was the socialist system?
Ans: Socialists were against private property and felt it was the root cause of all social ills. Property gave personal gains to owners, not to the workers who made it productive. Socialists wanted collective interests to be prioritised over personal interests.

Q33: Describe the visions of Robert Owen and Louis Blanc.
Ans: (i) Robert Owen: He wanted to form a cooperative community called 'New Harmony' in Indiana. He felt that the government should support and encourage such cooperatives.
(ii) Louis Blanc: He wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and replace capitalist enterprises. He believed profit should be divided according to the work done by members.

Q34: How were socialist parties formed in various parts of the world?
Ans: Workers in England and Germany formed associations for better living and working conditions. In Germany, they worked closely with the Social Democratic Party and helped it win parliamentary seats. They set up funds to help members in times of distress. In 1905, socialists and trade unionists formed a 'Labour Party' in Britain and a 'Socialist Party' in France.

Q35: What were the main causes of the 1905 Revolution?
Ans:
(i) Russia was an autocracy and its ruler was not subject to a parliament.
(ii) Prices of essential goods rose rapidly and real wages declined by 20%.
(iii) About 1,000 workers in St. Petersburg went on strike demanding shorter working hours, higher wages, and better conditions.
(iv) Finally, the 'Bloody Sunday' incident at the Winter Palace provoked the 1905 Revolution against the Tsar.

Q36: Who was Father Gapon? Narrate the events leading to the 'Bloody Sunday' incident and the 1905 Revolution.
Ans: Father Gapon was the leader of the procession of workers who marched towards the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.
Events:
(i) When this procession of workers reached the Winter Palace, it was attacked by the police.
(ii) Over a hundred workers were killed and about three hundred wounded.
(iii) This incident, known as 'Bloody Sunday', started a series of events leading to the 1905 Revolution.
(iv) Strikes took place, universities closed down, and student bodies staged walkouts.
(v) Lawyers, doctors, engineers, and other middle-class professionals formed unions and demanded a constituent assembly.

Q37: What was the Duma? How far was it successful?
Ans: The Duma was an elected legislative body like a parliament. The Tsar dismissed the first Duma within 75 days and the re-elected Second Duma within three months. He did not want any restrictions on his powers. He changed the voting laws and filled the Third Duma with conservative politicians, excluding liberals and revolutionaries.

Q38: What was the impact of World War I on the Russian economy?
Ans: Industrial equipment disintegrated rapidly in Russia. By 1916, railway lines began to break down, and all able-bodied men were called to war. As a result, there were labour shortages, and small workshops producing essential goods were shut down. Since more rations were sent to the army, there was a bread shortage for civilians. By the winter of 1916, riots at bread shops were common.

Q39: What were the three major demands of the Bolsheviks?
Ans: In April 1917, Lenin returned to Russia and put forward the 'April Theses':
(i) End the war and withdraw from it.
(ii) Transfer land to the peasants.
(iii) Nationalise banks.

Q40: How did the Mensheviks resist the protest of the Bolsheviks?
Ans: In industries, committees were formed to question industrialists about how they ran factories. Trade unions were created, and soldiers’ committees were formed in the army. In June 1917, about 500 Soviets sent representatives to an All-Russian Congress of Soviets. As the Provisional Government saw Bolshevik influence spreading, it decided to take stern measures against the discontent.

Q41: What were the causes of the civil war between the Bolsheviks and the Russian army of the non-Bolshevik socialists?
Ans: When the Bolsheviks ordered land distribution, the Russian army began to break up. Non-Bolshevik socialists, liberals, and supporters of autocracy opposed this. Their leaders moved to South Russia and organised troops to fight the Bolsheviks. A civil war broke out, marked by looting, banditry, and famine.

Q42: What was the impact of Stalin's 'Reign of Terror'?
Ans: There was criticism of the consequences of collectivisation of farms. Stalin and his supporters accused these critics of conspiring against socialism. As a result, millions were imprisoned in labour camps or executed after forced confessions under torture. Many of those punished were talented professionals who were falsely accused.

Q43: What social changes can be seen in society after industrialisation?
Ans: (i) Industrialisation brought men, women, and children to factories.
(ii) Work hours were long and wages were poor.
(iii) Housing and sanitation problems grew rapidly.
(iv) Almost all industries were privately owned.
(v) Many liberals and radicals were themselves property owners and employers.
(vi) New cities and industrial regions developed, railways expanded, and the Industrial Revolution spread.

Q44: Who was Karl Marx? What was his theory of socialism?
Ans: Karl Marx was a communist thinker who introduced the concept of scientific socialism.
His Theory:
(i) Industrial society belonged to capitalists.
(ii) Capitalists owned the capital invested in industries, but profit was produced by workers.
(iii) Workers’ conditions would never improve as long as capitalists took the profit.
(iv) To free themselves, workers had to form a socialist society where all property was socially controlled, leading eventually to a communist society.

Q45: What were the main causes of the Russian Revolution?
Ans: (i) Autocratic rule of Tsars: In 1914, Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia. He fought wars to expand his empire, financing them by taxing the common people.
(ii) Conditions of peasants: Most Russians were peasants. Much land was owned by nobles and clergy. Peasants were underpaid, overworked, and often indebted.
(iii) State of industry: Industry was concentrated in pockets like St. Petersburg and Moscow. Craftsmen and large factories coexisted. Foreign investment increased with railway expansion.
(iv) Conditions of workers: Most industries were privately owned. The government regulated hours and wages, but rules were often broken. Women were paid less than men. Workers formed associations for support during hardships.
(v) Formation of socialist parties: All political parties were illegal before 1914. The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, founded in 1898, respected Marxist ideas but had to operate secretly. It set up a newspaper, mobilised workers, and organised strikes.