A LEVEL HISTORY A: PAST PAPER 1:
RUSSIA AND ITS RULERS 1855–1964. ALL
ASSESSMENT & MARK SCHEME
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ 2 examples of Nicholas II using the army?.
Answer: Bloody Sunday and Lena Goldfields
◍ The Cheka killed roughly _____ oppositionists in ____ alone..
Answer: 20000, 1918
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Vladimir Lenin).
Answer: The Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission)The brutal
secret police force was created to eliminate political opponents, conducting
mass arrests and summary executions."Red Terror"A period of mass killings
and systemic terror against perceived enemies of the state (bourgeoisie,
Whites, clergy, etc.) during the Civil War.Forced Grain RequisitioningThe
use of armed detachments to seize grain from peasants by force to feed the
cities and army resulted in widespread famine and peasant
uprisings.Banning of Political PartiesAll other political parties were
outlawed, and opposition within the Communist Party was forbidden
through the "ban on factions".Establishment of Concentration/Labour
CampsThe creation of the foundational system of forced labour camps that
would evolve into the Gulag.
◍ Developments in central administration (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: Command Economy & Five-Year PlansA highly centralised
economic system where all aspects of the economy were planned and
, directed by the state through five-year targets.Forced Collectivisation of
AgricultureA brutal policy to consolidate individual land and labour into
collective farms, eliminating private farming and creating state control over
food supply.The Great Purge & The GulagA period of mass political
repression, show trials, and executions, with millions sent to forced labour
camps in Siberia and the far north.Cult of PersonalityThe use of extensive
propaganda to create an image of Stalin as an infallible and heroic
leader.NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs)The state's main
tool of repression and terror, responsible for surveillance, arrests, and the
administration of the Gulag system.
◍ The nature, extent and effectiveness of opposition (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: Nature of OppositionInternal party opposition (Trotsky, Bukharin,
Zinoviev) was eliminated. Later opposition was largely individual,
unorganised dissent.Extent of OppositionSeemingly minimal on the surface
due to extreme state terror and surveillance, it purged any potential threats
before they could grow.Effectiveness of OppositionNon-existent; the level
of state repression and the pervasive fear ensured no organised opposition
could form or succeed.
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: The Great Purge & The Gulag SystemMass arrests, show trials,
executions, and the expansion of the forced labour camp system for millions
of political prisoners.NKVD TerrorThe secret police (NKVD) became an
all-pervasive tool of the state, managing the camps and carrying out state
terror on an unprecedented scale.Propaganda and CensorshipTotal control
over all media and information to indoctrinate the population and eliminate
dissenting thought.Forced Collectivisation & DekulakizationThe use of
force by the state to collectivise farms, often involving the execution or
deportation of "kulaks" (wealthier peasants) and mass famine.Cult of
Personality as ControlThe use of a pervasive personality cult to centralise all
power in Stalin and suppress any alternative leadership or ideology.
◍ What was the Zemstva?.
, Answer: An elected council voted in by landowners, urban dwellers and
peasants
◍ How did Alexander III change the judiciary in 1881?.
Answer: He centralised the police under the Minister of the Interior
◍ Developments in central administration (Alexander II).
Answer: Emancipation of the Serfs (1861)Freed 23 million privately owned
serfs, creating a mobile labour force and beginning the process of rural
transformation.Zemstvos (1864, 1870)Elected local assemblies in rural areas
and towns are given responsibility for local administration, welfare, and
education.Judicial Reforms (1864)Established an independent judiciary with
public trials, jury systems, and professional lawyers, transforming the legal
system.Military Reforms (1874)Modernised the army by introducing
universal conscription for all classes and improving military education and
training.Relaxation of Censorship (1865)Eased government control over the
media, allowing for more public discussion and a period of relative
openness.
◍ The extent and impact of reform (Nicholas II).
Answer: Extent of ReformForced reforms after the 1905 Revolution created
the Duma (a legislative body), but the Tsar consistently undermined its
power, showing a refusal to genuinely share authority.Impact on SocietyThe
Duma offered a semblance of representation but ultimately frustrated the
populace; Stolypin's land reforms created a class of wealthier peasants but
also left many behind.Impact on AutocracyInability to adapt to a changing
world and share power led directly to the collapse of the central
administration during World War I.Overall AssessmentToo little, too late.
Reforms were half-hearted and quickly reversed, highlighting the
monarchy's ultimate inability to lead a modern state.
◍ When was the Great Terror?.
Answer: 1936-38
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Nikita Khrushchev).
Answer: End of Mass TerrorThe key shift was the abandonment of
RUSSIA AND ITS RULERS 1855–1964. ALL
ASSESSMENT & MARK SCHEME
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ 2 examples of Nicholas II using the army?.
Answer: Bloody Sunday and Lena Goldfields
◍ The Cheka killed roughly _____ oppositionists in ____ alone..
Answer: 20000, 1918
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Vladimir Lenin).
Answer: The Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission)The brutal
secret police force was created to eliminate political opponents, conducting
mass arrests and summary executions."Red Terror"A period of mass killings
and systemic terror against perceived enemies of the state (bourgeoisie,
Whites, clergy, etc.) during the Civil War.Forced Grain RequisitioningThe
use of armed detachments to seize grain from peasants by force to feed the
cities and army resulted in widespread famine and peasant
uprisings.Banning of Political PartiesAll other political parties were
outlawed, and opposition within the Communist Party was forbidden
through the "ban on factions".Establishment of Concentration/Labour
CampsThe creation of the foundational system of forced labour camps that
would evolve into the Gulag.
◍ Developments in central administration (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: Command Economy & Five-Year PlansA highly centralised
economic system where all aspects of the economy were planned and
, directed by the state through five-year targets.Forced Collectivisation of
AgricultureA brutal policy to consolidate individual land and labour into
collective farms, eliminating private farming and creating state control over
food supply.The Great Purge & The GulagA period of mass political
repression, show trials, and executions, with millions sent to forced labour
camps in Siberia and the far north.Cult of PersonalityThe use of extensive
propaganda to create an image of Stalin as an infallible and heroic
leader.NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs)The state's main
tool of repression and terror, responsible for surveillance, arrests, and the
administration of the Gulag system.
◍ The nature, extent and effectiveness of opposition (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: Nature of OppositionInternal party opposition (Trotsky, Bukharin,
Zinoviev) was eliminated. Later opposition was largely individual,
unorganised dissent.Extent of OppositionSeemingly minimal on the surface
due to extreme state terror and surveillance, it purged any potential threats
before they could grow.Effectiveness of OppositionNon-existent; the level
of state repression and the pervasive fear ensured no organised opposition
could form or succeed.
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Joseph Stalin).
Answer: The Great Purge & The Gulag SystemMass arrests, show trials,
executions, and the expansion of the forced labour camp system for millions
of political prisoners.NKVD TerrorThe secret police (NKVD) became an
all-pervasive tool of the state, managing the camps and carrying out state
terror on an unprecedented scale.Propaganda and CensorshipTotal control
over all media and information to indoctrinate the population and eliminate
dissenting thought.Forced Collectivisation & DekulakizationThe use of
force by the state to collectivise farms, often involving the execution or
deportation of "kulaks" (wealthier peasants) and mass famine.Cult of
Personality as ControlThe use of a pervasive personality cult to centralise all
power in Stalin and suppress any alternative leadership or ideology.
◍ What was the Zemstva?.
, Answer: An elected council voted in by landowners, urban dwellers and
peasants
◍ How did Alexander III change the judiciary in 1881?.
Answer: He centralised the police under the Minister of the Interior
◍ Developments in central administration (Alexander II).
Answer: Emancipation of the Serfs (1861)Freed 23 million privately owned
serfs, creating a mobile labour force and beginning the process of rural
transformation.Zemstvos (1864, 1870)Elected local assemblies in rural areas
and towns are given responsibility for local administration, welfare, and
education.Judicial Reforms (1864)Established an independent judiciary with
public trials, jury systems, and professional lawyers, transforming the legal
system.Military Reforms (1874)Modernised the army by introducing
universal conscription for all classes and improving military education and
training.Relaxation of Censorship (1865)Eased government control over the
media, allowing for more public discussion and a period of relative
openness.
◍ The extent and impact of reform (Nicholas II).
Answer: Extent of ReformForced reforms after the 1905 Revolution created
the Duma (a legislative body), but the Tsar consistently undermined its
power, showing a refusal to genuinely share authority.Impact on SocietyThe
Duma offered a semblance of representation but ultimately frustrated the
populace; Stolypin's land reforms created a class of wealthier peasants but
also left many behind.Impact on AutocracyInability to adapt to a changing
world and share power led directly to the collapse of the central
administration during World War I.Overall AssessmentToo little, too late.
Reforms were half-hearted and quickly reversed, highlighting the
monarchy's ultimate inability to lead a modern state.
◍ When was the Great Terror?.
Answer: 1936-38
◍ Methods of repression and enforcement (Nikita Khrushchev).
Answer: End of Mass TerrorThe key shift was the abandonment of
