Russia Notes
AQA A Level History
,Key Political Groups......................................................................................................................................... 4
Background (pre 1917)..................................................................................................................................... 4
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905..................................................................................................................... 4
Bloody Sunday................................................................................................................................................. 4
The October Manifesto..................................................................................................................................... 5
The Fundamental Laws (April 1906)................................................................................................................. 5
Rasputin........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Opposition to the Tsar in WW1......................................................................................................................... 5
The Events of the February Revolution............................................................................................................. 6
How far did the Tsar contribute to his own downfall?......................................................................................6
The Basics of Communism............................................................................................................................... 6
Lenin................................................................................................................................................................. 6
The Beginning of the Dual Authority................................................................................................................. 7
The Soviet Taking Power.................................................................................................................................. 7
Key Reforms Made by the Dual Authority......................................................................................................... 7
The April Thesis................................................................................................................................................ 7
How Did the Prov. Gov. Deal With Problems?................................................................................................. 7
The July Days................................................................................................................................................... 8
The Kornilov Affair............................................................................................................................................ 8
The October Revolution.................................................................................................................................... 9
Bolsheviks Consolidation of Power?................................................................................................................ 9
What Happened During the Russian Civil War?............................................................................................. 10
How Important Was Trotsky to the Civil War?................................................................................................ 10
How Did the Reds Win the Civil War?............................................................................................................ 10
War Communism............................................................................................................................................ 10
The Red Terror................................................................................................................................................ 11
Opposition to the Bolsheviks (Post Civil War)................................................................................................ 11
The New Economic Policy (NEP).................................................................................................................... 11
Centralisation Post-NEP................................................................................................................................. 12
Foreign Relations............................................................................................................................................ 12
The Significance of Lenin............................................................................................................................... 13
Young Stalin................................................................................................................................................... 13
The Bolshevik Leadership Contest................................................................................................................. 13
Long Term Successes/Failures of NEP.......................................................................................................... 14
The Need For the Great Turn.......................................................................................................................... 14
The First 5 Year Plan...................................................................................................................................... 14
Results of the First 5 Year Plan...................................................................................................................... 14
Collectivisation............................................................................................................................................... 15
Problems with Collectivisation........................................................................................................................ 15
,Stalin and the Cult of Personality................................................................................................................... 15
Foreign Policy Under Stalin............................................................................................................................ 15
Year Two........................................................................................................17
Collectivisation............................................................................................................................................... 17
Results of Collectivisation.............................................................................................................................. 17
Industrialisation............................................................................................................................................... 17
The Cult of Stalin............................................................................................................................................ 19
The Red + Great Terror................................................................................................................................... 19
Life for Citizens of the Soviet Union in the Years 1929-1941.........................................................................21
International Relations From 1929-1941......................................................................................................... 22
The Great Patriotic War.................................................................................................................................. 23
Origins of the Cold War.................................................................................................................................. 25
High Stalinism................................................................................................................................................. 26
Dictatorship and Totalitarianism Post-War..................................................................................................... 27
Stalin’s Death + Legacy.................................................................................................................................. 28
, KEY POLITICAL GROUPS
Social Revolutionaries (SR’s)
• Grew out of the populist movement
• Focused on the workers
• Weakened by disagreements between the left and right
• The left were anarchists who pursued terrorism, the right were more diplomatic in their actions
• Trotsky was initially a member of the SRs
Social Democrats (SD’s)
• They wanted a class based revolution following the ideas of Karl Marx, i.e the proletariat rise up
and beat the bourgeoise
• Lead by Lenin, very dedicated to revolution but he was exiled for much of the early years
• The party eventually split into the Bolsheviks (Lenin) and Mensheviks (Martov)
• The Bolsheviks had the majority of the power and were a small, dedicated party
• The main Bolshevik newspaper is called Pravda
Octoberists
• They were reformers, still wanted the Tsar in place but wanted change to the political system
• Particularly wanted him to keep the promises he made in the October Manifesto
• Many of its leaders were in the Provisional Government
Kadets
• Wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected assembly
• Contained many progressive landlords and some entrepreneurs
• Played a significant role in 1917
• Provisional Government had a large no. of Kadets initially
BACKGROUND (PRE 1917)
• Limited social mobility, workers make up most of the population
• Issues to do with emancipation, freed workers still had to work for their old owners
• Agricultural economy, most superpowers had industrialised
• Massive country geographically, takes 2 months for a round trip from Moscow to Vladivostok
• Large parts of the country are uninhabitable, very cold in winter (-12)
Nicholas I
• Had little experience in government
• Married a German Princess Alexandra, who was the dominant personality
• Didn’t fully trust his advisors
• Believed that maintaining autocracy was the only way to keep Russia in order
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR 1904-1905
• Japan invaded Russia in 1904 but Russia didn’t see them as a threat
• They took Port Arthur and Mukden
• Russians sent their fleet the wrong way round the world to get to Japan, once they were there 8
months later they lost in hours
• Government had to sign a peace treaty, Russia became a laughing stock
BLOODY SUNDAY
• In 1905 a group of 110,000 workers led by Father Georgi Gapon went on strike in St. Petersburg
• It was over 4 members of a workers group being fired by the Putilov Iron works
AQA A Level History
,Key Political Groups......................................................................................................................................... 4
Background (pre 1917)..................................................................................................................................... 4
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905..................................................................................................................... 4
Bloody Sunday................................................................................................................................................. 4
The October Manifesto..................................................................................................................................... 5
The Fundamental Laws (April 1906)................................................................................................................. 5
Rasputin........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Opposition to the Tsar in WW1......................................................................................................................... 5
The Events of the February Revolution............................................................................................................. 6
How far did the Tsar contribute to his own downfall?......................................................................................6
The Basics of Communism............................................................................................................................... 6
Lenin................................................................................................................................................................. 6
The Beginning of the Dual Authority................................................................................................................. 7
The Soviet Taking Power.................................................................................................................................. 7
Key Reforms Made by the Dual Authority......................................................................................................... 7
The April Thesis................................................................................................................................................ 7
How Did the Prov. Gov. Deal With Problems?................................................................................................. 7
The July Days................................................................................................................................................... 8
The Kornilov Affair............................................................................................................................................ 8
The October Revolution.................................................................................................................................... 9
Bolsheviks Consolidation of Power?................................................................................................................ 9
What Happened During the Russian Civil War?............................................................................................. 10
How Important Was Trotsky to the Civil War?................................................................................................ 10
How Did the Reds Win the Civil War?............................................................................................................ 10
War Communism............................................................................................................................................ 10
The Red Terror................................................................................................................................................ 11
Opposition to the Bolsheviks (Post Civil War)................................................................................................ 11
The New Economic Policy (NEP).................................................................................................................... 11
Centralisation Post-NEP................................................................................................................................. 12
Foreign Relations............................................................................................................................................ 12
The Significance of Lenin............................................................................................................................... 13
Young Stalin................................................................................................................................................... 13
The Bolshevik Leadership Contest................................................................................................................. 13
Long Term Successes/Failures of NEP.......................................................................................................... 14
The Need For the Great Turn.......................................................................................................................... 14
The First 5 Year Plan...................................................................................................................................... 14
Results of the First 5 Year Plan...................................................................................................................... 14
Collectivisation............................................................................................................................................... 15
Problems with Collectivisation........................................................................................................................ 15
,Stalin and the Cult of Personality................................................................................................................... 15
Foreign Policy Under Stalin............................................................................................................................ 15
Year Two........................................................................................................17
Collectivisation............................................................................................................................................... 17
Results of Collectivisation.............................................................................................................................. 17
Industrialisation............................................................................................................................................... 17
The Cult of Stalin............................................................................................................................................ 19
The Red + Great Terror................................................................................................................................... 19
Life for Citizens of the Soviet Union in the Years 1929-1941.........................................................................21
International Relations From 1929-1941......................................................................................................... 22
The Great Patriotic War.................................................................................................................................. 23
Origins of the Cold War.................................................................................................................................. 25
High Stalinism................................................................................................................................................. 26
Dictatorship and Totalitarianism Post-War..................................................................................................... 27
Stalin’s Death + Legacy.................................................................................................................................. 28
, KEY POLITICAL GROUPS
Social Revolutionaries (SR’s)
• Grew out of the populist movement
• Focused on the workers
• Weakened by disagreements between the left and right
• The left were anarchists who pursued terrorism, the right were more diplomatic in their actions
• Trotsky was initially a member of the SRs
Social Democrats (SD’s)
• They wanted a class based revolution following the ideas of Karl Marx, i.e the proletariat rise up
and beat the bourgeoise
• Lead by Lenin, very dedicated to revolution but he was exiled for much of the early years
• The party eventually split into the Bolsheviks (Lenin) and Mensheviks (Martov)
• The Bolsheviks had the majority of the power and were a small, dedicated party
• The main Bolshevik newspaper is called Pravda
Octoberists
• They were reformers, still wanted the Tsar in place but wanted change to the political system
• Particularly wanted him to keep the promises he made in the October Manifesto
• Many of its leaders were in the Provisional Government
Kadets
• Wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected assembly
• Contained many progressive landlords and some entrepreneurs
• Played a significant role in 1917
• Provisional Government had a large no. of Kadets initially
BACKGROUND (PRE 1917)
• Limited social mobility, workers make up most of the population
• Issues to do with emancipation, freed workers still had to work for their old owners
• Agricultural economy, most superpowers had industrialised
• Massive country geographically, takes 2 months for a round trip from Moscow to Vladivostok
• Large parts of the country are uninhabitable, very cold in winter (-12)
Nicholas I
• Had little experience in government
• Married a German Princess Alexandra, who was the dominant personality
• Didn’t fully trust his advisors
• Believed that maintaining autocracy was the only way to keep Russia in order
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR 1904-1905
• Japan invaded Russia in 1904 but Russia didn’t see them as a threat
• They took Port Arthur and Mukden
• Russians sent their fleet the wrong way round the world to get to Japan, once they were there 8
months later they lost in hours
• Government had to sign a peace treaty, Russia became a laughing stock
BLOODY SUNDAY
• In 1905 a group of 110,000 workers led by Father Georgi Gapon went on strike in St. Petersburg
• It was over 4 members of a workers group being fired by the Putilov Iron works
