Russia and The Soviet Union: 1905-24
Key Features: Model Answers Chapters 1-5
Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1 2
Social groups of Russia (1) 2
Social groups of Russia (2) 3
Russo-Japanese war 3
Bloody Sunday 3
The Potemkin Mutiny 4
October Manifesto 4
Events of the 1905 revolution 4
Peasants and workers in the 1905 revolution 5
Stolypin’s policy of repression 5
Tsar’s survival 5
Fundamental laws 6
The first duma 1906 6
Second duma 1907 6
Third and fourth duma 6
The Dumas 1906-1917 7
Stolypin’s land reforms 7
The Lena goldfields strike 8
CHAPTER 2 8
Russia’s involvement in World War 2 8
The battle of Tannenburg 8
Economic effects of the war 9
Social effects of the war 9
World war 1 9
The Tsarina 10
February revolution 10
Army mutiny 11
CHAPTER 3 11
The Petrograd soviet 11
The provisional government 11
Dual control (bullet points) 12
1
, Mistakes of the provisional government (bullet points) 12
The June offensive 12
April theses 12
Bolshevik support 13
The July days 13
The Kornilov revolt 13
October revolution 14
The Bolshevik success 14
The constituent assembly 15
The Bolshevik promises 15
The 1917 decrees 15
The constituent assembly 16
The treaty of Brest- Litovsk 16
The Reds 17
The whites 17
The Bolshevik victory 17
CHAPTER 5 18
War communism 18
State control of food supply 18
The control of industry 18
Effects on the peasants 19
Effects on the workers 19
The Kronstadt naval base 19
New economic policy 20
Effects of the new economic policy 20
CHAPTER 1
Social groups of Russia (1)
Feature #1 – peasants disappointed
Feature #2 – middle class wanted to see change
One key feature of the social groups of Russia is that peasants were extremely disappointed
and unsatisfied by the government. being the 88% of the population the peasants suffered from food
shortages and land shortages. overpopulation caused deadly famines throughout the 1890s and killed
thousands. Also, they were angry at how poorly the government was handling the famines. one
example is that the word famine was banned from newspapers by the government
Another key feature is that the middle class was the class that wanted to see most change. as
liberals they wanted to have more say in how Russia was governed, and they were afraid of radicals
who wanted to share property among the poor. this was because the property would be taken from
2
, them to be given to the poor something, they were not willing to so. many thought the best way to
prevent revolution was to replace the tsarist regime with a constitution that guaranteed rights to
everyone
Social groups of Russia (2)
Feature #1 – workers under terrible conditions
Feature #2 – non-Russians oppressed
One key feature of the social groups of Russia is that the workers were under terrible
conditions. Although the industry was just starting to grow it was growing fast therefore workers were
concentrated in huge factories in Russia’s major cities. Conditions if factories were dangerous and life
threatening, working hours were long and the pay low. Also, there were house shortages therefore
workers were forced to live in overcrowded barracks were diseases spread rapidly
Another key feature is that non-Russians were oppressed, and many wanted independence.
This was mainly caused because of the policy of russification which put pressure on other nationalities
to speak Russian and to adopt the Russian culture. Minorities were not allowed to celebrate their own
traditions and origins while the empire put Russia first in everything
Russo-Japanese war
Feature #1 – Russia wanted to capture Manchuria
Feature #2 – Russians defeated
One key feature about the Russo-Japanese war is that it was caused because of Russia wanting
to capture Manchuria which was also wanted by Japanese. Russia wanted Manchuria because it would
benefit the country as a whole. It had useful resources such a coal and it also had a warm port
throughout the year which is something Russia lacked because of the cold weather. Because of this
the Russo Japanese war broke out in 1904, a mistake rooting from the overconfidence of the Russians.
The Russians used outdated military tactics and weren’t risking their lives as much as the Japanese
did. They were also tired form crossing Siberia to reach the battlefield.
Another key feature of the Russo-Japanese war is that the Russians were defeated by the
Japanese suffering a huge humiliation and dreadful consequences. A country with such a huge army
would be expected to defeat a small island such as Japan easily, that did not happen making the
Russian government seem weak and incompetent while also making the tsar unpopular. Furthermore,
due to the war, 5000 men were killed and another 5000 were capture devastating Russian families.
Lastly the war created even more shortages, unemployment and price inflation which made the living
conditions of the workers and peasants even worse
Bloody Sunday
Feature #1 – caused by dissatisfaction of workers
Feature #2 – peaceful intentions
One key feature of bloody Sunday is that it was caused because of the dissatisfaction of the
workers and their feeling of impoverishment and oppression deciding to protest with peaceful
intentions. Workers had no freedom and no rights, they suffered from horrible working and living
conditions and so they decided to create a petition with father Gapon as their leader collecting 150
000 signatures. In the petitions they demanded an eight-hour working day, the right to organise trade
unions and a constitution to be established
Another key feature of bloody Sunday is that this peaceful intended protest ended up into a
massacre. After the crowd of protestors which included women and children marched in front of the
winter palace demanding to see the tsar, the soldiers which blocked the entrance started to shoot and
whip the protestors killing one hundred of them and wounding hundreds. As a result, people were
3
Key Features: Model Answers Chapters 1-5
Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1 2
Social groups of Russia (1) 2
Social groups of Russia (2) 3
Russo-Japanese war 3
Bloody Sunday 3
The Potemkin Mutiny 4
October Manifesto 4
Events of the 1905 revolution 4
Peasants and workers in the 1905 revolution 5
Stolypin’s policy of repression 5
Tsar’s survival 5
Fundamental laws 6
The first duma 1906 6
Second duma 1907 6
Third and fourth duma 6
The Dumas 1906-1917 7
Stolypin’s land reforms 7
The Lena goldfields strike 8
CHAPTER 2 8
Russia’s involvement in World War 2 8
The battle of Tannenburg 8
Economic effects of the war 9
Social effects of the war 9
World war 1 9
The Tsarina 10
February revolution 10
Army mutiny 11
CHAPTER 3 11
The Petrograd soviet 11
The provisional government 11
Dual control (bullet points) 12
1
, Mistakes of the provisional government (bullet points) 12
The June offensive 12
April theses 12
Bolshevik support 13
The July days 13
The Kornilov revolt 13
October revolution 14
The Bolshevik success 14
The constituent assembly 15
The Bolshevik promises 15
The 1917 decrees 15
The constituent assembly 16
The treaty of Brest- Litovsk 16
The Reds 17
The whites 17
The Bolshevik victory 17
CHAPTER 5 18
War communism 18
State control of food supply 18
The control of industry 18
Effects on the peasants 19
Effects on the workers 19
The Kronstadt naval base 19
New economic policy 20
Effects of the new economic policy 20
CHAPTER 1
Social groups of Russia (1)
Feature #1 – peasants disappointed
Feature #2 – middle class wanted to see change
One key feature of the social groups of Russia is that peasants were extremely disappointed
and unsatisfied by the government. being the 88% of the population the peasants suffered from food
shortages and land shortages. overpopulation caused deadly famines throughout the 1890s and killed
thousands. Also, they were angry at how poorly the government was handling the famines. one
example is that the word famine was banned from newspapers by the government
Another key feature is that the middle class was the class that wanted to see most change. as
liberals they wanted to have more say in how Russia was governed, and they were afraid of radicals
who wanted to share property among the poor. this was because the property would be taken from
2
, them to be given to the poor something, they were not willing to so. many thought the best way to
prevent revolution was to replace the tsarist regime with a constitution that guaranteed rights to
everyone
Social groups of Russia (2)
Feature #1 – workers under terrible conditions
Feature #2 – non-Russians oppressed
One key feature of the social groups of Russia is that the workers were under terrible
conditions. Although the industry was just starting to grow it was growing fast therefore workers were
concentrated in huge factories in Russia’s major cities. Conditions if factories were dangerous and life
threatening, working hours were long and the pay low. Also, there were house shortages therefore
workers were forced to live in overcrowded barracks were diseases spread rapidly
Another key feature is that non-Russians were oppressed, and many wanted independence.
This was mainly caused because of the policy of russification which put pressure on other nationalities
to speak Russian and to adopt the Russian culture. Minorities were not allowed to celebrate their own
traditions and origins while the empire put Russia first in everything
Russo-Japanese war
Feature #1 – Russia wanted to capture Manchuria
Feature #2 – Russians defeated
One key feature about the Russo-Japanese war is that it was caused because of Russia wanting
to capture Manchuria which was also wanted by Japanese. Russia wanted Manchuria because it would
benefit the country as a whole. It had useful resources such a coal and it also had a warm port
throughout the year which is something Russia lacked because of the cold weather. Because of this
the Russo Japanese war broke out in 1904, a mistake rooting from the overconfidence of the Russians.
The Russians used outdated military tactics and weren’t risking their lives as much as the Japanese
did. They were also tired form crossing Siberia to reach the battlefield.
Another key feature of the Russo-Japanese war is that the Russians were defeated by the
Japanese suffering a huge humiliation and dreadful consequences. A country with such a huge army
would be expected to defeat a small island such as Japan easily, that did not happen making the
Russian government seem weak and incompetent while also making the tsar unpopular. Furthermore,
due to the war, 5000 men were killed and another 5000 were capture devastating Russian families.
Lastly the war created even more shortages, unemployment and price inflation which made the living
conditions of the workers and peasants even worse
Bloody Sunday
Feature #1 – caused by dissatisfaction of workers
Feature #2 – peaceful intentions
One key feature of bloody Sunday is that it was caused because of the dissatisfaction of the
workers and their feeling of impoverishment and oppression deciding to protest with peaceful
intentions. Workers had no freedom and no rights, they suffered from horrible working and living
conditions and so they decided to create a petition with father Gapon as their leader collecting 150
000 signatures. In the petitions they demanded an eight-hour working day, the right to organise trade
unions and a constitution to be established
Another key feature of bloody Sunday is that this peaceful intended protest ended up into a
massacre. After the crowd of protestors which included women and children marched in front of the
winter palace demanding to see the tsar, the soldiers which blocked the entrance started to shoot and
whip the protestors killing one hundred of them and wounding hundreds. As a result, people were
3
