AQA A LEVEL HISTORY COMPONENT 1H
TSARIST AND COMMUNIST RUSSIA 2026
ACTUAL PAPER FULL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100 PERCENT CORRECT
◉ Why did Lenin support the use of political terror? Answer: Viewed
the Bolsheviks as the "vanguard of the proletariat" and so violence
was necessary to set up socialism, which he thought was in the best
interest of the workers
◉ What promise made the Bolsheviks popular among most soldiers?
Answer: Quick end to WW1
◉ What had already happened before Lenin assumed power which
weakened the officer class? Answer: The creation of soldiers'
committees
◉ Which military leader refused to obey Lenin's orders to sign the
armistice? Answer: General Dukhonin
◉ What happened after General Dukhonin failed to follow orders?
Answer: He was replaced by a loyal Bolshevik, Krylenko, and
murdered by his own troops, meaning the armistice could soon be
signed
,◉ What happened to those who were previously part of the officer
class? Answer: They left the front, and returned to civilian life or
joined opposition groups (although numbers were limited)
◉ How many Cossacks actually opposed the Bolsheviks in the civil
war? Answer: Only 600
◉ What was the secret police called? Answer: Cheka
◉ When were elections for the first constituent assembly held?
Answer: November 1917
◉ What proportion of the vote did the Bolsheviks achieve in the first
elections to the constituent assembly? Answer: 23%
◉ Who was elected as leader of the constituent assembly? Answer:
Chernov, an SR
◉ How many people voted in the constituent assembly election?
Answer: 47 million (out of an electorate of 80 million)
◉ How did Lenin respond to the non-Bolshevik constituent
assembly? Answer: Closed it down after 1 day, the decision was
,approved by the Bolshevik dominated "Third All-Russian Congress
of Soviets"
◉ What was the first Decree by the new government? Answer:
Decree on Peace (to end Russian involvement in WW1)
◉ What was the Decree on Land? Answer: Abolished the landlords'
right of property, confiscated large estates from monasteries,
churches and the nobility to be redistributed by the peasant soviets
◉ What was the Decree on Nationalities? Answer: Allowed the right
of self government to any national group
◉ How did the Bolsheviks improve housing for the urban poor?
Answer: Housing taken from private owners, committees created to
relocate poor families into the houses of the wealthy
◉ What reforms did the Bolsheviks make which had an impact on
family life? Answer: Civil marriage and divorce introduced and made
easier, formation of the Institute for the Protection of Mothers and
Children
◉ How did the Bolsheviks reform education? Answer: Commissariat
of Public Education took all education out of the hands of the Church
, ◉ How did the Bolsheviks symbolically get rid of social classes/the
social heirarchy? Answer: All titles abolished, Comrade is the title
used by all
◉ What was the problem with the first wave of nationalisation?
Answer: Large factories weren't compensated
◉ Why did Lenin decide decide to sign a peace treaty? Answer:
Didn't believe Russia could win the war, cost of war isn't sustainable
◉ What proportion of agricultural land did Russia lose in the Treaty
of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of the Russian railway network was lost in the
Treaty of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of the Russian population was lost in the Treaty
of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of Russian coal mines were lost in the Treaty of
Brest Litovsk? Answer: 2/3
◉ What proportion of heavy industry (iron and steel) did Russia lose
in the Treaty of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/2
TSARIST AND COMMUNIST RUSSIA 2026
ACTUAL PAPER FULL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100 PERCENT CORRECT
◉ Why did Lenin support the use of political terror? Answer: Viewed
the Bolsheviks as the "vanguard of the proletariat" and so violence
was necessary to set up socialism, which he thought was in the best
interest of the workers
◉ What promise made the Bolsheviks popular among most soldiers?
Answer: Quick end to WW1
◉ What had already happened before Lenin assumed power which
weakened the officer class? Answer: The creation of soldiers'
committees
◉ Which military leader refused to obey Lenin's orders to sign the
armistice? Answer: General Dukhonin
◉ What happened after General Dukhonin failed to follow orders?
Answer: He was replaced by a loyal Bolshevik, Krylenko, and
murdered by his own troops, meaning the armistice could soon be
signed
,◉ What happened to those who were previously part of the officer
class? Answer: They left the front, and returned to civilian life or
joined opposition groups (although numbers were limited)
◉ How many Cossacks actually opposed the Bolsheviks in the civil
war? Answer: Only 600
◉ What was the secret police called? Answer: Cheka
◉ When were elections for the first constituent assembly held?
Answer: November 1917
◉ What proportion of the vote did the Bolsheviks achieve in the first
elections to the constituent assembly? Answer: 23%
◉ Who was elected as leader of the constituent assembly? Answer:
Chernov, an SR
◉ How many people voted in the constituent assembly election?
Answer: 47 million (out of an electorate of 80 million)
◉ How did Lenin respond to the non-Bolshevik constituent
assembly? Answer: Closed it down after 1 day, the decision was
,approved by the Bolshevik dominated "Third All-Russian Congress
of Soviets"
◉ What was the first Decree by the new government? Answer:
Decree on Peace (to end Russian involvement in WW1)
◉ What was the Decree on Land? Answer: Abolished the landlords'
right of property, confiscated large estates from monasteries,
churches and the nobility to be redistributed by the peasant soviets
◉ What was the Decree on Nationalities? Answer: Allowed the right
of self government to any national group
◉ How did the Bolsheviks improve housing for the urban poor?
Answer: Housing taken from private owners, committees created to
relocate poor families into the houses of the wealthy
◉ What reforms did the Bolsheviks make which had an impact on
family life? Answer: Civil marriage and divorce introduced and made
easier, formation of the Institute for the Protection of Mothers and
Children
◉ How did the Bolsheviks reform education? Answer: Commissariat
of Public Education took all education out of the hands of the Church
, ◉ How did the Bolsheviks symbolically get rid of social classes/the
social heirarchy? Answer: All titles abolished, Comrade is the title
used by all
◉ What was the problem with the first wave of nationalisation?
Answer: Large factories weren't compensated
◉ Why did Lenin decide decide to sign a peace treaty? Answer:
Didn't believe Russia could win the war, cost of war isn't sustainable
◉ What proportion of agricultural land did Russia lose in the Treaty
of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of the Russian railway network was lost in the
Treaty of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of the Russian population was lost in the Treaty
of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/3
◉ What proportion of Russian coal mines were lost in the Treaty of
Brest Litovsk? Answer: 2/3
◉ What proportion of heavy industry (iron and steel) did Russia lose
in the Treaty of Brest Litovsk? Answer: 1/2
