Russia AQA A Level 230 Brainstorming Questions
and Their Correct Solutions Graded 100% Pass
% of Russians peasants in 1917 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -80%
Bolsheviks primary power base after October Revolution - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Central
Committee of the Bolshevik Party
British involvement in Civil War - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -March 1918 - end of 1920.
Wanted to prevent Communism from spreading and wanted to reopen Russian front in WWI.
Backed the Baltic states and achieved independence for Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and troops
joined Japanese in Vladivostock in August 1918
By 1916 how much of their food and fuel requirements were Moscow and Petrograd receiving? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -1/3
By how many troops, tank and aircraft did USSR outnumber Germany at the Battle of Kursk? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -600,000 more men, 1,000 more tanks and 300 more aircraft.
By how much did coal, electricity and steel production fall by between 1940 and 1942? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Coal production halved, electricity fell by 2/3 and steel fell by 3/4
By how much were the Whites outnumbered by the Reds in the Civil War? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -600,000 men
Difference in grain harvests between 1913 and 1921 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -1921 grain
harvests a quarter of 1913 levels.
,Failures of NEP - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Industry failed to expand as quickly as
agriculture, Still high unemployment in urban areas, Scissors Crisis 1923, Grain Procurement
Crisis 1928
Failures of War Communism - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Inflation, 1921 famine, forced to
accept American aid, peasant rebellion in the Volga 1920, collapse of grain production and
industry.
French involvement in Civil War - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -December 1918 - end of 1919.
Wanted to regain assets they had invested in but had been nationalised by the Bolsheviks.
Established land base in Crimea, had warships in the Black Sea and joined UK, USA and Japan
at Vladivostock
Goals of the April Theses - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Abandon cooperation with other parties
as Bolsheviks only true revolutionaries, overthrow Provisional Government, transfer power to
the workers, all authority passed to Soviets.
Grain harvest change from 1921 to 1923 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -37.6 million tonnes 1921
to 56.6million tonnes in 1923.
How and when did Lenin dissolve the Constituent Assembly? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
January 1918 - claimed the Social Revolutionaries had rigged the elections and that there was no
longer any need for democratic elections as democracy had been achieved when the Tsar was
overthrown.
How and when were Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky removed from the Politburo? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -1929 after they were outvoted at a congress packed by Stalin supporters
,How did Germany become a threat to Russia from 1929? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Violent
attacks on the German Communist Party the KPD, German-Polish alliances threatened Russia's
western borders, Open discussions between German diplomats about extending lebensraum into
Russia, Nazi propaganda against Soviet Communism
How did Kerensky help start the October Revolution? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -On 23rd
October he sent armed guards into Bolshevik centres and Pravda, arrested leaders, shut down
newspapers. - provoked uprising.
How did Lenin create an illusion of democracy after October Revolution? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -Sovnarkom was appointed by the All Russian Congress of Soviets so looked
democratic - however Kamenev as Chairman forced them to do this.
How did Lenin crush the Kronstadt Rising? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Sent 60,000 Red
Army troops to storm the Kronstadt base.
How did Stalin become paranoid during the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Believed Russians would be revolutionised into fascists and repressed many troops after
returning from Spain
How did Stalin exploit Lenin's legacy in the Power Struggle? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Created a 'cult of Lenin' through enrolement scheme and built a mausoleum in his honour.
How did Stalin intervene in the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Set up NKVD
branch, provided advisers and military equipment - 45,000 machine guns, 242 aircraft
, How did Stalin use his position of General Secretary to his advantage in the Power Struggle? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Gave patronage to new members through Lenin Enrolment scheme,
who would support him later.
How did Stalin use Kirov's murder to his advantage? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -In 1934
issued the 'Decree against Terrorist Acts' to allegedly hunt down Kirov's murderers. 3000
suspected conspirators imprisoned or murdered. Tens of thousands deported from Leningrad and
Zinoviev and Kamenev arrested in January 1935.
How did Stalin use the Ryutin Platform to his advantage? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Accused
and expelled from the party approximately 1 million members, 20% of the party by 1934, for
being Ryutinites, a group who by questioning Stalin's leadership supposedly wanted to see the
fall of Communism. Zinoviev and Kamenev were included in this group.
How did Stalin's aims change during the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Originally wanted to support Spanish Communism but by 1937 wanted to wear down fascist
opposition and prolong the war
How did the Bolsheviks deal with opposition when they first came to power? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -Closed down all non-Bolshevik newspapers, imprisoned Social Revolutionary,
Menshevik and Kadet leaders, set up the Cheka, encouraged class warfare, abolished legal
system and set up violent revolutionary justice.
How did USSR gain victory over Japan in border conflicts? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -In
May 1939 brought 100,000 troops and 1000 tanks and aircraft to Manchurian border and in
August killed 75% of Japanese troops in the Mongolian battle led by General Zhukov
and Their Correct Solutions Graded 100% Pass
% of Russians peasants in 1917 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -80%
Bolsheviks primary power base after October Revolution - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Central
Committee of the Bolshevik Party
British involvement in Civil War - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -March 1918 - end of 1920.
Wanted to prevent Communism from spreading and wanted to reopen Russian front in WWI.
Backed the Baltic states and achieved independence for Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and troops
joined Japanese in Vladivostock in August 1918
By 1916 how much of their food and fuel requirements were Moscow and Petrograd receiving? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -1/3
By how many troops, tank and aircraft did USSR outnumber Germany at the Battle of Kursk? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -600,000 more men, 1,000 more tanks and 300 more aircraft.
By how much did coal, electricity and steel production fall by between 1940 and 1942? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Coal production halved, electricity fell by 2/3 and steel fell by 3/4
By how much were the Whites outnumbered by the Reds in the Civil War? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -600,000 men
Difference in grain harvests between 1913 and 1921 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -1921 grain
harvests a quarter of 1913 levels.
,Failures of NEP - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Industry failed to expand as quickly as
agriculture, Still high unemployment in urban areas, Scissors Crisis 1923, Grain Procurement
Crisis 1928
Failures of War Communism - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Inflation, 1921 famine, forced to
accept American aid, peasant rebellion in the Volga 1920, collapse of grain production and
industry.
French involvement in Civil War - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -December 1918 - end of 1919.
Wanted to regain assets they had invested in but had been nationalised by the Bolsheviks.
Established land base in Crimea, had warships in the Black Sea and joined UK, USA and Japan
at Vladivostock
Goals of the April Theses - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Abandon cooperation with other parties
as Bolsheviks only true revolutionaries, overthrow Provisional Government, transfer power to
the workers, all authority passed to Soviets.
Grain harvest change from 1921 to 1923 - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -37.6 million tonnes 1921
to 56.6million tonnes in 1923.
How and when did Lenin dissolve the Constituent Assembly? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
January 1918 - claimed the Social Revolutionaries had rigged the elections and that there was no
longer any need for democratic elections as democracy had been achieved when the Tsar was
overthrown.
How and when were Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky removed from the Politburo? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -1929 after they were outvoted at a congress packed by Stalin supporters
,How did Germany become a threat to Russia from 1929? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Violent
attacks on the German Communist Party the KPD, German-Polish alliances threatened Russia's
western borders, Open discussions between German diplomats about extending lebensraum into
Russia, Nazi propaganda against Soviet Communism
How did Kerensky help start the October Revolution? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -On 23rd
October he sent armed guards into Bolshevik centres and Pravda, arrested leaders, shut down
newspapers. - provoked uprising.
How did Lenin create an illusion of democracy after October Revolution? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -Sovnarkom was appointed by the All Russian Congress of Soviets so looked
democratic - however Kamenev as Chairman forced them to do this.
How did Lenin crush the Kronstadt Rising? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Sent 60,000 Red
Army troops to storm the Kronstadt base.
How did Stalin become paranoid during the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Believed Russians would be revolutionised into fascists and repressed many troops after
returning from Spain
How did Stalin exploit Lenin's legacy in the Power Struggle? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Created a 'cult of Lenin' through enrolement scheme and built a mausoleum in his honour.
How did Stalin intervene in the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Set up NKVD
branch, provided advisers and military equipment - 45,000 machine guns, 242 aircraft
, How did Stalin use his position of General Secretary to his advantage in the Power Struggle? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Gave patronage to new members through Lenin Enrolment scheme,
who would support him later.
How did Stalin use Kirov's murder to his advantage? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -In 1934
issued the 'Decree against Terrorist Acts' to allegedly hunt down Kirov's murderers. 3000
suspected conspirators imprisoned or murdered. Tens of thousands deported from Leningrad and
Zinoviev and Kamenev arrested in January 1935.
How did Stalin use the Ryutin Platform to his advantage? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -Accused
and expelled from the party approximately 1 million members, 20% of the party by 1934, for
being Ryutinites, a group who by questioning Stalin's leadership supposedly wanted to see the
fall of Communism. Zinoviev and Kamenev were included in this group.
How did Stalin's aims change during the Spanish Civil War? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -
Originally wanted to support Spanish Communism but by 1937 wanted to wear down fascist
opposition and prolong the war
How did the Bolsheviks deal with opposition when they first came to power? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔ -Closed down all non-Bolshevik newspapers, imprisoned Social Revolutionary,
Menshevik and Kadet leaders, set up the Cheka, encouraged class warfare, abolished legal
system and set up violent revolutionary justice.
How did USSR gain victory over Japan in border conflicts? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔ -In
May 1939 brought 100,000 troops and 1000 tanks and aircraft to Manchurian border and in
August killed 75% of Japanese troops in the Mongolian battle led by General Zhukov
