A-level HISTORY Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964

A-level HISTORY Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964 Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/1H. • Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 80. • You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice • You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. 2 IB/M/Jun21/7042/1H Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A Russia, on the eve of the First World War, could scarcely be regarded as an industrial country. Farming was still the occupation of the overwhelming majority of the population and, while large towns existed, they were few in number and the urban population was only 18% of the total. It is true that Russian industry had made advances. By 1914, Russia’s industries had grown considerably from their 1890s level and Russia possessed a substantial industrial sector. The annual growth rate of 8% in the 1890s was certainly an impressive achievement and between 1906 and 1913, growth was still more than 6%. However, development was variable: a period of stagnation, 1900–1907, brought falling industrial prices and bankruptcies. This encouraged the formation of large corporations which concentrated major industries into fewer hands and pushed up prices. Industrial problems at this time were world-wide, but Russia suffered badly because of its agrarian problems. Adapted from ME Falkus, The Industrialisation of Russia 1700–1914, 1972