Essential websites: School history website with all powerpoints: https://newbattle4history.wordpress.com/ BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/russia/ Send home practice or ask for help d.hayes@mgfl.net

Newbattle Community High SchoolHigher History Student Booklet

Russia 1881–1921

Introduction: Why is the Russian Revolution important?In this course we will study the Russian Revolution of 1917. A revolution is when there is a complete change in the way a country is governed . Before 1917 Russia was ruled by a king, Tsar Nicholas II. He had the power to run the country any way he wanted. In 1917 there was a revolution and the tsar had his power taken away. A few months later there was a second revolution and the government of Russia was taken over by a revolutionary called Lenin. He was the leader of the Bolshevik Party. The Bolshevik Party said that it would run Russia for the ordinary working people.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 created the world’s first communist country. Communism was a new system of government which claimed that the working people should own the country’s wealth. They should run the government. Russia changed its name to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union grew to be one of the world’s superpowers with a very large army and nuclear weapons. The idea of communism spread to many other countries in Europe and Asia, and even to the island of Cuba. But by 1990 Russia’s factories were struggling to provide the products and wealth the Russian people needed. The nations ruled by Russia, such as Ukraine, were demanding freedom and the right to rule themselves. In 1991 the Soviet Union broke up and we now have the Russian Federation .

However, the Russian Revolution of 1917 is still debated a great deal as people ask:

What caused the Russian revolution? How do revolutions happen? How can they be stopped? Is it good to have revolutions??

What happened in Russia 1860-1921Task: Make a timeline to show the key events in Russian History. Put events above the timeline if they were dangerous and below if they were less dangerous for the Tsar.

Alexander II 1855-81 The so-called “Tsar Liberator” pushed through reforms for Russian society.In the 1861 Emancipation decree he freed the serfs (peasant famers who belonged to a piece of land) and gave them land. But he reimbursed the landowners upfront. The freed serfs then had to pay back the state in redemption payments over the next 49 years. This made many of them very poor.

1894 Nicholas Romanov became tsar of the Russian Empire. He was called Nicholas II.

We shall be looking at the events that happened in Russia and in the two most important cities, St Petersburg/Petrograd and Moscow.

Bloody Sunday took place in 1905. Workers held a peaceful march to the tsar’s Winter Palace but were fired on by soldiers. One hundred innocent people were killed.

This led to the 1905 Revolution as workers in the cities came out on strike. Peasants attacked the landowners. Sailors mutinied and took over the battleship Potemkin. It looked as if the people might even try to get rid of the tsar. The tsar gave in and announced the October Manifesto.

The October Manifesto said that Russia was to have a parliament, a Duma, which some people were allowed to vote for. But the tsar kept most of the power. The workers and peasants stopped protesting and returned to their jobs.

Changes were made which helped some Russians. For example, the tsar’s new prime minister, Alexander Stolypin, encouraged peasants to become Kulaks. Kulaks were richer peasants who were allowed to own their farms. Little changed for the majority of Russians and most peasants and the industrial workers remained poor and unhappy.

The First World War broke out in 1914. Russia, Britain and France were on one side. Germany and Austria were on the other. But Russia suffered one military defeat after another. By 1917 over 4 million of its soldiers had been killed or injured. As the tsar was in command of the army he was blamed for the losses.

The war also caused great economic hardship for the workers and peasants. There were food shortages in the cities and countryside as there were not enough men to look after the farms.

Nicholas went off to lead the army so was no longer in Petrograd (the new name for the capital, St Petersburg). He left his wife, Alexandra, in charge of running the government. Alexandra fell under the control of a monk called Rasputin. Rasputin caused her to make a number of unwise decisions. The royal family got a bad reputation which continued even after Rasputin was murdered in 1916.

By 1917 most Russians wanted the war to end. Almost everyone, especially the soldiers, workers and peasants were suffering in a number of ways.

St Petersburg

MoscowSIBERIA

trans Siberian railway

Ukraine

THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

6,500 kilometres wide

CHINA

TURKEY

GERMANY

Vladivostok

In February 1917 the first revolution broke out in Petrograd. People protested over the shortage of bread and fuel caused by the war. Protests and demonstrations were put down by the tsar’s army. This time many of the soldiers joined the demonstrators. As the army could no longer protect him the tsar was forced to abdicate, meaning he gave up his throne. There had to be a new government for Russia.

Two governments appeared to replace the tsar. The new official government was called the Provisional Government. It took over from the Tsar and the upper and middle class supported it. The Provisional Government continued to fight in the war.

The second new government was the Petrograd Soviet. The Petrograd Soviet was a council under the control of soldiers, workers and peasants. They voted for the Soviet (council) members. We can say that the Soviet was the unofficial government. It took some control over the army.

Lenin returned to Russia to lead a second revolution. He reached Petrograd in April 1917 and with the help of other Bolsheviks (Communists) started speaking to crowds of soldiers, workers and peasants.

Lenin set out his aims in a document called the April Theses. Lenin made three promises: to end the war; to get rid of the factory owners; and to give all the land to the peasants.

He urged the ordinary people to get rid of the Provisional Government. The Soviet should be the official government of Russia.

For the Russian people this was a very confused period. Most were unhappy that the Provisional Government continued in the war against Germany. By the autumn of 1917 the Bolsheviks got more support and even formed their own army, the Red Guard.

The second revolution: the October Revolution of 1917

During 1917 the Provisional Government lost much support. Under the Provisional Government, Russia was still losing the war. There was still a food and fuel shortage. Even after the tsar had gone conditions for the people were as bad as ever.

Lenin thought it was time for the Bolsheviks to replace the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks controlled the Soviets in Petrograd and Moscow. Leon Trotsky led the Red Guard. He was told to plan the take-over of Petrograd. He was to arrest the members of the Provisional Government.

In October 1917 the Red Guard took control of Petrograd in one night. Lenin announced himself leader of a new Bolshevik government. Soon Lenin had complete power. After only a week the Bolsheviks controlled the most important places in Russia.

Lenin quickly pulled Russia out of the war with Germany. This was popular but even so most Russians did not support the Bolsheviks. In the first elections, held in 1917, only 25% voted for them. Lenin banned all the other political parties. Those who opposed him were imprisoned or shot by the CHEKA, the new secret police.

A brutal civil war broke out in Russia in 1918. A civil war is a war between two sides in the same country. Those who disagreed with the Bolsheviks got together to fight against them.

As the Bolsheviks were known as the Reds those who fought against them were called the Whites. Some Whites wanted the tsar back in power. The civil war lasted until 1921. The Red Army, led by Trotsky, defeated the Whites. The Bolsheviks remained the rulers of Russia.

During the three years of war Lenin kept control of Russia by a policy called War Communism. Under War Communism the Bolshevik government kept strict control of the workers’ lives. The government took away the peasants’ crops and cattle by force. The food was needed for the Red Army and the workers in the cities.

Take notes to explain the following possible causes. You should aim to have 2-3 facts under each heading. Problems of Geography Problems because of upper classes Problems of government Problems of control (how to stop opposition) Problems of leadership / the Tsar Problems caused by the Church Problems for peasants Problems for workers

Rather than put up with this, many peasants hid their crops and killed their animals. Food production went down and conditions became worse. Such was the disruption caused by the civil war that many peasants starved as the government took away their crops.

The civil war ended in 1921. Because so many Russians were unhappy with War Communism, Lenin had to make some changes. In 1921 he introduced the New Economic Policy. This allowed the peasants to own the land. The government still owned most major industries, but small industries could be privately owned. Soon Russia was able to feed itself again. Despite this, the CHEKA continued to arrest and imprison those who opposed the Bolsheviks. Lenin died in 1924.

What were the main problems for Russia before 1905?Why was there increasing pressure for change?

Geography: It was the largest country in the world stretching from the Black Sea in the west to the Bering Sea in the extreme east of the Asian continent. It also had a huge population that included, alongside Russians, large numbers of Germans, Poles, Slavs and Asians. Among this diverse population, just about every major religious faith was represented.

Unlike Western Europe, however, the Russian Empire was politically, economically and socially backwards. There was little industry and the vast majority of the population were peasant farmers working in an agricultural system that had changed little since the middle-ages.

Furthermore, most of the population were illiterate and many still existed as serfs - effectively slaves under the control of wealthy landowners

The size of the Russian empire. The country itself helped maintain Tsarist authority. The bulk of the population were peasant farmers. Most of them were illiterate and this made it difficult to spread liberal or revolutionary ideas using books or pamphlets. These peasants lived largely in remote, widely dispersed villages. This made it difficult for them to unite in a challenge to the Tsar. The sheer size of Russia and the poor state of the roads and railways also meant that it was difficult for ideas to spread.

Problems because of upper classesA small number of Russians were wealthy. The upper class such as landowners made money from their estates where the peasants worked. The middle class factory owners became wealthy from selling the products that their workers made. Those who had top government jobs in the civil service, police or army were well paid.

Problems with the governmentThe tsar had all the power. The people were expected to do as they were told. The Okhrana were the tsar’s secret police. Those who disagreed or stood up to the tsar could be imprisoned, tortured or shot by the Okhrana. The Orthodox Church: The Tsar was the head of the Church. Accordingly, the Church reinforced his authority. Among the huge peasant population, the Church was very influential. Official Church doctrine stated that the Tsar was appointed by God, and that any challenge to the Tsar - the 'Little Father' - was an insult to God. The Church made sure that peasants kept on hearing this message.

The Civil Service was made up of administrators and officials who carried out the instructions of the Tsar and his Ministers. They were appointed and paid by the Tsarist state and were very loyal to it. police had a vital role in keeping watch for enemies of the Tsar, and arresting them as required. Particularly important here was the Okhrana, the secret police. Agents of the Okhrana worked undercover, infiltrating organisations and groups which might present a danger to the Tsar. Censorship: All books and newspapers in Russia were censored (cut) so that people would not be influenced by liberal or socialist ideas. Any material which was thought to be dangerous was banned. Any person trying to circulate banned books or newspapers ran the risk of being detected by the Okhrana. Laws: The Tsarist legal system was designed to support autocracy and Tsarist authority. A standard punishment for opponents of the Tsar was exile to the remote region of Siberia. Many thousands of people seen to be enemies of the state were sent to Siberia where they were so far away that they had little chance of threatening Tsarist power. The Army: The Tsar had a huge army, and it was a very effective means of enforcing Tsarist power. At times of civil unrest, because of high food prices, for example, the arrival of Cossack cavalry regiments usually meant that things calmed down fairly quickly.

Problems with opposition Some people were determined to change Russia by bringing about a revolution. There were a number of revolutionary groups in Russia.The most famous revolutionary was Lenin. Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik Party. The Bolsheviks believed that the working class should take over the country’s wealth. Then they would share out the wealth equally. When the working class ruled Russia a perfect society, called Communism, would be created.

Problems with the Tsar

Nicholas became tsar in 1894 after the death of his father Alexander III. The young tsar knew that he was a target for revolutionaries. A few years before, his grandfather, Alexander II, had been murdered by a bomb. Yet the new monarch was a very powerful person.

Someone with total power is called an ‘autocrat’. Nicholas II had total control of the government and did not have to share power with anyone. Nicholas II ruled over a vast empire and was in command of a huge army. The army was completely loyal to him (until 1917).

As tsar, Nicholas II was also the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Church believed he had been chosen by God as the rightful ruler of the Russian people.

There were people who thought that Russia should become more modern. This meant that the tsar should share power with a parliament elected by the people. This was already happening in many other European countries.

Source A is what Nicholas said in 1894.

I am not prepared to be Tsar. I never wanted to become one. I know nothing about being a ruler. I have no idea of how to talk to ministers.

Source B is from politicians who knew the Tsar in 1917.

Nicholas II found the daily work of a monarch very, very boring and he had not inherited a single skill to help him run an Empire.

The tsar governed Russia with the help of the nobles. As landowners, the nobles kept control of the peasants. They ran the courts and made the peasants pay their taxes to the government. Only nobles could become officers in the army. Nobles also became ministers and officials in the tsar’s government. Many ordinary Russians hated the government officials because they would only do their job if they were given a bribe.

Often the ministers were more intelligent and better educated than Nicholas. But the tsar usually sacked them if he thought they were too clever. He only wanted government ministers who agreed with him.

Nicholas was determined to keep all power for by himself. He and the tsarina, Alexandra, wanted to make certain that after him their only son Alexei would be the tsar.

Source C is what Nicholas said in 1895 My father did not share power with anyone when he was tsar. Let all know that I don’t intend to share my power either.

Source D is from Alexandra to her husband, Nicholas

Don’t share power with anyone. Don’t let the people forget you are their master. You must pass complete control of Russia on to our son Alexei.

Source E is also from Alexandra to her husband, Nicholas

People think I am a bit strange but they are wrong. It is just that I am closer to heaven than to earth.

Source F is a picture of the Russian royal family in 1904

Problems because of the Russian Orthodox Church

Source G is part of the law of the Russian Empire, written in 1892.

The tsar of the Russian Empire is an autocrat and has complete power. God commands that his supreme power be obeyed.

According to the Orthodox Church the tsar was put in charge of Russia because God wanted it. Therefore, if anyone went against the tsar they would also be going against God. The people had to obey the tsar or God would punish them. The Church had supported the power of the tsars for centuries. In return, the Church had become wealthy and powerful. The bishops of the Church were as important and rich as the nobles.

The Russian peasants were very religious. No matter how poor they were, they believed that they would be rewarded in heaven. Most peasants had an icon, a holy picture, at which the family would pray to God. The Orthodox priests taught that people who complained about their lives or opposed the tsar would end up in hell.

To the peasants the tsar was almost as important as God. This is why very few peasants ever spoke against the tsar even though they hated the landowners.

The peasants paid the village priest to take care of the important services in their lives, such as baptism, marriage and funerals. They also paid taxes to the Church but did not like doing this.

Problems for peasants

The largest class of people were the peasants. Most of them were poor farmers . The peasants made up over 80% of the population. They were often uneducated and unwilling to use modern methods in agriculture (farming).

This meant that they couldn’t produce more than just enough to feed themselves. Many of them had also been serfs and still owed very large redemption payments to buy their grandparents’ freedom.

Peasants almost never owned their farms. They paid rent to landowners. The peasants believed that the tsar should give them all the land. If this happened it would encourage them to improve their farms. But it seemed that the tsar was on the side of the landowners.

Farming in most areas of Russia was difficult as the soil was poor. Russian peasants wanted much more help from the tsar’s government when there were food shortages.

The peasants believed that only those who farmed on the land should own it. Up to 1905 they hoped that some day the tsar would take the land away from the landowners and give it to the peasants.

Millions of peasants were forced to live in villages called a Mir. In the Mir the landowner forced them to pay a lot of taxes to the government. He also kept the peasants under firm control.

Source H is from a revolutionary in 1885.

Misery is normal for the peasants. They are dying of diseases such as diphtheria, typhus, and from hunger. Yet piles of grain such as wheat and barley are being sold abroad. Land is taken from the peasants in order to raise cattle to feed the rich people.

Source I is from a police report to the tsar’s government, 1905.

Very often the peasants do not have enough land and so they cannot feed themselves. They cannot pay for clothing or heating for their homes. They don’t have enough tools and animals to work on the land. They have difficulty in paying their taxes.

Source J is a photograph of a peasant village.

During the period until 1916, Russia had no form of income tax. As a result the Tsar raised money to maintain his regime by taxing the produce of the peasant farmers. The burden of taxation was so great that periodic riots broke out. Although these riots were put down, it proved that a large number of the Russian population were unhappy with life under the Tsar's regime.

Having to pay high taxes caused the peasants many problems. Many of the goods the peasants needed to live went up greatly in price. Examples of this were fuel, candles and sugar. Sometimes the peasants had to sell all their crops to pay their taxes. When this happened it left them with no food and no seeds to plant crops in the next year.

The result was starvation and death, as noted in Source H. There were famines (severe food shortages) in Russia in 1898, 1901 and 1902.

The population of Russia was growing very quickly. There was not enough land for everyone and farms grew smaller. By 1905 the average farm was only three-quarters of the size it had been 30 years earlier. Many peasants left to work in the cities and industrial areas.

Problems for workers and industryThe industrial working class was the next largest class of the people who lived in Russia’s towns and cities. These industrial workers worked in the factories, ship yards and coal mines. They had built the great Trans Siberian Railway line across Russia. The working class in Russia was very small compared to most European countries. Russian industry was not as modern as Britain and Germany but it was growing fast. The industrial workers had helped to make Russia a rich country. Despite this they were badly treated, poorly paid and lived in slums. They believed that the tsar was on the side of the factory owners.

Russia’s industry was backward because the nobles were not interested in industry. They made their income from the rent the peasants paid for their farms.Russia’s industry was backward because it had a very small middle class. The middle class were the business people who believed in enterprise. This meant that they created banks, factories, ship yards and other businesses. Scientists, engineers and other experts also belonged to the middle class.

From 1880 onwards Russia’s industry grew very quickly. The tsar’s government wanted Russia to be more powerful. They wanted the army to grow larger and have new weapons. He wanted better ships for the Russian navy. For this to happen Russia needed more modern industry. Russian businesses bought modern machinery from other European countries. This machinery was traded for with crops the peasants paid in taxes. Even so, Russia was still far behind countries such as Germany, Britain and France.

The Russian economy had a great weakness. Industry was growing very quickly but most Russians had very little money to spend. If people do not have money to spend then they cannot buy what industry makes. After 1900 Russia’s industry slowed down.

Industry created a new class of people, the industrial workers. In Russia the class of industrial workers was still very small. In 1900 there were only 2.3 million workers in cities such as St Petersburg and Moscow and other industrial areas.

Working life was very hard. Men and women worked 12 hours a day on weekdays and 10 hours on Saturday. Today most people in Scotland work 35 hours a week. Pay was very low but taxes were very high.

Workers were very badly treated. They could be beaten by their boss and fined for making mistakes. Living conditions were terrible. In the cities the working class lived in overcrowded barracks. Often several families had to share a flat. Sometimes workers had to use the beds of others who were on a different shift.

In Russia workers could not complain about their lives. They were not allowed to form trade unions. A trade union is an organisation in which workers join together to ask for better pay and conditions. If workers went on strike the police were used against them. The government did not care about the miserable lives of the workers.

Source K is from a report on workers’ homes in Moscow, 1902.The flat was damp and filthy. In two of the rooms there is total darkness. The ceiling is so low that a tall man cannot stand up straight. The plaster on the walls is crumbling and holes in the wall are stuffed with rags. There are a large number of bugs to be seen. The toilet is collapsing and so dangerous that the children are not allowed to use it.

Source L shows Russian workers pulling a heavy load in 1904.

© RIA Novosti

Problems for national minorities

There were 200 different nationalities in the Russian Empire. These were the national minorities – the people of Chechnya, Poland, Finland and many more.

The national minorities did not speak Russian and did not belong to the Russian Church. Twenty-three million of them were Muslims. There were millions of Catholics and 7 million Jews.

The government had a policy of Russification. Russification meant that the other nationalities should be forced to become like the Russians. Other languages were banned and all education was to be in Russian. Russification wanted everyone to belong to the Russian Church. Because of this the national minorities wanted to break away from the Russian Empire.

The Jews were particularly badly treated. Jews were often murdered in pogroms. Pogroms were attacks on Jewish villages. The police did nothing to protect them and many Jews tried to leave the Russian Empire.

Take notes to explain the following possible opposition groups. You should aim to have a point under the following headings for each group: NAME, AIMS, METHODS, SUCCESS / DANGER FOR THE TSAR by 1905.

Liberals Narodniks or SRs Bolsheviks and Mensheviks

You can collect much more information from your other textbooks and from the websites

© RIA Novosti

Source M is from a revolutionary writing about Russification in 1901.

The nationalities and religions in Russia are suffering. They can not have their own languages, schools or work for the government. They are forced to give in to the shameful policies of Russification. The Jews are suffering for they don’t have the right to live where they choose or the right to go to school.

Source N is from a British visitor describing a pogrom in 1903.

They died horribly in their own homes. Old men were beaten down in front of their sons. There were babies killed as their mothers held them. Women were raped and murdered while their children were watching.

What was the most effective opposition to the Tsar?

Revolutionary groups

New ideas of change and revolution were spreading in Russia. There were people who wanted to change the government.

The government tried to stop new ideas from spreading. They used the Okhrana, the secret police, to hunt down enemies of the tsar. Anyone speaking against the tsar could be exiled (sent to the cold area known as Siberia), imprisoned and even shot. Four thousand revolutionaries were exiled for political crimes by 1901.

Political parties were banned but they met in secret. They lived at all times under the threat of the Okhrana.

The Liberals was the party of the middle class. Liberals wanted the tsar to share his power with a parliament. Only the middle class would have the right to vote for parliament. The Liberals wanted change but did not want violent revolution.

Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) wanted the peasants to own all the land and to rule over themselves. This group wanted violent revolution and often murdered government officials.

The Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks were communists. Communists believed that the working class should rule Russia. They wanted the industrial workers in the cities to have a revolution and get rid of the tsar. The Mensheviks believed that the working class should prepare for revolution slowly. But the Bolsheviks wanted a violent revolution as soon as possible.

Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks. He became Russia’s most famous revolutionary in 1917.

Take notes to explain the following possible causes:1. Long term economic and social problems2. Increased anger because of the Tsar's repression3. Tsar himself4. 1904 Russo-Japanese War5. Bloody Sunday6. Opposition groups

Source A is a poster to show what Russian society was like.

The tsar was at the top of society. He had complete power.

What were the causes of the 1905 Revolution?

Did Long term economic and social problems cause revolution?Peasant anger about high taxation and lack of land in the west had already turned into uprisings in 1892, 1898 and 1901 when the harvests had failed. By 1905 the countryside was once again on the verge of revolution.Living and working conditions in the rapidly growing cities continued to get worse but were not being tackled by any government reform. Uprooted peasants who moved to city slums were particularly likely to be volatile.

Did Tsar Nicholas II 1894 – 1917 cause revolution?

Could be described as a typical English public schoolboy, possessing all the social graces (“the politest man in all Europe”) but totally lacking in political knowledge. He would have been ideally equipped for a ceremonial role (such as being King of England) but was hopelessly out of his depth as an autocrat where much greater personal leadership was required. Instead “he muddled but didn’t lead”. With a very strong sense of duty, he worked incredibly hard but got didn't see the big picture. He was poor at handling his ministers, did not delegate or deal with disagreements. The joke was that the most powerful person in St Petersburg was whoever had last spoken to Nicholas. He agreed with everyone and then went behind their backs.

His wife the Empress Alexandra “wore the trousers” according to KP. Her unpopularity wouldn’t have mattered if she had not been allowed to play such a prominent political role. It also didn't help that she was German.

Nicholas’ reign got off to a disastrous start with the Coronation Stampede which left hundreds of dead and created the impression of an uncaring Tsar because he still attended the official ball that evening. It was he who was took the final decision to have a war with Japan.

Did the Russo-Japanese War cause revolution in 1905?

In 1904 Russia went to war with Japan but was badly beaten. This angered and humiliated the middle classes and nobles who wanted to organise things better. Russia’s poor performance in the Japanese war (began 1904) was raising questions about the Tsar’s competence before the revolution began. The fall of Port Arthur in Jan. 1905 and the subsequent defeats at Tsushima and Mukden increased anger at home during the year and encouraged the revolutionaries to think they might succeed.

The tsar

The nobles. Landowners

The Russian Church

The army

The rich middle class.

The industrial workers

Did Bloody Sunday cause revolution?

Factory workers were made to work even longer hours to make weapons for the war. There were shortages of food. Workers from the Putilov Iron Works demonstrated for better conditions in St Petersburg. One Sunday in January 1905, a crowd of 200,000 marched to the Winter Palace. They wanted to let the tsar know how badly the working class was treated. They also wanted to ask him listen to their complaints.

The marchers were peaceful – the workers brought their children and carried pictures of the tsar. They were led by a priest called Father Gapon. Gapon had told them that the tsar would help the working class. Soldiers and police were lined up to protect the palace. No one knows why, but the troops started shooting at the crowd. At least 100 were killed and 350 wounded. This came to be known as Bloody Sunday.

Source B shows soldiers guarding the Winter Palace on Bloody Sunday, 1905

Bloody Sunday sparked off great protests in the Russian Empire. In cities such as St Petersburg and Moscow the workers went on strike. Workers in Russia’s factories, mines and railways demanded better pay and conditions. They only wanted the tsar to improve their lives. In the countryside the peasants rebelled. They tried to take some land from landowners. The peasants were still loyal to the tsar.

Many soldiers and sailors wanted an end to the war with Japan. Sailors on the battleship Potemkin mutinied and took control of the ship. National minorities such as the people of Finland and Estonia demanded freedom from the Russian Empire.

Did opposition groups cause the revolution?The one political avenue to the middle class, the zemstva, had been restricted since the 1880s and there seemed no question of a national zemstva being created. More violent and radical political opposition from the SRs had been growing since their formation in 1901: they claimed responsibility for over 2,000 assassinations in 5 years. The Bolshevik wing of the SDs was actively raising funds for revolution through crime, particularly bank robberies.

In 1902 Liberal groups set up their illegal newspaper “Liberation” and two years later created the Union of Liberation in St Petersburg. They organised the banquet campaigns to get round censorship restrictions.The middle class demanded a Duma (parliament). The Duma would help make the laws. They wanted the tsar to share power with them. A Soviet was created in St Petersburg. Soviet means council. The St Petersburg Soviet was a council of workers. Many of the people in the soviets were revolutionaries who wanted a new system of government.

These events are known as the 1905 Revolution. The tsar felt he was losing control of his own country. He was persuaded to make some changes to stop the revolution from spreading. In the autumn of 1905 Nicholas II announced the ‘October Manifesto’. This was a list of promises to the people. The main one was that at long last the tsar would share his power. Russia would have a Duma (parliament) which the people would be allowed to vote for. The October Manifesto made most Russians think that life would get better. By the end of 1905 the army was back under the tsar’s control. The tsar was back in charge. This put an end to the revolution.

Take notes to explain the following possible causes:1. Did Stolyin’s repression control revolutions?2. Were reforms for peasants successful in preventing revolution?3. Were reforms for workers successful in preventing revolution?4. Were reforms for middle classes successful in preventing revolution?

How successful were reforms 1905-14 in preventing revolution?

Controlling the revolution

The tsar appointed a new prime minister, Peter Stolypin. Stolypin had a reputation as being hard on the tsar’s enemies. His aim was both to control and to stop people wanting to get rid of the Tsar by improving their lives.

Source C is from a book by written by a historian in 1971.

Stolypin was already known for his cruelty in dealing with peasant riots before 1905. He continued this policy as prime minister. He ordered the execution of 1,000 ‘troublemakers’ between August 1906 and April 1907.

Stolypin was going to crush revolts against the tsar when they appeared. He believed that the tsar was safe as long as the peasants were loyal to him. He had some new ideas to keep the peasants on the tsar’s side.

Controlling the peasantsStolypin planned to create a class of richer peasants, called Kulaks. Peasants could borrow money from the government to buy their farms. If they worked hard they could make their farms bigger and become richer: then they would be Kulaks. The Kulaks had much more freedom from the landowners. Stolypin hoped that the Kulaks would be grateful to the tsar. They would stop other peasants from wanting a revolution in the countryside.

Stolypin succeeded in creating a more prosperous class of peasants free from the restrictions of the commune (mir). To leave a commune, a peasant no longer needed permission from the majority of its members. The Peasant Land Bank was instructed to loan money to freed peasants and redemption payments were cancelled in 1907. In 1910, any commune where no land had been redistributed since 1861 was dissolved. Peasants were also encouraged to migrate to new lands in Siberia (from overcrowded European Russia) by cheap lands and state loans to buy it with. This package of reforms took time to implement but was producing some impressive results until the war disrupted it: 50% owned their own land by 1914 (as opposed to 20% in 1906) and grain production had increased from 46 to 62 million tons in the same period. Lenin gloomily commented that if this trend continued there would never be a revolution in Russia.

Controlling the workersStolypin did little to improve the lives of industrial workers in the cities. Industrial workers increased to nearly 3 million by 1914. Pay and living conditions were as bad as ever.

Stolypin did not trust the industrial workers. He believed that they would listen to the revolutionaries. The Bolsheviks were busy trying to spread the idea of communism to the working class. Stolypin knew that the workers were far less loyal to the tsar. He ordered that protests and strikes were to be dealt with very harshly.

Source C showed that 1,000 troublemakers were executed in a few months. One famous example was in the Lena Goldfields where the miners worked 14 hours a day for very little pay. When they protested Stolypin sent soldiers to deal with them.

Source D shows a pile of bodies. They are some of the 170 workers who were shot by troops at the Lena Goldfields in 1912.

So many revolutionaries and protesting workers were executed that the hangman’s rope was nicknamed ‘Stolypin’s neck-tie’.

Between 1906-12 1,000 newspapers were closed down and 600 trade unions wound up. The result of all this was to restore law and order, but it was accompanied by reforming initiatives as well.

Controlling the middle classes / Dumas

The middle class and the working class were pleased that the tsar had allowed a Duma to meet. The people could vote for representatives to the Duma. These representatives would pass laws to help the ordinary people. Disappointment followed.

By 1906 the tsar felt that he had given in too quickly the year before. He really did not want to share power with anyone. But he had promised a Duma in the October Manifesto so he could not go back on it.

The first two Dumas were elected in 1906 and 1907. The middle class got more votes than the peasants and the working class. This is because Stolypin thought the middle class would cause less trouble for the tsar. Stolypin was wrong. The Dumas elected in 1906 and 1907 demanded more power than the tsar had allowed them. They also wanted land to be taken from the landowners. They wanted laws passed to help the workers. This was too much for Stolypin. The tsar shut down the Duma of 1906 and 1907. The first one only lasted 72 days.

Annoyed by so much opposition from the Duma, Stolypin changed the voting rules. In the third and fourth Dumas the rich got most of the votes. This way he had less trouble from the Duma. Naturally, pro-government delegates filled most seats. Stolypin got the rest of his land reforms passed without much trouble by what critics called “the duma of lords and lackeys”. This third duma lasted its full 5-year term and was succeeded by a similarly conservative fourth duma in 1912. As well as the reforms referred to above, there were also some improvements made to the army and navy, justices of the peace replaced land captains and a plan for introducing universal primary education was approved. However, some reforms were also blocked by the duma – the extension of zemstva into Poland and proposals to allow greater religious toleration.

It is possible that given a longer period of peace Russia might have evolved into a constitutional monarchy and developed democratic institutions, but the crisis caused by the war threw everything into disarray.

Stolypin was murdered by a terrorist in 1911. It was rumoured that the Okhrana knew about the plan but did nothing to stop it. The tsar and his wife did not like Stolypin – they thought he was too clever.

Take notes using the headings below: Did Military defeats in WWI cause revolution? Tsar’s leadership caused revolution Economic and social problems caused revolution Rasputin and Alexandra caused revolution Opposition groups caused revolution

What was the cause of the February 1917 Revolution?

Did military defeats cause revolution?In 1914 the First World War began. Russia went to war against Germany and Austria. Russia was fighting with Germany in the east of Europe. Britain and France fought against Germany in the west. The First World War was a disaster for Russia and brought down the tsar and his government.

The Russian army was the largest army in Europe. It was called the ‘Russian Steamroller’ – it would flatten Russia’s enemies. But the army was poorly equipped and badly trained. Not every soldier even had a rifle. The Russian army was badly fed and suffered horribly in the cold winter.

The Russians were no match for the modern German army with its machine guns. Soon Russia suffered an enormous number of dead and wounded. Many soldiers died because there were not enough doctors and nurses to tend to the wounded. Most Russian soldiers were uneducated peasants who did not know why they were fighting.

Source A shows the graves of Russian soldiers in 1915.

World War I was a total disaster for Russia. The Russian army suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of Germany.

1914 - The Russians actually invaded Eastern Germany with two large armies but they were totally routed by smaller German forces at the battles of Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes.1915 - Germany turned the full weight of its power against Russia and launched a series of offensives against the Russian army. The Russians were beaten and large areas of Russian territory were overrun.1916 - For a time, the Russians did win some victories against the Austrians and regained some territory. But then the German army attacked in support of their Austrian ally and, again, Russia suffered a heavy defeat.

The effort and cost of waging war meant terrible suffering for soldiers and civilians alike. Best estimates state that almost two million soldiers were killed, as were a similar number of civilians, during the course of the war. Morale during this time was at a very low ebb and soldiers and civilians alike were looking for someone to blame.

Did the Tsar's bad leadership lead to revolution?

When the war began, most Russians supported the tsar. They believed that the tsar was right to defend Russia against Germany. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas II took personal command of the army. He left St. Petersburg and moved to army headquarters in Russian Poland. Nicholas II may have believed that, by taking charge, his army would be inspired and would fight with renewed vigour. Unfortunately, the Tsar knew little about the command and organisation of large military forces, and the series of defeats and humiliations continued.

The organisation of the Russian army deteriorated and there were massive shortages of ammunition, equipment, and medical supplies. Nicholas II's decision to take charge meant that he was increasingly seen by the Russian people as having personal responsibility for the military disasters inflicted on Russia.

The Russians were still being beaten but now the tsar got the blame for it. Russian soldiers felt they were suffering for nothing. They did not understand why the tsar kept them in the war when they were losing so badly. By 1916 many soldiers were deserting, meaning they went home without permission.

Did economic problems lead to revolution?The war brought problems for the people of Russia. So many peasants were forced to join the army that there were not enough people left to grow the food. Also, the army had taken so many horses away from the farmers.

The towns and cities of Russia were experiencing food shortages. The railway system could not cope and trains were held up for days. Often trains loaded with food could not move and the food rotted.

Workers were being made to work much longer hours. The factories had to make the guns and ammunition that the army needed. Because of the war the cost of food, paraffin and clothing continued to go up in price. Wages did not go up by much. The industrial workers felt that they were suffering as badly as the army. Did Rasputin and the growing unpopularity of the tsar's wife lead to revolution?

The tsar had left his wife, Alexandra, in charge of the government in St Petersburg. The tsarina was German but totally loyal to Russia. Many Russians did not trust Alexandra because they thought she was helping Germany to win the war. People thought this because the tsarina was making some very bad decisions.

Alexandra trusted a monk called Rasputin. He was the only person who could heal her son, Alexei. Alexei suffered from a blood disease for which there was no cure. Somehow Rasputin managed to make the boy better when he was very ill. The tsarina was very religious and thought that Rasputin had been sent by God. She started to listen to Rasputin’s advice on how to run the government. He got her to fire ministers whom he did not like. He even gave advice on how to run the war but the tsar probably did not listen to it.

Source B is a Communist cartoon of Rasputin, 1915.

Rasputin was no saint! He often got drunk and involved in fights. But the tsarina refused to believe police reports about his bad behaviour and continued to trust him. Many people began to believe that Rasputin and the tsarina were having an affair. They also though he was a secret agent working for the Germans.

A group of nobles murdered Rasputin in 1916. By that time it was too late to save the image of the royal family – it was at rock bottom. Many more Russians wanted the tsar to give up his throne.

Did opposition groups cause the revolution?

Note: St Petersburg (a German name) was changed to Petrograd.

The winter of 1916–17 was bitterly cold. Workers in Petrograd found it even more difficult to buy food or heat their homes. There were more and more protests by workers that winter. The tsar was hundreds of miles away but did not think there was a problem. Why not? When 400,000 workers protested in Petrograd his wife wrote to him: ‘Don’t worry, My Dear, they are just some yobs looking for trouble. When the weather gets colder they will all stay home.’

Source B is a Communist cartoon of Rasputin, 1915.

Rasputin was no saint! He often got drunk and involved in fights. But the tsarina refused to believe police reports about his bad behaviour and continued to trust him. Many people began to believe that Rasputin and the tsarina were having an affair. They also thought he was a secret agent working for the Germans.

A group of nobles murdered Rasputin in 1916. By that time it was too late to save the image of the royal family. It was at rock bottom. Many more Russians wanted the tsar to give up his throne.

Take notes using the headings below: Weaknesses of the provisional government from the start helped cause revolution Mistakes of the provisional government & Kerensky helped cause revolution World War I caused the October revolution Lenin and the Bolsheviks caused the revolution

Day by day, matters got worse. In February Rodzianko, the Octobrist Liberal leader of the Duma, wrote to warn the tsar that revolution was very near. He wanted the tsar to make changes to help the people. This is what the tsar said about Rodzyanko: ‘That fat pig Rodzianko has again sent me some nonsense to which I will not even reply.’

13 February was International Women’s Day. In Petrograd women were protesting about having no bread. They were shouting, ‘Give us bread! Down with the war! Down with the police!’ 15 February: Police and troops become friendly with the protesters. They joked: ‘Push harder, comrades, and we will let you through!’ Later in February 170,000 soldiers joined the demonstrators in Petrograd. The soldiers did want to go to war or to save the tsar. By 2 March no one was willing to stand up for the tsar. His nobles and generals told him he must abdicate (give up his right to rule). He did.

Nicholas II was gone. His brother, the Grand Duke Michael, refused to take over the throne and he wouldn't let his son inherit and so there was no-one left to run Russia.

What was the cause of the October 1917 Revolution?

After the February Revolution the tsar no longer ruled Russia. Now there had to be a new government to run the country. Two different types of government were set up in Petrograd at the same time.

Did government weaknesses cause the revolution?

1. The Provisional GovernmentSome members of the Duma formed a new government to run Russia. This new government was called the Provisional Government. This meant that they were temporary and so many people did not think they had the right to rule Russia.

Changes were made to give Russian people more freedoms:

they were allowed to speak their opinions; they were allowed to practice any religion they wanted; there was to be no more secret police; revolutionaries were allowed to come back to Russia; and a new government was to be elected as soon as possible.

Unofficial government

2. the Petrograd SovietWorkers, peasants and soldiers did not trust the Provisional Government because its members were from the upper class. The workers, peasants and soldiers set up a council in Petrograd. This council was called the Petrograd Soviet.

The Soviet was to make sure that ordinary people got what they wanted: The Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet were not enemies. Often they worked together. The Provisional Government kept Russia in the First World War. The Petrograd Soviet agreed that Russian army had to defend Russia against the Germans. But

they did not want Russia to try and win more territory. The Petrograd Soviet decided that they had to take control of the army so they issued Soviet Order Number 1.

Source C is Soviet Order Number One, February 1917.

All units of the army and navy should support the Petrograd Soviet. You can obey the orders of the Provisional Government only if the Soviet agrees with them. Soldiers should keep control of all the weapons – do not hand them over to the officers.

Source D is a message from the Petrograd Soviet to the army, April 1917.

The working class did not want this war. They did not start it. The Soviet has asked all the working people of the world to end the war. But until it is over you, the soldiers, must defend your country.

Did the mistakes of the Provisional Government cause the October revolution?

For many people things got even worse under the Provisional Government. Workers were still short of food and people worried about the coming winter. The peasants were fed up waiting for the Provisional Government to give them the land. They started to use violence to take the land away from the landowners.

The Provisional government also took too long to hold elections to the new parliament – admittedly difficult with so many soldiers out of Russia, but until they were held the PG lacked legitimacy.

Did the continuation of World War I cause the revolution?

The Russian people wanted the war to come to an end. The country was exhausted and the people had had enough. Incredibly, the Provisional Government could not see this. They persisted in trying to continue with the military campaigns. Alexander Kerensky, the leader of the Provisional Government, ordered a big attack on the Austrians (allies of Germany) in the summer of 1917. This was not very popular with most Russians and especially not with the soldiers. Many more soldiers deserted from the army – they left without permission.

Source E is a graph of Russian soldiers deserting from the army during 1917.

Did Lenin and the Bolsheviks cause the revolution? Part 1...

Lenin was the leader of a group of revolutionaries called the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks wanted the working class to take over power as soon as possible. Lenin was in Switzerland during the February Revolution. The Germans helped Lenin and his followers to get back to Russia because Lenin wanted Russia to leave the First World War. Lenin returned to Russia in April 1917.

He said that the Provisional Government was only for the upper class, not for the working class and peasants. Lenin wanted the Bolsheviks to take control of the Petrograd Soviet. He wanted the Soviet to become the government and run the country for the working class. Therefore Lenin wanted another revolution to get rid of the Provisional Government.

Most people had no idea who Lenin was so they did not listen to him. Even so, Lenin wrote down his instructions in a document called the April Thesis.

Source A is from Lenin’s April Theses

We must not support the Provisional Government.The Petrograd Soviet is the real government of Russia.The Bolsheviks must gain control of the Soviet.All land must belong to the government.There must be food for the workers in the cities.Russia must leave the war.

The July Days

Lenin and the Bolsheviks set about persuading the workers, peasants and soldiers to support them. They wanted the people to vote for them in the Soviet. Lenin promised the people what they wanted. Soon Bolshevik banners and posters with these slogans began to appear:

Peace, Bread, Land All Power to the Soviets

Kerensky, leader of the Provisional Government, continued in the First World War but most Russians wanted the war to end. By July 1917 it was clear that the Russian army had failed and people started to listen to Lenin. The Bolsheviks became more popular so they decided it was time to get rid of the Provisional Government.

In July there was fighting in the streets of Petrograd as the Bolsheviks tried to take over the government. But they had no clear plan. Soldiers loyal to the government crushed the Bolsheviks. Many Bolsheviks were put in prison and Lenin had to flee to Finland. This attempt to overthrow the Provisional Government came to be known as the July Days.

Did Provisional Government mistakes cause revolution #2? The Kornilov Revolt

General Kornilov was made Commander-in-Chief of the army by Kerensky. He wanted to make sure Russia stayed in the First World War. Source B shows women soldiers who were loyal to the Provisional Government.

Kornilov said the Provisional Government was weak and that the Petrograd Soviet needed to be shut down. He wanted to bring the tsar back to power.

Kornilov wanted to bring his army to Petrograd to take over and he even

Take notes using the headings below: Creating legitimacy helped them survive Ending WWI helped them survive Ruthless or pragmatic leadership – Lenin or Trotsky? Geography / luck helped them survive Propaganda Weakness of whites (opposition) helped them survive

threatened to hang Lenin who kept calling for Russia to pull out of the war. Kornilov disliked Lenin and the Bolsheviks and said they were working for the Germans.

The Provisional Government ordered that Petrograd was to be defended against Kornilov. Some soldiers stayed loyal to the Provisional Government and the railway workers stopped Kornilov’s trains from getting to Petrograd. Kerensky ordered that the Bolsheviks who had been put in prison in July were to be released and given rifles to fight Kornilov. The Bolsheviks now formed their supporters into their own army called the Red Guard.

The Red Guard never had to fight because Kornilov’s soldiers did not get to Petrograd. But many people thought that the Bolsheviks should be thanked for saving the city and so support for Lenin increased.The Bolshevik Revolution

In October 1917 Lenin thought that the time was right to overthrow the Provisional Government. He wanted to put Russia under the control of the Bolshevik Party. He had wanted to do this since he returned to Russia in April.

Did Lenin and the Bolsheviks cause the revolution: Part 2...

More and more Russians were fed up with the Provisional Government. Their lives were hardly better than under the tsar and Russia was still at war. Many were grateful to the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks got the credit for saving Petrograd from General Kornilov.

Because of this, the working class in the cities began to support the Bolsheviks. More voted for them in the soviets (the councils). The Bolsheviks had their own army, 10,000 Red Guards with rifles. The Provisional Government had very few soldiers left to protect them.

Lenin ordered a top Bolshevik, Leon Trotsky, to make up a plan to take over Petrograd as soon as possible. On the night of 24 October the Red Guard seized control of the railway stations, the banks, the telephone offices. They had control of transport and telephones. Nothing could move without their permission.

The ministers of the Provisional Government were in the Winter Palace but they refused to surrender. Kerensky had already left Petrograd. When the Red Guard walked into the Winter Palace to arrest the Provisional Government there were hardly any soldiers left to fight against them.

Many people were not happy with the Bolshevik take-over. The Socialist Revolutionaries (the SRs for short) had much more support among the peasants but they did not have their own army. The SRs did not like what the Bolsheviks had done and spoke out against them. However when the Bolsheviks called the first meeting of the Petrograd Soviet the SRs walked out, and after than the Bolsheviks never let them back in.

Why did the Bolsheviks win the Russian Civil War 1918-21?

Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, was now the leader of Russia as well. He now had to take control of it against all the opposition groups who fought against him up until 1921. A civil war is where two sides fight each other in the same country. The enemies of the Communists were called the ‘Whites’. The Whites were all those who did not like the Lenin and the Communists. The Whites included Socialist Revolutionaries, soldiers of the tsar’s army and some national minorities.

The Whites were helped by Britain, the USA and Japan. These countries sent troops and weapons to help defeat the Communists. Britain, USA and Japan wanted to get rid of the Communist government so that Russia could re-join the war against Germany.

The Bolsheviks were surrounded, often outnumbered by their opponents, and had no experienced military commanders. At times, their situation seemed hopeless.

Yet, by the start of 1921, the Bolsheviks had defeated their enemies and gained a complete victory. The establishment of Communism in Russia went ahead unchallenged. How did they do it?

Source E shows White soldiers being trained by the British army

1. Creating legitimacy (making the Bolsheviks look like the real leaders of Russia)

The Bolsheviks changed their name to the Communist Party. Lenin was going to make sure that no one would oppose him. Lenin had promised elections for a new parliament called the Constituent Assembly. In December 1917 over 30 million Russians voted for the Constituent Assembly:

– 25% voted for the Communists– 58% voted for the Socialist Revolutionaries– 17% voted for other parties.

Most Russians did not support the Communist Party. Lenin ordered the Red Guard to close down the Constituent Assembly. The members whom the people had voted for were sent home. Lenin declared that only the Communist Party would run Russia. There was to be a dictatorship instead of democracy. This was the end of democracy.

Many newspapers wrote articles against the Communists. Lenin ordered that most newspapers were to be closed down. Only the Communist newspaper was allowed.

2. Ending World War I.

The first thing Lenin wanted to do was to get Russia out of the First World War. He hoped this would make him more popular. The Russians made a peace agreement with the Germans. This was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – Russia gave Germany huge areas of land and the Germans gave Russia peace. The treaty was disastrous for Russia on paper- it lost a third of its industry and a quarter of its farmland. Many Russians were very angry about it. However the Bolsheviks were lucky because a few months later Germany lost World War I and so they got their land back.

3. Ruthless leadership (Lenin or Trotsky?)

The Bolsheviks were extremely fortunate in the quality of their leadership, particularly in Lenin and Trotsky.

Lenin had led the Bolsheviks to victory in the October Revolution. Throughout the Civil War, Lenin provided the energy and drive needed to inspire success. At all times, he had very definite aims and objectives and a sense of purpose about what he believed was best for Russia. His leadership was never challenged.In December 1917 a new police force was created. It was called the CHEKA and its job was to find and arrest people who spoke out against Lenin. Anyone who did not support the Communists was called an ‘enemy of the people’. If you were called this you would be shot. In July 1918 the CHEKA murdered the tsar, his wife and five children.

In August 1918 a young female Socialist Revolutionary to kill Lenin but only wounded him. In revenge the CHEKA killed 800 Socialist Revolutionaries. This began a period called the ‘Red Terror’ and 50,000 people had been killed without a trial by 1921.

Lenin’s policy of War Communism is another example of his ruthlessness (see below).

Trotsky became Commissar for War in the Bolshevik government. A brilliant organiser and improviser, Trotsky created the Red Army from the Red Guards (the Bolshevik workers militias) and from the 27,000 remaining officers of the old Tsarist army. Trotsky imposed a very tough system of discipline and control over the Red Army. Officers found guilty of cowardice or treachery were executed. However, men who showed initiative and courage were promoted rapidly.

At times of crisis, Trotsky readily assumed personal command of areas under threat, inspiring and encouraging the troops to greater efforts, and to eventual victory.

5. Geography

“The most important fact in History is Geography” In the case of the Bolsheviks in the Civil War, the quotation above is particularly applicable. In 1918, at the start of the Civil War, the Bolsheviks controlled the key central area of Russia - between Petrograd and Moscow. This gave them a number of key advantages.

Most of Russia's railways were in this area. This made communication between the various battlefronts much easier. Trotsky was able to move troops and supplies rapidly to areas under attack. As Commissar for War, he was able to visit the battlefronts in an armoured train, and to take personal command. The large population of the major cities in this central area was a key resource for the Bolsheviks. The cities provided fresh recruitment for the Red Army.

Furthermore, much of Russia's industry and raw materials was located in this area. This made it possible for the Bolsheviks to keep their troops supplied and equipped with weapons, ammunition and supplies.

The sheer size of Russia worked against the White Armies. They had to move their forces and supplies over huge distances, making it difficult to maintain effective control. The lack of effective railways was an added complication to the existing communication difficulties between them.Source F shows the Red area and the White armies. It helps explain why the Reds won.

6. Propaganda

The Bolsheviks organised a highly effective propaganda campaign in the areas they controlled. Through speeches, newspapers, and leaflets, the people were continually told that they were now in charge of Russia, through the Soviets - life would be better, the wealth would be distributed more fairly. In addition, they were told that the White Armies and their leaders would destroy all the achievements of the Revolution, break up the Soviets and bring back the old system. In this way, support for the Bolsheviks was organised and built up successfully.

7. War Communism

Because of the war, food was short. During the civil war, Lenin’s government came up

Moscow

Petrograd

White army

White army

White army

RED AREA

with a policy called ‘War Communism’. This meant that the Communist government could control people’s lives even more.

Workers left the cities in search of food. To stop them the government gave them special identity books. Without these identity books they could not get food, fuel or a place to live.

Source F shows what War Communism meant to the peasants.

Source G is about War Communism. It is from orders to the CHEKA in August 1918.

Every food-gathering squad should have at least 75 men and two machine guns.All weapons must be taken from the peasants.Any crops that are hidden must be taken without payment and given to the workers and the poorest peasants.

The peasants were not allowed to keep their crops and animals. But they refused to hand them over to the government. Many peasants destroyed their crops and killed their animals. What was left was taken away from them by force. War Communism caused a terrible famine in Russia. Five million people starved to death.

Source H is a picture taken in a peasant village in 1920. It shows carts taking away dead bodies.

7. Weaknesses of the White Armies

It is easy to argue that the White Armies appeared to have a number of advantages in the Civil War.

Their leaders were experienced military commanders; they controlled huge areas of Russia; they had the Bolsheviks surrounded; and they had the active support of foreign countries, which intervened in the Civil War on their behalf.

However, as the Civil War developed, the White Armies began to face major problems and difficulties in organising their campaigns. Against the drive and ruthless energy of the Bolsheviks, their campaigns faltered and they faced defeat and failure. By the end of 1920, the Bolsheviks were close to achieving total victory.White Army weaknesses

There are several reasons for the failure of the White forces.

Divided leadership

No one person was in charge of the White forces. Whereas the Bolsheviks had Lenin, the Whites had several rival people, such as Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak, Denikin, vying for control. They were all ambitious men and each was

Essential websites: School history website with all powerpoints: https://newbattle4history.wordpress.com/ BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/russia/ Send home practice or ask for help d.hayes@mgfl.net

determined to take control of Russia for himself. As a result, there was virtually no co-operation between the various White Armies - they fought independently, making it easier for the Red Army to defeat them individually.

Morale

The Bolsheviks were fighting for a very definite cause - the establishment and survival of a Communist Russia. The Whites, however, had problems motivating their troops and building up support. Why should soldiers face death simply to make Kolchak or Yudenich master of Russia? As time passed, more and more soldiers deserted from the White Armies.

Corruption

The government set up by the Whites in areas they controlled soon became corrupt and inefficient. For example, medical supplies sent by foreign countries often ended up being sold on the black market rather than being used to help the soldiers.

Brutality

White Army forces often behaved with great brutality and cruelty in areas they controlled. Towns were burned, property destroyed or stolen, peasant farmers' crops and livestock taken by force - if people objected, they faced torture and execution. Inevitably, the Whites became hated and feared because of this. Inevitably, Bolshevik propaganda homed in on this! Given the choice between the Bolsheviks or the Whites, it was hardly surprising that Bolshevik support increased dramatically.

How to revise1. Create a timeline of key events for each topic2. Don’t read- re-write: into a mindmap, a table, a set of big points and little points etc3. Quiz yourself (write questions and answers)4. Practice – past exam questions , at least once a week5. Ask for help- get work mark, get feedback6. Always correct immediately based on feedback

How we work3 ways to collect information

Teacher lecture Students read and take notes Watch videos ‘Russian Revolution in colour’ and World War I

4 ways to learn good essay writing Practice knowledge with quiz graphs, or asking and answering questions Talk about work- go round the class to collect ideas, pair work, use the visualiser Mark it yourself using the feedback sheets below, mark someone else’s, talk about it Practice essays. Prepare an essay plan at home. Write in class. Correct based on feedback.

How to write a Higher History essay: 10 easy stepsIntroduction For example :

Is cheese the most important part of a Big Mac?1. What is the context? Why is the essay

question important?The Big Mac is the biggest selling burger in the world. This essay will examine the main reasons why it is so successful.

2. What are the main points you are going to cover to answer the essay?

This essay will look at the four main parts of the burger: the cheese, the meat, the ketchup and the bun.

3. What do you think the main point to answer the question is?

This essay will argue that the cheese is less important than the ketchup.

4-5 Paragraphs for each reason to answer Q Statement, Example, Explain4. Statement- gives your opinion of a

reason to answer the questionOne reason why the Big Mac is so successful is its cheese.

5. Example- gives evidence to prove this- developed

For example it has cheese made to look like flat plastic which can be easily mass produced.

6. Explain- why this answers the question. This means that people across the world are all happy with it because it is bland and inoffensive.

7. Repeat paragraphs 4-5 times. Another reason why the BM is... A third reason...8. Weigh up and deal with alternatives9. Balance or link

The meat is less important because it isn’t really meat at all- most of it is ground up bones.On the other hand it is important because it links to the cheapness of the burger which increases its popularity.

10. Line of argument (link back to the reason you chose in the introduction)

But the cheese is still more important than the meat because it’s what holds the burger together.

Conclusion11. Link paragraphs The cheese is only important because of the colour contrast it

provides with the red ketchup.12. Decide which is the most important to

answer the question.Clearly the ketchup is the most important part of the Big Mac, not the cheese or meat. This is because it is what joins them all together and because of its dramatic colour.

Essay marking sheet (this will be used for each of your essays)What... You must... For example... Key reasons /

examples...Introduction /2 marks

give context list main reasons(Statements start each paragraph) choose main one

"Q is important because...""There were 5 main factors...""This essay will argue the most important was..."

Context:

Reason / factor 1

Reason / factor 2...

Knowledge /6 marks

give relevant Examples = names, dates, numbers

Analysis / 6 marks

EXPlain each example balance

"this was important because..."“ on the other hand...”

Evaluation / 4 marks

build line of argument in each paragraph

(link back to the reason you chose in the introduction)

rank factor compared to other reasons

X is more important because it caused Y by... (relative rank)X is not a sufficient explanation for... because... X was the catalyst for Y...If X hadn't happened then Y....

Conclusion / 2 marksTOTAL / 20 marks

explain main reason explain why others less

important overall conclusion

See above: relative rank, catalyst, counterfactuals, links“the main reasons were... because“x is less important because...“overall y is most important because