This document covers all content from the 1st year of the Russia course, broken into easily manageable sections. It begins with the historical context of Russia (before the revolutions) and ends with Stalin's consolidation of power. It includes a massive amount of detail and would be easy to make f...
Changes to the fundamental power structure --> stalin's rise to power
September 6, 2023
41
2023/2024
Summary
Subjects
aqa history russia notes
a star russia notes
a level russia notes
cheap history notes
cheap russia notes aqa
easy a a level history notes
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
Edition:
ISBN:
Edition:
More summaries for
AQA A level history: Russia YR2
Mind maps summarising each topic of Russia a level
A* essay - was the USSR a superpower by 1953?
All for this textbook (17)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
History
Depth Study (2N)
All documents for this subject (402)
Seller
Follow
bethywesterman
Content preview
Russian Political Upheaval, 1917 – 1929
Changes to the fundamental power structure
Dissent and revolution, 1917
Conditions of Russia before the revolutions
February revolution of 1917
Developments between revolutions
October revolution
Bolshevik consolidation, 1918 – 1924
Consolidation of Communist dictatorship
The Civil War
Economic and social developments
Foreign relations
Stalin’s Rise to Power
1924 – 1929
Power vacuum and struggle
Ideological debates and issues
Economic developments
Government, propaganda and foreign relations
,Dissent and revolution, 1917
Conditions of Russia before the revolution
The tsar and political authority
Russia before the revolutions of 1917 was an autocracy (rule by one person)
As this time, the autocrat was Tsar Nicholas II, whose personal failing as a leader had
seriously weakened his political authority.
Reasons for weakened authority:
- His personality
o Believed in his divine right to rule
o Was stubborn and saw advice as criticism
o Undermined his ministers to stop anyone challenging his authority
- Alexandra and Rasputin
o A self-styled ‘holy man’ who helped the prince Aleksei w his haemophilia
o Alexandra (German) encouraged Nicholas to listen to Rasputin’s advice
o He had rumours of his sexual promiscuity – esp. w Alexandra
- The state Duma
o Forced to allow a State Duma, elected representative assembly, in 1906
o Debated politics and legislation, but the Tsar refused to share any real power
o Nicholas remained responsible for Russia’s problems
- Nicholas and Russia’s problems
o Believed there was a religious bond between the Tsar and the people
o Russia should put its faith in God and tradition
o Nicholas did not actively try to solve problems, thought God would
Opposition to Tsarism
There were three main groups of political opposition:
Liberals Social Revolutionaries Social Democrats
Loose collection of groups Founded 1901 Founded 1898
Wanted reform & a Represented peasant interest Represented proletariat, the
constitutional monarchy – e.g., land reform industrial working class
Included Constitutional Internal divisions, some 1903, split in Mensheviks
Democrats (Kadets), believed in assassination – and Bolsheviks due to how
Octobrists and Progressives moderate wing control 1905 to apply Marxism to Russia
Figes’ Theory of 4 Pillars
(what is needed to support Tsarist rule)
,The Russian war effort
In July 1914, Russia mobilised to help Serbia.
When Germany joined the war, Russia experienced serious defeats. By early 1917, Russian
defeats in WW1 was a major cause of discontent.
During the war, there was 1 surgeon to every 100,000 men. By the end of 1916, there had
been 1.7 million deaths and 5 million casualties.
(*) Zemstva = institution of local govt set up under Alexander II
Economic and social state
The cost of the war caused major economic problems and had social impact.
There were food shortages in towns and cities
- Millions of men conscripted caused labour shortages, reducing food supplies
- Peasants hoarded their grain rather than selling it
- Food supplies prioritised for the army, meaning towns were undersupplied
- Railway system turned over to transporting military supplies – towns low priority
There was a rising cost of living (due to runaway inflation)
- To pay for the war, the govt raised taxes and took out loans
- Shortages of food / manufactured products raised prices higher, leading to inflation
- Unemployment increased as non-military factories closed due to a lack of supplies
The food shortages and unsanitary conditions led to increase in the death rate of workers in
the towns and cities.
, This, along with the increased cost of living and unemployment, led to unrest & strikes
January 1917 30,000 workers on strike in Moscow
145,000 workers on strike in Petrograd
The Russians war effort was massively unorganized, using outdated and unsuitable tactics.
The Brusilov Offensive was a Russian assault in summer 1916. The method was unplanned
but this worked well for the Russian army. In the end, the offensive fell in late September
1916 because they began to set out a plan (Taylor).
“losses in Galicia … cleared the way to revolution in the following year” – AJP Taylor
Discontent in Russia
Most of the discontent were expressed towards those in positions of power. It manifested in
the form of strikes, unrest in the countryside and desertions from the armed forces
The Tsars refusal to cooperate with the Progressive bloc caused discontent – Progressives
discussed his possible abdication.
Workers and soldiers were becoming increasingly open to radical political ideals – most
radical opponents of the Tsar were, however, in exile or prison
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller bethywesterman. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R308,83. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
