Socialism and Russian Revolution

1.1 Liberals, Radicals and Conservatives

Liberals were not Democrats. Explain.

Or

Why do we say that liberals could not be called ‘democrats’?

 The liberals could not be called democrats because even though they argued for a
representative, elected parliamentary government, subject to laws interpreted by a well-
trained judiciary that was independent of rulers and officials, they did not believe in
universal adult franchise and also did not want the voting rights for women.
 They felt right to vote should only be given to the propertied men.

Describe the views of radicals.

 The following were the viewpoints of the radicals.

(a) Radicals wanted a nation in which government was based on the majority of a
country’s population.
(b) Many supported women’s suffragette movements.
(c) They opposed the privileges of great landowners and wealthy factory owners. Though
they favored private property, they disliked concentration of property in the hands of a
few.

What were the viewpoints of the conservatives?

The conservatives had the following viewpoints.

(a) In the beginning of the eighteenth century, they were opposed to the idea of change.
(b) Later in the nineteenth century, they accepted that some change was inevitable.
(c) At the same time they believed that the past had to be respected and change had to be
brought about through a slow process.

Industrial Society and Social Change

What kind of developments took place as a result of new political trends in Europe?
As a result of new political trends in Europe industrial revolution occurred, new cities
came up and railways expanded.
List the major change during industrialization.
Men, women and children were brought to factories during industrialization.
What were the firm beliefs of the liberals?
The liberals firmly believed in the value of individual effort, labor and enterprise.
How would society develop according to the liberals?
 Liberals believed that societies would develop if freedom of individuals was ensured, if
poor could labour, and those with capital could operate without restraint.
Who were the people that wanted to put an immediate end to the existing
governments in Europe in 1815?
Some nationalists, liberals and radicals who became revolutionaries wanted to put an
immediate end to the existing governments in Europe in 1815.
Who was responsible for achieving equal rights in Italy?
An Italian nationalist, Giuseppe Mazzini, conspired with others to achieve equal rights to
all citizens in Italy after 1815.

1.3 The Coming of Socialism to Europe

Why were socialists against private property and saw it as the root of all social ills? 
The socialists were against private property because of the following reasons.
(a) They believed that private property was the root cause of all social evils.
(b) Individuals who owned property, did provide employment but at the same they are
much more concerned with personal gains.
(c) They did not bother about the welfare of the people. .
(d) Socialists also felt that if society controlled property, more attention would be paid to
collective social interests and concentration of wealth in the hands of a few could be
restricted.

What were the two different visions of the socialists for future?
 Some socialists like Robert Owen believed in the idea of cooperatives and build
cooperative community called New Harmony in Indiana.
 Others like Louis Blanc felt that it could not be achieved through individual initiative.
Governments should encourage cooperatives.

What was the basic principle of the Marxist theory?

 Marx argued that industrial society was ‘capitalist’.
 Capitalists owned the capital invested in factories, and the profit of capitalists was
produced by workers.
 The conditions of workers could not improve as long as this profit was accumulated by
private capitalists.
 Workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of private property.
 Marx believed that to free themselves from capitalist exploitation, workers had to
construct a radically socialist society where all property was socially controlled.
 This would be a communist society

1.4 Support for Socialism

Which international body was formed in Europe in the 19th century to coordinate
the efforts of socialists all over Europe?
An international body was formed in Paris in 1889, to coordinate the efforts of socialists
all over Europe. It was called the Second International.
 Name the socialist parties formed in Britain and France in 1905.
Labour Party was formed in Britain by socialists and trade unionists. A Socialist Party
was also formed in France.

Unit 2 The Russian Revolution

2.1 The Russian Empire in 1914

Who was the ruler of Russia and its empire in 1914?

The ruler of Russia and its empire was Tsar Nicholas II.

Mention the regions included in Russian empire.

The Russian empire included territory around Moscow and current-day Finland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. It also comprised some of
today’s Central Asian states.

Name the religions practised in the Russian empire.

The religions in the Russian empire included Russian Orthodox Christianity’, Catholics,
Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists.

2.2 Economy and Society

Describe the economic condition of Russia before 1905.

Answer:

 The vast majority of Russia’s people were agriculturists. About 85 per cent of the Russian
empire’s population earned their living from agriculture.
 Industry was found in pockets. Prominent industrial areas were St. Petersburg and
Moscow. Craftsmen undertook much of the production, but large factories existed
alongside craft workshops.
 Many factories were set up in the 1890s, when Russia’s railway network was extended,
and foreign investment in industry increased. Coal production doubled and iron and steel
output quadrupled.
 In the countiyside, peasants cultivated most of the land. But the nobility, the crown and
the Orthodox Church owned large properties.

2.3 Socialism in Russia

.

Mention the role of Socialist Revolutionary Party.

The Socialist Revolutionary Party struggled for peasants’ rights and demanded that land
belonging to nobles be transferred to peasants.

How did Social Democrats disagree with Socialist Revolutionaries?

Social Democrats disagreed with Socialist Revolutionaries in the following ways.

(a) Social Democrats believed workers to be the main force of revolution whereas Socialist
Revolutionaries argued that peasants would be the revolutionary class.
(b) Social Democrats wanted benefits for the workers and control on the factors of production.
Socialist Revolutionaries on the other hand demanded land to the peasants.
(c) Social Democrats felt that peasants were not a united group as they were rich and poor and
many owned large tracts of land. Socialist Revolutionaries favored peasants as natural socialists

What was the difference between Bolshevik and Menshevik group.

 The Bolsheviks were the majority group led by Vladimir Lenin who thought that in a
repressive society like Tsarist Russia, the party should be disciplined and control the
number and quality of its members. They were the group who conducted the Russian
Revolution.
Mensheviks, on the other hand, were the minority group who thought that the party
should be open to all. They did not believe in revolution but wanted to bring changes
through democratic means.

Unit 2.4

Explain the major events that were responsible for the Russian Revolution of 1905.
Or
Why were there revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905?
What were the demands of the revolutionaries?
Answer:

Autocratic Rule:

 Russia was under the autocratic rule of the Tsars. The Tsar Nicholas II was an inefficient
and corrupt ruler.

Role of Liberals and Socialists:

 Both Liberals and Socialists were against the dynastic rule. They worked with peasants
and workers to demand a constitution.
 They were being supported by Jadidists.

Strike of the Workers:

 The year 1904 was a bad year for the Russian workers.
  Prices of essential goods rose so quickly that real wages declined by 20%
 The membership of workers’ associations rose dramatically.
 When four members of the Assembly of Russian Workers, which had been formed in
1904, were dismissed at the Putilov Iron Works, there was a call for industrial action.
 Over the next few days over 110,000 workers in St Petersburg went on strike demanding
a reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in wages and improvement in
working conditions.

Bloody Sunday:

 When the procession of workers led by Father Gapon reached the Winter Palace it was
attacked by the police and the Cossacks.
 Over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded. The incident, known as Bloody
Sunday, started a series of events that became known as the 1905 Revolution.
 Strikes took place all over the country and universities closed down when student bodies
staged walkouts, complaining about the lack of civil liberties.
 Lawyers, doctors, engineers and other middle-class workers established the Union of
Unions and demanded a constituent assembly

Unit 2.5

How did Russia’s participation in the World War-I become a cause for the fall of Tsar?
Explain.
Or
explain any four reasons why Russian people wanted the Tsar to withdraw from the First
World War.
Answer:

Unpopular autocratic rule in Russia:

 In Russia, the war was initially popular and people rallied around Tsar Nicholas II. As the
war continued, though, the Tsar refused to consult the main parties in the Duma. Support
wore thin.
 Anti German sentiments ran high, as can be seen in the renaming of St Petersburg – a
German name – as Petrograd.
 The Tsarina Alexandra’s German origins and poor advisers, especially a monk called
Rasputin, made the autocracy unpopular.

Destructions and casualties caused by war :

 Defeats were shocking and demoralizing.

 Russia’s armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916.
 There were over 7 million casualties by 1917. As they retreated, the Russian army
destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from being able to live off the land.
  The destruction of crops and buildings led to over 3 million refugees in Russia.
 The situation discredited the government and the Tsar. Soldiers did not wish to fight such
a war.

Impact on Industry:

 The war also had a severe impact on industry.

 Russia’s own industries were few in number and the country was cut off from other
suppliers of industrial goods.
 Industrial equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than elsewhere in Europe.
 By 1916, railway lines began to break down. Able-bodied men were called up to the war.
As a result, there were labour shortages and small workshops producing essentials were
shut down.
 Large supplies of grain were sent to feed the army. For the people in the cities, bread and
flour became scarce. By the winter of 1916, riots at bread shops were common.
.

Unit 3

 Explain the Russian February Revolution 1917.

Or
Petrograd had led the February Revolution that brought down the monarchy in
February 1917. Explain. HOTS
Answer:
(i) Grim Condition in the Petrograd: In the winter of 1917, conditions in the capital,
Petrograd, were grim. In February 1917, food shortages were deeply felt in the workers’
quarters. The winter was very cold. There had been exceptional frost and heavy snow.
 (ii) Women Lead the Strike: On 22 February, a lockout took place at a factory. The next
day, workers in fifty factories called a strike in sympathy. In many factories, women led
the way to strikes. This came to be called the International Women’s Day.
 (iii) Violent Incidents: In the next few days the workers tried to pursue the government to
fulfill their demand but government called out the cavalry. The streets thronged with
people raising slogans about bread, wages, better hours and democracy. However, the
cavalry refused to fire on- the demonstrators. An officer was shot at the barracks of a
regiment and three other regiments mutinied, voting to join the striking workers.
 (iv) Formation of Soviet: By that evening, soldiers and striking workers had gathered to
form a soviet or council in the same building as the Duma met. This was the Petrograd
Soviet.
 (v) Formation of Provisional Government: The very next day, a delegation went to see
the Tsar. Military commanders advised him to abdicate. He followed their advice and
abdicated on 2 March. Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a Provisional
Government to run the country. Russia’s future would be decided by a constituent
assembly, elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage.

Unit 3.1

What were the main demands of April Theses?

Main demands of April Theses were :

 Lenin returned to Russia from exile and felt that it was time for Soviets to take over
power. He declared that war be brought to an end, land be transferred to the peasants and
banks nationalized. He also argued to rename Bolshevik Party as Communist Party.
 Started planning on uprising against government with the support of army.
 Military Revolutionary Committee was planned to seize the power and bring the city
under control.
Unit 3.1

Why did ‘the Kerenskii Government’ in Russia fall?

Or
Why did the Kerenskii Government become unpopular in Russia? .
Answer:

 Lenin: In April 1917, the Bolshevik leader Lenin returned to Russia from his exile. He put
forward the ‘April Theses’ due to which he got full support from the Russian workers.
Bolsheviks supporters in the army, factories and peasants were brought together under
one umbrella under his leadership.
 Trade Unions and Other Organisations: After the February revolution, workers were free
to form associations and unions. So trade unions grew in number.
 Conflict between Bolsheviks and the Government: Regular conflicts between Bolsheviks
and the government weakened the government. Bolsheviks were supported by Soviet
army and factory workers.

Non-fulfilment of Demands: The Provisional Government failed to meet any of the demands of
theworkers and the common people

Unit 3.2

What is meant by ‘October revolution’?

Answer:

 It was the revolution which occurred in October 1917. It was led by Petrograd Soviet and
the Bolshevik Party under the leadership of Lenin.
 A military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet under Leon Trotskii to
organise the seizure.
 The uprising began on 24th October. Though Prime Minister Kerenskii resisted but the
seizure was complete within a day.
 The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik).
 In November 1917, the Bolsheviks conducted the elections to the Constituent Assembly,
but they failed to gain majority support. In January 1918, the assembly rejected Bolshevik
measures and Lenin dismissed the assembly.
 In the years that followed, Bolsheviks took full control over the government and Russia
became one party state.

unit 4
Explain major effects of the Russian Revolution of October 1917 on Russian economy.
Answer:

 No Private Property: Private property in the means of production was abolished. Land and
other means of production were declared the property of the entire nation. Labour was
made compulsory for all and economic exploitation by capitalists and landlords came to
an end.
 Nationalisation of Industries: The control of industries was given to the workers. All the
banks, insurance companies, large industries, mines, water transports and railways were
nationalised.
 Centralised Planning: A process cf centralised planning was introduced. Officials
assessed how the economy could work and set targets for a five-year period. On this basis
they made the Five Year Plans.

Unit 4.1

What conditions led to the Russian Civil War in 1918 – 1920? Give any four points.
answer key points…..explain these points with the help of ncert

 Impact of Land Redistribution Policy on Soldiers:

 Opposition from Greens and Whites:
 Outside Forces
 Opponents became unpopular….

Unit 4.2

Unit 4.3

Explain the collectivization policy of Stalin.

Or
What were the major changes Introduced in agriculture by Stalin? Explain.
Answer:

 The collectivization policy was introduced by Stalin who came to power after the death of
Lenin.
 The main reason was the shortage of grain supplies.
 It was argued that grain shortage was partly due to the small size of the holding.
 After 1917, the land had been given over to peasants. These small-sized peasant farms
could not be modernized. To develop modern farms, and run them along industrial lines
with machinery, it was necessary to eliminate ‘kulaks’, take away land from peasants, and
establish state-controlled large farms.
  From 1929, the government forced all peasants to cultivate in collective farms (kolkhoz).
The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms.
Peasants worked on the land, and the kolkhoz profit was shared.
 Enraged peasants resisted the authorities, and destroyed their livestock. Between 1929
and 1931, the number of cattle fell by one-third. Those who resisted collectivization were
severely punished. Many were deported and exiled.
 As they resisted collectivization, peasants argued that they were not rich, and were not
against socialism. They did not want to work in collective farms for a variety of reasons.
 Stalin’s government allowed some independent cultivation, but treated such cultivators
unsympathetically.
 In spite of collectivization, production did not increase immediately. In fact, the bad
harvest of 1930-1933 led to one of the most devastating famines in Soviet history when
over 4 million died.

Unit 5

What was the global impact of the Russian Revolution ?

Answer:
The global impact of the Russian Revolution were :

 The Bolshevik Revolution helped in the spread of Socialist and Communist ideas all over
the world. Communist Governments were established in many European countries.
 Most of the Bolshevik leaders believed that a series of revolutions will sweep other
countries of the world along with revolution in Russia. Many non-Russians from outside
the USSR participated in the conference of the people of the east and the Bolshevik-
founded Comintern, an international union of Pro-Bolshevik socialist parties.
 The Bolshevik government ‘granted freedom to all its colonies immediately after coming
to power. Thus, the new Soviet State came forward as a friend of the subjugated people
and proved to be a source of great inspiration to the freedom movements of various Asian
and African countries.
 By the end of the 20th century, the international reputation of the USSR as a socialist
country had declined through it was recognised that socialist ideals still enjoyed respect
among its people.