Title - What were the short-term causes of the 1917 Revolution?

Do Now
1. What political ideology supports
the idea that property should be
shared by everyone equally?

2. Who do capitalists believe should

own money and property?

3. Russian serfs were emancipated in

1861 under Nicholas II. True or false?

4. List two LT causes of the 1917

Revolution.

5. Opponents of the Bolsheviks were

dubbed Mensheviks. True or false?

Extension: Name one area of reform

under Nicholas II.
 Summative Assessment
Friday 9th September
• Essay Topic: “The conditions in which authoritarian states
emerged were mainly determined by political factors.”
Discuss with reference to one authoritarian states.
(15 Marks)
 What were the long-term weaknesses of Tsarism?
Re-cap on prior learning

2. Industrial unrest
1. Growing 3. Political opposition
peasant unrest

LT Causes of
the 1905
6. Bloody Sunday (1905)
Revolution 4. Unrest among non-
Russians

5. Russo-Japanese War (1904-5)

 Reform & Reaction 1905-10
Home Learning Review
Which area received the most reform and why? Briefly explain.
Why did the reforms prove ‘too little too late’ to save the monarchy? Briefly explain.
Reform area Strengths Weaknesses
Constitutional

Military

Industry

Higher Order Thinking Tasks

Which area received the most reform and why? Briefly explain.
Why did the reforms prove ‘too little too late’ to save the monarchy? Briefly explain.
 Was Russia on the road to democracy by 1914?
Evaluating the Historiography
• The years between 1906 and 1914 have been interpreted in different ways by historians. Some
historians, 'the optimists', claim that social political and economic developments within Russia
indicate that it was evolving into a more modern and broadly based state. Thus it was only the
devastating impact of the First World War that brought about its collapse.
• Conversely, the 'pessimists' argue that the lack of any substantial change by the Tsar towards his style
of government combined with the continual repression and growing industrial unrest indicate that
Russia was already on the brink of revolution in 1914. Thus the war only delayed the impending
revolution. 

Task - Your task is to research the political and economic aspects of Russia
in the years 1906 - 1914 and to decide whether you follow the 'optimistic'
or the 'pessimistic' views regarding Russia during this period. Complete the
table provided (p. 16-19).
Higher Order Thinking Task
Can you identify any links between the causes? Briefly explain.
Why did the Provisional Government collapse?
March – October 1917
Which factor contributed the
most to the Provisional
Government falling? Read 2. The
1. Its own p.19-20 and make notes Soviets –
reforms under each heading. ‘Dual
Authority’
Failures

4. Peasant 3. Cont.
land seizures defeats
during WW1
 Judgement Point
Following your research, which of the two view points below do you now agree
with?

'Had the war not intervened, the confrontation between the authorities and the
rest of the population would possibly have come sooner than 1917'  Martin
McCauley

'In spite of all of the imperfections and drawbacks of the new departures, it
seems safe to say that [the political, economic and social reforms] contained
the elements of the future progress of the nation along the road that had been
followed by other countries' Michael Florinsky
 What were the events and causes of the
Revolution?
Consolidating Knowledge
Task - Read through the timeline of events of the
Russian Revolution and;

1. Highlight the causes of the revolution.

2. Which ST cause contributed the most to
revolution? Briefly explain.

Short term = an event that happened in 1917

and changed things rapidly.
Higher Order Thinking Task
Can you identify any links between the causes? Briefly explain.