Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24

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Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24

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STUDY GUIDE

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Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24

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available

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 Published by Clever Lili Limited.

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First published 2020

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ISBN 978-1-913887-07-0

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Copyright notice

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means (including
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Contents
How to use this book............................................................................................. 7 Russia in the First World War

What is this book about? ..................................................................................... 8 Russia and the First World War ........................................................................ 0

Revision suggestions .......................................................................................... 10 Effects of the First World War ........................................................................... 0

Timelines The February Revolution and the Provisional Government

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 ............................................................. 11 The February Revolution, 1917........................................................................... 0

The Petrograd Soviet............................................................................................ 0

Background to Russia
The Provisional Government............................................................................. 0
Introduction to Russia in the Early 1900s ..................................................... 14
The June Offensive, 1917...................................................................................... 0
The Russian Calendar ..........................................................................................0
The July Days, 1917 ............................................................................................... 0
How did the Tsars Rule Russia? The Kornilov Revolt, 1917.................................................................................... 0
Tsarist Rule.............................................................................................................0 Growth in Support for Bolshevik Party........................................................... 0
Tsar Nicholas II ......................................................................................................0
The October Revolution, 1917
Tsarist Police State ................................................................................................0
The October Revolution, 1917............................................................................. 0
Discontent Storming the Winter Palace, October 1917...................................................... 0

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Discontent ..............................................................................................................0
The Bolshevik Consolidation of Power, 1917-18
Political Opposition to the Tsar..........................................................................0
Bolshevik Consolidation of Power.................................................................... 0

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Causes and Events of 1905 Revolution Decree on Land, 1917............................................................................................ 0
The Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05 ....................................................................0 Decree on Peace, 1917........................................................................................... 0

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Bloody Sunday, 1905.............................................................................................0 Decree on Workers' Rights, 1917........................................................................ 0
The 1905 Revolution .............................................................................................0

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Decree on Nationalities, 1917 ............................................................................. 0

Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia,1917 ............................... 0

Political Parties

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The Constituent Assembly, 1918 ........................................................................ 0
The Octobrist Party...............................................................................................0
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 1918 ......................................................... 0
The Socialist Revolutionary Party.....................................................................0
The Communist Party, 1918 ................................................................................ 0
The Trudovik Party ...............................................................................................0

The Kadets ..............................................................................................................0 The Russian Civil War

The Social Democratic Party...............................................................................0 The Civil War, 1918-1921...................................................................................... 0
The Bolshevik Party..............................................................................................0 The Red Terror ...................................................................................................... 0
The Mensheviks.....................................................................................................0 The Kronstadt Mutiny, 1921................................................................................ 0

The Sovnarkom..................................................................................................... 0
Tsar Nicholas II Response
The Politburo......................................................................................................... 0
The October Manifesto, 1905 ..............................................................................0

The Fundamental Laws 1906 ..............................................................................0 Economic Policies, 1918 to 1928

War Communism, 1918-1921 .............................................................................. 0
The State Duma
New Economic Policy, 1921-1924....................................................................... 0
The State Duma .....................................................................................................0

First Duma, 1906 ...................................................................................................0 People of Russia and the Soviet Union
Second Duma, 1907...............................................................................................0 Tsarina Alexandra................................................................................................ 0
Third Duma, 1907 to 1912.....................................................................................0 Alexander Kerensky ............................................................................................ 0
Fourth Duma, 1912 to 1917 ...................................................................................0 General Kornilov .................................................................................................. 0
Pyotr (Peter) Stolypin ...........................................................................................0 Vladimir Lenin...................................................................................................... 0
Land Reform ..........................................................................................................0 Prince Lvov............................................................................................................. 0
Russification ..........................................................................................................0 Grigori Rasputin................................................................................................... 0
The Lena Goldfield Strike, 1912..........................................................................0 Leon Trotsky.......................................................................................................... 0

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Glossary .................................................................................................................17

Index ...................................................................................................................... 21

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 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

How
In to use
this study this
guide, book
you will see a series of icons, highlighted words and page references. The key below will help you quickly
establish what these mean and where to go for more information.

Icons
WHAT questions cover the key events and themes.

WHO questions cover the key people involved.

WHEN questions cover the timings of key events.

WHERE questions cover the locations of key moments.

WHY questions cover the reasons behind key events.

HOW questions take a closer look at the way in which events, situations and trends occur.

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IMPORTANCE questions take a closer look at the significance of events, situations, and recurrent trends and themes.

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DECISIONS questions take a closer look at choices made at events and situations during this era.

Highlighted words

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Abdicate - occasionally, you will see certain words highlighted within an answer. This means that, if you need it, you’ll find an

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explanation of the word or phrase in the glossary which starts on page 17.

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Page references
Tudor (p.7) - occasionally, a certain subject within an answer is covered in more depth on a different page. If you’d like to learn
more about it, you can go directly to the page indicated.

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 WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?

What is this book about?

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 is the historical investigation that studies why and how Russia was transformed
from an autocratic tsarist government to a communist dictatorship between 1905 and 1924. You will focus on crucial
events during this period and study the different social, cultural, political, economic, military and religious changes that
occurred.

Purpose
This study will help you understand the complexities and challenges that Tsar Nicholas II faced during his rule. You will
investigate themes such as power, law and order, government, revolution, communism, dictatorship, religion, and
economy and society. It will enable you to develop the historical skills of identifying key features of a time period and
encourage you to analyse and compare sources and evaluate interpretations.

Topics
Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 is split into 5 key enquiries:
Enquiry 1 looks at the tsarist rule in Russia between 1905 and 1914. You will study how the tsars ruled Russia and
the reasons for discontent. You will investigate to what extent Nicholas II was able to successfully deal with this in
the years before the First World War.
Enquiry 2 looks at opposition to Tsar Nicholas II's rule during the First World War. You will investigate the
massive social, economic and political impact the war had on Russia which triggered the February Revolution
and led to the tsar's abdication.

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Enquiry 3 looks at events between the February and October Revolutions. You will study the impact of Lenin's

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return to Russia, the weaknesses and failures of the Provisional Government, and the role played by the
Petrograd Soviet. This enquiry culminates with the events of the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917.

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Enquiry 4 looks at how the Bolsheviks consolidated their power and the Russian Civil War. You will study the
actions of the new government from their Decrees of 1917 to the reasons for victory in the Civil War.
Enquiry 5 looks at economic changes brought in by the Bolsheviks. You will study why they introduced War

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Communism, what it was, and its disastrous impact on the people of Russia. You will investigate why the
Bolsheviks responded by introducing the New Economic Policy and what opposition that faced. The enquiry

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finishes by weighing up Lenin's achievements before he died prematurely in 1924.

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Key Individuals
Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:
Tsar Nicholas II.
Tsarina Alexandra.
Rasputin.
Vladimir Lenin.
Joseph Stalin.
Leon Trotsky.
Alexander Kerensky.
Pyotr Stolypin.

Key Events
Some of the key events you will study on this course include:
Bloody Sunday, 1905.
The Lena Goldfields Strike, 1912.
The effect of the First World War on Russia.
The February Revolution, 1917.
The consolidation of Bolshevik control.
The Russian Civil War.
The New Economic Policy.

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 WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?

Assessment
Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 forms part of paper 2 where you have a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
You should spend 45 minutes on this section of the paper. There will be 1 exam question, broken down into a, b and c,
which will assess what you have learned on the Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 course.
Question a is worth 6 marks and will require you to describe two key features of one of two events given. You will
need to identify two key features and support each with relevant factual detail.
Question b is worth 8 marks. This question will require you to cross-reference two sources, explaining how one
supports the evidence of the other, supported with evidence from both.
Question c is worth 16 marks and requires you to explain how far you agree with an interpretation. In your
explanation you must evaluate the interpretations, review alternative views, and use your own knowledge of the
historical context as well as two sources to come to your conclusion.

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 RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION, 1905-24

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905-24 TIMELINE

Russo-Japanese War began (p.0) 1904

1905 January 1905 - Bloody Sunday (p.0)

June 1095 - Potemkin Mutiny (p.0)

October 1905 - St Petersburg Soviet created (p.0)

October 1905 - October Manifesto published (p.0)

April 1906 - Fundamental Laws published (p.0)

1906

April 1906 - First Duma opened (p.0)

1906 - Stolypin's land reform introduced (p.0)

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1912 April 1912 - Lena Goldfields Massacre (p.0)

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Russia entered the First World War (p.0) 1914

1915

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Tsar Nicholas II assumed personal command of the Russian Army
(p.0)

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December 1916 - Rasputin assassinated (p.0)
1916

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1917 February 1917 - International Women's Day Protest sparked the
February Revolution (p.0)

March 1917 - Tsar Nicholas abdicated (p.0)

April 1917 - Lenin returned to Russia and published his April Theses
(p.0)

June 1917 - The June Offensive (p.0)

July 1917 - The July Days (p.0)

July 1917 - Alexander Kerensky became the leader of the Provisional

Government (p.0)

August 1917 - Kornilov Revolt (p.0)

October 1917 - October Revolution by the Bolsheviks (p.0)

October 1917 - Bolsheviks issued the Decree on Peace (p.0)

December 1917 - Cheka created

January 1918 - Constituent Assembly shut down by Lenin (p.0)

1918

March 1918 - The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed (p.0)

June 1918 - Introduction of War Communism (p.0)

1918 - Russian Civil War began (p.0)

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 RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION, 1905-24

July 1918 - Assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and his family (p.0)

August 1918 - Red Terror began (p.0)

1920 Russian Civil War ended with a Bolshevik victory (p.0)

March 1921 - Kronstadt naval mutiny (p.0)

1921

March 1921 - Decree on Party Unity banned factions (p.0)

March 1921 - New Economic Policy introduced (p.0)

1922 December 1922 - USSR created

January 1924 - Lenin died (p.0)

1924

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RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION, 1905-24

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 INTRODUCTION TO RUSSIA IN THE EARLY 1900S
Churchill described Russia as, 'It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.'

What was Russia like in the early 1900s?

In the early 1900s, Russia was an enormous empire which was economically and agriculturally backwards. It was ruled
by an autocratic tsar (p.0), who had absolute power, and suppressed all opposition.

How many ethnic groups lived in Russia in the early 1900s?

Russia had approximately 130 ethnic groups, who spoke over 100 different languages.

How big was Russia in the early 1900s?

In the early 1900s, Russia was an empire that stretched 6,000 miles, from the Baltic to the Pacific and from the Arctic
down to central Asia.

Which countries did Russia border in the early 1900s?

Russia shared a border with the German Empire in Europe and China in the Far East, as well as Finland in the north and

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Afghanistan in the south.

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What geographical problems did Russia have in the early 1900s?

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The geographical size of Russia causes 6 main problems:
Due to the size of the country, certain areas were difficult to control as they were far away from the tsarist capital, St

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Petersburg.
Communication across the country was poor, leading some areas to be divided and detached.

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There were a lack of railways and useable roads.

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A large amount of land was unsuitable for farming.
The peasants used backward and inefficient agricultural methods.
With an increasing population, land was in short supply.

What type of government did Russia have in the early 1900s?

There were 6 key features of tsarist government:
The tsars were emperors who ruled with absolute power. Their power was justified by the belief that they possessed
the divine right to rule.
There was an Imperial Council who advised the tsar (p.0), whose members came from the nobility. The tsar appointed
or dismissed its members, therefore the nobles were often corrupt and more interested in securing their position in
the Imperial Council than providing balanced advice.
There was a Committee of Ministers who ran 13 different departments (increased to 14 in 1900). The ministers were
appointed by the tsar (p.0) and their decisions needed his approval.
There was a massive bureaucracy to run such a huge country. It was slow and often corrupt.
Russia was divided into 117 different provinces which were run by the nobles. The governors of the provinces were
responsible for enforcing the tsar's (p.0) laws, which they could do with some degree of independence.
It relied on the Imperial Army, the Russian Orthodox Church and the police to keep control.

How developed was industry in Russia in the early 1900s?

There were 6 main issues with Russia's level of industrialisation:
It had a low-level of industry but it was growing quickly. By 1914, Russia was the world's 4th largest producer of coal,
pig iron and steel.

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 Its banking system was backwards and could not support the investment needed to modernise the country.
It lacked workers for new industries as many peasants were tied to their villages because of the debts they owed to
their landlords.
There was extreme poverty in Russia, therefore there was little demand for manufactured goods making investment
for modernisation very difficult.
The level of industrialisation was uneven across the empire. The industrial cities tended to be in the western parts of
Russia.
It lacked a developed transport network. There were few paved roads and although railways were developing, they
were inadequate for helping Russia modernise.

What was farming like in Russia in the early 1900s?

There were 6 main issues with Russian agriculture:
Agriculture was backward with little use of modern technology. Most peasants were subsistence farmers who mainly
used traditional methods of farming because they had little to no education or opportunity to modernise.
The peasants were emancipated in 1861, which meant they were free from serfdom. In practice, serfdom was replaced
with debt slavery, forcing the peasants to take on loans in order to buy back their land.
The Russian countryside experienced frequent famines and crop failures, leading to food shortages and starvation.
The government failed to successfully deal with famines through a combination of the tsar's (p.0) indifference to

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suffering, poor infrastructure, local corruption and the nobles' mismanagement of the land.

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Most peasants were illiterate, poorly informed and resistant to change.

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The village commune, or mir, controlled how the peasants farmed and on which land they farmed. The mir allocated
small strips of land to village peasants which was very often an ineffective and unproductive way to farm.

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What were conditions like in Russia in the early 1900s?

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By the 1900s, the living and working conditions in Russian town were terrible for 3 main reasons:
Workers usually shared filthy rooms in block-style buildings.

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There could be up to 10 people sharing a room in these buildings, including men, women and children.
Although working days were officially limited to 11 hours per day, the average working day was 15-16 hours.

What were the main religions of Russia in the early 1900s?

In the early 1900s, the 3 main religions were:
Russian Orthodox, a form of Christianity, and the official state religion of Russia.
Judaism. There were about 5 million Jews.
Islam. There were about 23 million Muslims.

What role did the Church play in Russia in the early 1900s?
The Russian Orthodox Church played a very important role in Russia in 4 main ways:
It taught the Russian people to love and obey the tsar (p.0) as the 'Little Father'.
It underpinned the tsarist government as many Church leaders were from the aristocratic class of Russia's rulers
who owned vast country estates.
It was very conservative in nature and used its influence to block any change in Russia that might upset its position
in society.
It played a large role in education by teaching children to show loyalty to the tsar (p.0), his officials, and the Church.

What different social classes existed in Russia in the early 1900s?

There were 7 different groups that made up Russian society by the late 1800s:
The aristocrats made up about 1% of the population but owned 25% of the land.

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 The clergy made up 0.5% of the population.
The middle class of small bankers, merchants and professionals made up about 0.5% of the population.
There was a class called 'urbanities' which consisted of small tradesmen, shopkeepers, white collar workers and
artisans that made up 11% of the population.
Cossacks made up about 2.3% of the population.
The peasants made up about 80% of the population, an overwhelming majority, and were exceptionally poor and
illiterate.
About 8% was made up of other groups.

What different nationalities made up Russia in the early 1900s?

In the early 1900s, Russia was made up of several different nationalities. The 5 main ones were:
Slavs (including Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians).
Poles.
Asians.
Germans.
Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians.

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 GLOSSARY

Glossary
A
Ceasefire - when the various sides involved in conflict agree to
stop fighting.
Abdicate - to give up a position of power or a responsibility.
Censorship - the control of information in the media by a
Abolish, Abolished - to stop something, or get rid of it. government, whereby information considered obscene or
unacceptable is suppressed.
Abolition - the act of abolishing something, i.e. to stop or get rid of
it. Civil rights - the rights a citizen has to political or social freedoms,
such as the right to vote or freedom of speech.
Agricultural - relating to agriculture.
Civilian - a non-military person.
Agriculture - an umbrella term to do with farming, growing crops
or raising animals. Claim - someone's assertion of their right to something - for
example, a claim to the throne.
Alliance - a union between groups or countries that benefits each
member. Clergy - those ordained for religious duties, especially in the
Christian Church.
Allies - parties working together for a common objective, such as
countries involved in a war. In both world wars, 'Allies' refers to Commune - a place where a group of people live and work
those countries on the side of Great Britain. together and share resources.

Archaic - to be very old or old-fashioned. Communism - the belief, based on the ideas of Karl Marx, that all
people should be equal in society without government, money or
Aristocracy - the highest social class, whose members gain their private property. Everything is owned by by the people, and each
power from possessing land, property and money. person receives according to need.

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Aristocrat - a person who belongs to the aristocracy. Communist - a believer in communism.

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Artillery - large guns used in warfare. Conscription - mandatory enlistment of people into a state

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service, usually the military.
Assassinate - to murder someone, usually an important figure,
often for religious or political reasons. Conservative - someone who dislikes change and prefers
traditional values. It can also refer to a member of the

m
Assassination - the act of murdering someone, usually an Conservative Party.
important person.
Consolidate - to strengthen a position, often politically, by

a
Assembly - a meeting of a group of people, often as part of a bringing several things together into a more effective whole.
country's government, to make decisions.

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Constitution - rules, laws or principles that set out how a country
Autocracy - a system of government where the ruler has absolute is governed.
power over their country.
Constitutional - relating to the constitution.
Autocrat - a ruler who has absolute power over their country.
Constitutional monarchy - political system in which a monarch's
powers and authority are limited by a constitution.
B
Cooperate, Cooperation - to work together to achieve a common
Bolshevik, Bolsheviks - was a Russian radical Marxist aim. Frequently used in relation to politics, economics or law.
revolutionary group, founded by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander
Bogdanov in 1903. A Bolshevik is someone who is a member of Corrupt - when someone is willing to act dishonestly for their
that party. own personal gain.

Bourgeoisie - the capitalists who owned the means of production, Coup - a sudden, violent and illegal overthrow of the government
i.e. land, banks and factories, in Marxist ideology. by a small group - for example, the chiefs of an army.

Boycott - a way of protesting or bringing about change by refusing Culture - the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular
to buy something or use services. people or society.

Bribe, Bribery, Bribes - to dishonestly persuade someone to do Currency - an umbrella term for any form of legal tender, but
something for you in return for money or other inducements. most commonly referring to money.

C D
Cabinet - politically, the group of senior ministers responsible for Debt - when something, usually money, is owed by a person,
controlling government policy. organisation or institution to another.

Capitalism - the idea of goods and services being exchanged for Decree - an official order with the force of law behind it.
money, private ownership of property and businesses, and
acceptance of a hierarchical society. Democracy - a political system where a population votes for its
government on a regular basis. The word is Greek for 'the rule of
people' or 'people power'.

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 GLOSSARY

Democratic - relating to or supporting the principles of Gulag - a forced labour camp in the USSR.
democracy.

Dictatorship - a form of government where an individual or small H

group has total power, ruling without tolerance for other views or
opposition. Haemophilia - a genetic blood disorder where the blood does not
clot properly.
Dictatorship of the Proletariat - the belief that, whilst the
proletariat would eventually come to rule itself as proposed by Heavy industry - the manufacture of large and/or heavy items in
Karl Marx, for now they were not ready, and required a 'dictator' bulk, or industries which involve large and heavy equipment and/
to guide them until they were able to rule themselves. or facilities. Examples are the iron, coal, steel and electricity
industries.
Discriminate, Discrimination - to treat a person or group of
people differently and in an unfair way. Hierarchies, Hierarchy - the ranking of people according to
authority, for example a colonel in the army being higher than a
Dispute - a disagreement or argument; often used to describe corporal.
conflict between different countries.

Dissolution, Dissolve - the formal ending of a partnership, I

organisation or official body.
Illiterate - unable to read or write.
Divine right - the belief held by monarchs or rulers that they are
given the right to rule by God. Import - to bring goods or services into a different country to sell.

Independence, Independent - to be free of control, often meaning

by another country, allowing the people of a nation the ability to

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E
govern themselves.

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Economic - relating to the economy; also used when justifying
something in terms of profitability. Industrial - related to industry, manufacturing and/or production.

p
Economy - a country, state or region's position in terms of Industrialisation, Industrialise, Industrialised - the process of
production and consumption of goods and services, and the developing industry in a country or region where previously there
supply of money. was little or none.

m
Empire - a group of states or countries ruled over and controlled Industry - the part of the economy concerned with turning raw
materials into into manufactured goods, for example making

a
by a single monarch.
furniture from wood.
Estate, Estates - an extensive area of land, usually in the country

S
and including a large house. It tends to be owned by one person, Inferior - lower in rank, status or quality.
family or organisation.
Inflation - the general increase in the prices of goods which
Exile - to be banned from one's original country, usually as a means money does not buy as much as it used to.
punishment or for political reasons.
Infrastructure - the basic physical and organisational facilities a
Export - to transport goods for sale to another country. society or country needs to function, such as transport networks,
communications and power.
Extreme - furthest from the centre or any given point. If someone
holds extreme views, they are not moderate and are considered International relations - the relationships between different
radical. countries.

F L
Famine - a severe food shortage resulting in starvation and death, Left wing - used to describe political groups or individuals with
usually the result of bad harvests. beliefs that are usually centered around socialism and the idea of
reform.
Foreign policy - a government's strategy for dealing with other
nations. Legitimacy, Legitimate - accepted by law or conforming to the
rules; can be defended as valid.
Free elections - elections in which voters are free to vote without
interference. Liberal - politically, someone who believes in allowing personal
freedom without too much control by the government or state.
Front - in war, the area where fighting is taking place.

M
G
Manifesto - the stated policies or aims of a political party or
General strike - occurs when many different groups of workers person, normally published before an election.
strike at the same time, often with the aim of bringing a country to
a standstill. Massacre - the deliberate and brutal slaughter of many people.

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 GLOSSARY

Means of production - resources which enable the production of great deal of power to control the people and suppress opposition.
goods, such as tools, factories and raw materials.
Population - the number of people who live in a specified place.
Merchant, Merchants - someone who sells goods or services.
Poverty - the state of being extremely poor.
Middle class - refers to the socio-economic group which includes
people who are educated and have professional jobs, such as President - the elected head of state of a republic.
teachers or lawyers.
Prevent, Preventative, Preventive - steps taken to stop something
Military force - the use of armed forces. from happening.

Militia - an army created from the general population. Production - a term used to describe how much of something is
made, for example saying a factory has a high production rate.
Minister - a senior member of government, usually responsible
for a particular area such as education or finance. Profit - generally refers to financial gain; the amount of money
made after deducting buying, operating or production costs.
Mir - was a village in which the community holds the land jointly
but farms it individually in tsarist Russia. Propaganda - biased information aimed at persuading people to
think a certain way.
Mobilisation - the action of a country getting ready for war by
preparing and organising its armed forces. Prosecute - to institute or conduct legal proceedings against a
person or organisation.
Moderate - someone who is not extreme.
Prosperity - the state of thriving, enjoying good fortune and/or
Modernise - to update something to make it suitable for modern social status.
times, often by using modern equipment or modern ideas.

e
Province, Provinces - part of an empire or a country denoting

l
Monarchists - people in favour of living in a country governed by areas that have been divided for administrative purposes.
a monarchy.
Purged, Purging - abrupt and often violent removal of a group of

p
Monarchy - a form of government in which the head of state is a people from a place or organisation; medically, to make someone
monarch, a king or queen. sick or induce diarrhoea as a treatment to rid them of illness.

Morale - general mood of a group of people.

m
R
Mutiny - a rebellion or revolt, in particular by soldiers or sailors

a
against their commanding officers. Radical, Radicalism - people who want complete or extensive
change, usually politically or socially.
Mystical - relating to magical, religious or spiritual powers.

S
Rationing - limiting goods that are in high demand and short
supply.
N
Real wages - a person's income in terms of how much they can buy
Nationalism, Nationalist, Nationalistic - identifying with your after taking inflation into account.
own nation and supporting its interests, often to the detriment or
exclusion of other nations. Rebellion - armed resistance against a government or leader, or
resistance to other authority or control.
Nobility - the social class ranked directly below royalty.
Rebels - people who rise in opposition or armed resistance against
Noble, Nobles - another word for aristocrat - a member of the an established government or leader.
highest and richest class in society.
Reform, Reforming - change, usually in order to improve an
institution or practice.
O
Regent - the person who rules when the king is away,
Oath - a solemn promise with special significance, often relating incapacitated or too young to rule.
to future behaviour or actions.
Reign - a period of power, usually by a monarch.
Occupation - the action, state or period when somewhere is taken
over and occupied by a military force. Relief - something that reduces pressure on people, often through
financial or practical support.

P Reparations - payments made by the defeated countries in a war

to the victors to help pay for the cost of and damage from the
Parliament - a group of politicians who make the laws of their fighting.
country, usually elected by the population.
Repress, Repression - politically, to prevent something or control
Patriotic - a strong love of and support for one's country. people by by force.
Peasant - a poor farmer. Repressive - a harsh or authoritarian action; usually used to
describe governmental abuse of power.
Police state - a totalitarian country in which the police have a

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 GLOSSARY

Republic - a state or country run by elected representatives and an Tsar - the Russian word for emperor; can also be spelled 'czar'.
elected/nominated president. There is no monarch.

Requisition - to take something, usually by official order, such as a U

government taking food from peasants.
Ultimatum - a final demand, with the threat of consequences if it
Revolution - the forced overthrow of a government or social is not met.
system by its own people.
Upper class - a socio-economic group consisting of the richest
Right wing - a political view with beliefs centred around people in a society who are wealthy because they own land or
nationalism and a desire for an authoritarian government property.
opposed to communism.

Riots - violent disturbances involving a crowd of people. V

Russification - a policy implemented by the tsars in Russia to Veto - the right to reject a decision or proposal.
enforce Russian culture and language on non-Russian ethnic
groups.
W
S Welfare - wellbeing; often refers to money and services given to
the poorest people.
Self-determination, Self-determined - in politics, the process
where a nation decides its own statehood and whether it will rule Working class - socio-economic group consisting of those
itself rather than be part of a larger empire. engaged in waged labour, especially manual work or industry,
who typically do not have much money.

e
Serfdom - the condition or state of being a serf.

l
Socialism - a political and economic system where most Z

p
resources, such as factories and businesses, are owned by the state
or workers with the aim of achieving greater equality between Zemstvos - elected local assemblies, set up Russia in 1864 to
rich and poor. administer local affairs.

m
Socialist - one who believes in the principles of socialism.

Soviet - an elected workers' council at local, regional or national

a
level in the former Soviet Union. It can also be a reference to the
Soviet Union or the USSR.

S
State, States - an area of land or a territory ruled by one
government.

Strike - a refusal by employees to work as a form of protest,

usually to bring about change in their working conditions. It puts
pressure on their employer, who cannot run the business without
workers.

Subsistence, Subsistence farming, Subsistent - a type of farming

in which farmers only grow or produce enough for their own use,
with no surplus to sell.

Successor - someone who succeeds the previous person, such as a

leader who takes over the role from the previous holder.

Suppress, Suppression - the use of force to stop something, such

as a protest.

T
Tactic - a strategy or method of achieving a goal.

Territories, Territory - an area of land under the control of a ruler/

country.

Trade unions - organised groups of workers who cooperate to

make their lives better at work. For example, they might negotiate
for better pay and then organise a strike if one is refused.

Treaty - a formal agreement, signed and ratified by two or more

parties.

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 INDEX

Index
B M
Bloody Sunday, 1905 - 0 Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order - 0
Bolsheviks - 0 Menshevik Party - 0
Bolsheviks, War Communism - 0
Bolsheviks, consolidation of power - 0 N
Bolsheviks, growth of support - 0 New Economic Policy (NEP) - 0

C O
Civil War, Russian - 0 October Manifesto - 0
Communist Party in Russia - 0 October Revolution - 0
Constituent Assembly - 0 Octobrist Party - 0
Opposition to Tsar Nicholas II - 0
D
Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia. - 0 P
Decree on Nationalities - 0 Peace Decree - 0

e
Decrees on Workers' Rights - 0 Petrograd Soviet - 0

l
Discontent, tsarist Russia - 0 Politburo - 0
Duma - 0 Prince Lvov - 0

p
Provisional government, establishment - 0
F

m
February Revolution - 0 R

a
Feodorovna, Alexandra - 0 Rasputin, Grigori - 0
First Duma - 0 Red Terror - 0

S
Fourth Duma - 0 Russia and WW1 - 0
Fundamental Laws - 0 Russia, early 1900s - 14
Russia, impact of WW1 - 0
J Russian Civil War - 0
July Days, Russia - 0 Russian Revolution, 1905 - 0
June Offensive - 0 Russian calendar - 0
Russification - 0
K Russo-Japanese War - 0
Kadet Party - 0
Kerensky, Alexander - 0 S
Kornilov Revolt - 0 Second Duma - 0
Kornilov, General - 0 Social Democratic Party - 0
Kronstadt Naval Mutiny - 0 Socialist Revolutionary Party - 0
Sovnarkom - 0
L Stolypin, Pyotr - 0
Land Decree - 0 Stolypin, land reforms - 0
Lena Goldfield Strike - 0
Lenin, Vladimir - 0 T
Lvov, Georgy - 0 Third Duma - 0
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - 0

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 INDEX

Trotsky, Leon - 0
Trudoviks Party - 0
Tsar Nicholas II - 0
Tsar Nicholas II, opposition - 0
Tsarina Alexandra - 0
Tsarist Russia, discontent - 0
Tsarist police state - 0
Tsars - 0

W
War Communism, Bolshevik - 0
Winter Palace, storming of - 0

pl e
a m
S

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