SOCIAL SCIENCE

History: Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

GRADE: 9th WORKSHEET

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS [1 MARK]:

Q.1. Which among the following groups was against any kind of political or social
change?

(a) Nationalists (b) conservatives (c) liberals (d) radicals

Q.2. The people who wanted to put an immediate end to the existing governments in
Europe (In 1815) were called:

(a) Nationalists (b) liberals (c) revolutionaries (d) radicals

Q.3. Which of these statements is/are correct about Europe after the French Revolution?

(a) Suddenly it seemed possible to change the aristocratic society of the 18th century.

(b) However not everyone wanted a complete transformation of society.

(c) Some wanted gradual shift, while others wanted complete change of society.

(d) All the above

Q.4. The majority religion of Russia was but the empire also included

(a) Russian Orthodox Church, grown out of Greek Orthodox Church

(b) Russian Orthodox Church

(c) Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists

(d) Both (b) and (c)

Q.5. Which of the following factors made autocracy unpopular in Russia?

(a) The German origin of the Tsarina Alexandra (b) Poor advisors like the Monk
Rasputin

(c) The huge cost of fighting in the World War I (d) Both (a) and (b)

Q.6Which of the following statements is incorrect about the Socialists till 1914?

(a) They helped various associations to win seats in the parliaments in Europe

(b) Socialists, supported by strong figures in parliamentary politics, shaped and

influenced legislation
(c) They succeeded in forming a government in Europe

(d) Governments continued to be run by conservatives, liberals and radicals

Q.7.How can you say that the „liberals‟ were not „democrats‟?

(a) They did not believe in universal adult franchise (b) They felt that only men of
property should have a right to vote

(c) Women should not have right to vote (d) All the above

Q.8.Which of the following statements is not correct about the „radicals‟?

(a) They supported women’s right to vote

(b) They opposed the privileges of great landowners

(c) They were completely against the existence of private property

(d) They wanted a government based on the majority of a country’s population

Q.9.What kind of developments took place as a result of new political trends in Europe?

(a) Industrial Revolution occurred (b) New cities came up

(c) Railways expanded (d) All the above

Q.10. By the mid-19th century in Europe, the idea which attracted widespread attention on
the restructuring of society was

(a) Capitalism (b) Socialism (c) Dictatorship (d) None of the above

Q.11. Who conspired in Italy to bring about a revolution?

(a) Bismarck (b) Karl Marx (c) Giuseppe Mazzini (d) None of the above

Q.12. When was the Socialist Revolutionary Party formed in Russia? (a)

1898 (b) 1900 (c) 1905 (d) 1910

Q.13What were the demands made by the workers in St. Petersburg who went on a
strike?

(a) Reduction of working time to eight hours (b) Increase in wages

(c) Improvement in working conditions (d) All the above

Q.14.Why did the Tsar dismiss the first Duma within 75 days of its election?

(a) Because it was incapable of taking good decisions (b)Because the Tsar did not
want anyone to question his authority

(c) The term of first Duma was of 75 days only (d) None of the above

Q.15.In the World War I, which started in 1914, Russia fought against

(a) Britain and France (b) Germany and Austria (c) America (d) All the above
Q.16. What was the position of Russia‟s army in Germany and Austria between 1914 and
1916?

(a) Russian army brought a lot of destruction in Germany and Austria.

(b) It killed a large member of people and was victorious

(c) Russian army lost badly

(d) None of the above

Q.17. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) By 1916, railway lines in Russia began to break down

(b) There were labour shortages and small workshops producing essentials were shut down

(c) Large supplies of grain were sent to feed the army

(d) All the above

Q.18. Why did a lockout take place at a factory on the right bank of the River Neva on22
February, 1917?

(a) It was extremely cold for the workers to work, because of frost and heavy snow

(b) The workers were being forced to join the army

(c) Food shortages were deeply felt in the workers‟ quarters situated on the left bank of the
River Neva

(d) Both (a) and (c)

Q.19. On 27th February 1917, soldiers and striking workers gathered to form a council
called,

(a) Soviet Council (b) Petrograd Soviet (c) Moscow Union (d) Russian Council

Q.20.When did the Tsar abdicate the throne?

(a) 28 February, 1917 (b) 2 March, 1917 (c) 10 April, 1917 (d) 15 May, 1918

Q.21.Which of these demands is/are referred to as Lenin‟s „April Theses‟?

a) World War I should be brought to an end (b) Land should be transferred to the
peasants

(c) Banks should be nationalised (d) All the above

Q.22. Why was most of the Bolshevik Party members initially surprised by „April
Theses‟?

(a) They wanted continuation of World War I (b) They thought that time was
not ripe for a socialist revolution
(c) Government needed to be supported at this time (d) All the above

Q.23. Who led the Bolshevik group in Russia during Russian Revolution?

(a) Karl Marx (b) Friedrich Engels (c) Vladimir Lenin (d) Trotsky

Q.24. Who started „Collectivisation Programme‟ in Russia?

(a) Lenin (b) Karl Marx (c) Rasputin (d) Stalin

Q.25. Socialists took over the government in Russia through the?

(a) October Revolution in 1917 (b) November Revolution in 1918

(c) December Revolution in 1919 (d) February Revolution in 1920

Q.26. After 1905, most committees and trade unions were:

(a) Declared illegal (b) declared legal (c) active (d) none of the above

Q.27. At the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of Russian people worked in the:

(a) Industrial sector (b) Agricultural sector (c) Mining sector (d) Transport sector

Q.28.In the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheviks and the socialist revolutionaries were
represented by which of the following colours?

(a) Whites and Reds (b) Greens and Whites (c) Reds and Greens (d) None of these

Q.29.The commune of farmers was known as:

(a) Tsar (b) Duma (c) Mir (d) Cossacks

Q.30. Who led the procession of workers to the event „Bloody Sunday‟ in Russia?

(a) Lenin (b) Stalin (c) Kerenski (d) Father Gapon

Answer Key:

1-(b)2-(c)3-(d)4-(d)5-(d)6-(b)7-(d)8-(c)9-(d)10-(b)11- (c)12-(b)13 (d)14 (b)15-(b)16-(c)17-

(d)18-(d)19-(b) 20-(b) 21-(d)22-(b)23-(c)24-(d)25-(a)26 (a)27- (b)28-(c)29- (c)30- (d)

Answer the following: (1 mark each)

1. One of the groups which liked to change the society, was the .

Answer: Liberals

2. Industrialisation brought men, women and children to .

Answer: Factories

3.Who was Giuseppe Mazzini?

Answer: He was an Italian nationalist.

4. Marx argued that industrial society was the .

Answer: Capitalist

5. Workers in England and Germany began to form associations to fight for .

Answer: Better living and working conditions

6. Socialists took over the government in Russia through the .

Answer: October Revolution of 1917

7. Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia and its empire in .

Answer: 1914

8. Government supervised large factories to ensure the .

Answer: Minimum wages and limited hours of work

9. All political parties were illegal in .

Answer: Russia before 1914

10. What was the new name given to the Bolshevik Party ?

Answer: Russian Communist Party

11. The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was founded in .

Answer: 1898 by Socialists.

12. In Russia, the war was initially popular and people rallied around .

Answer: Tsar Nicholas II.

13. The government tried to control the demonstrators and called out the .

Answer: Cavalry.

14. Petrograd had led the February Revolution that brought down the .

Answer: Monarchy in February 1917.

Answer the following: (3 marks)

1. Why did Kerenskii‟s Government become unpopular in Russia ?

Answer: The Kerenskii‟s government become unpopular in Russia because :

His failure to feel the pulse of the nation. He tried to suppress the workers movement and
the Balshevik influence.

People wanted peace, but he tried to continue the war.

The non-Russian nationals failed to get an equal status under his government.

2. Which event in Russian history is known as Bloody Sunday ?

Answer: On 9th January, 1905 a mass of peaceful workers with their wives and children was
fired at St. Petersburg while on its way to the Winter Palace to present a petition to the Tsar.

More than a hundred workers were killed and about 300 were wounded.

The incident known as Bloody Sunday in history of Russia as the massacre had taken place on
Sunday.

3. What were the immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution ?

Answer: The immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution were :

(a) Most industries and banks were nationalized in November 1917. This meant the
government took over the ownership and management. Land was declared social property.

(b) In cities, Bolsheviks enforced the partition of large houses according to family
requirements.

(c) They banned the use of old title of aristocracy.

4. What was the basic principle of the Marxist theory?

Answer: The basic principle of the Marxist theory were:

(a) Marx believed that the conditions of workers could not improve if profit was
accumulated by private capitalists.

(b) Workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of private property.

(c) Workers must construct a radically socialist society where all property was socially
controlled. This would be a communist society and a Communist Party was the natural
society of the future.

5. How did the Bolshevik Party contribute to the Russian Revolution of October 1917?

Answer: The Bolshevik Party put forward clear policies to end the war, transferred the land
to the peasants and advanced the slogan, “All power to the Soviets”. On the
question of non-Russian nationalities, Bolsheviks were the only party with a clear policy.

Lenin had proclaimed the right of all people to self-determination, including those under the
Russian Empire.

6. Describe reforms introduced by the Russian Tsar Nicholas II after the Revolution.

Answer: After 1905, most committees and unions worked unofficially. Since they were declared
illegal. Severe restrictions were placed on Kerenskii political activity.

Power to make laws was conferred upon on elected body called the Duma.

He changed the voting laws and packed the third Duma with conservative politicians. Liberals
and revolutionaries were kept out.
7. State any three events after the Bloody Sunday which led to the revolution of 1905 in
Russia.

Answer: Three events after the Bloody Sunday which led to the revolution of 1905 in Russia
were:

The news provoked unprecedented disturbances throughout Russia. Strike took place all over
the country.

The universities of Russia were closed when student bodies staged walkouts,
complaining about the lack of civil liberties.

Lawyers, doctors, engineers, middle class workers established Union of Unions and demanded
a constituent assembly.

8. Explain the main demands of “April Theses”.

Answer: In April 1917, the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia from his exile.
He and the Bolsheviks had opposed the war since 1914. Now he felt it was time for soviets to
take over power. He put three demands which were known as Lenin‟s April Theses.

The three demands were:

(a) He declared that the war to be ended

(b) Land to be transferred to the peasants

(c) The banks to be nationalized.

9. Discuss the positive aspects of the Bolshevik government on Soviet Union and its
people.

Answer: The positive aspects of the Bolshevik government on Soviet Union and its people were:

Immediately after coming to power, Lenin announced his decision to with draw from the First
World War.

Private property in the means of production was abolished. Economic exploitation by capitalists
and landlords came to an end.

The control of industries was given to workers. All the banks, industries and mines.
water transport and railways were nationalized.

10. How did the 1905 Revolution in Russia prove to be a dress rehearsal of October 1917
Revolution ? Explain.

Answer: In 1904—05, there was war between Russia and Japan. In this war, Russia was
defeated by Japan. The Russian people began to oppose the Tsar. They believed that the only
cause of this defeat was the government of Tsar which had failed to carry out war properly.
A procession of thousands of peaceful workers along with their wives and children went to the
palace of Tsar to show their anger and present a petition on Sunday, 9 January, 1905. While
the workers were on the way to the Winter Palace of Tsar, they were fired at by the army of the
Tsar.

More than one hundred people were killed and about three hundred were wounded.

11. What were the significant changes in the Soviet Union after the death of Lenin ?

Answer: In 1925, Stalin became General Secretary of the Communist Party of Soviet
Union after the death of Lenin.

The following were the significant changes in the Soviet Union after the death of Lenin. The

economic and military power of the Soviet Union was enhanced rapidly.

The unemployment and economic backwardness was controlled to some extent.

The international position of the Soviet Union became much better than the previous time
and it became one of the super powers of the world.

12. How was the bad condition of women responsible for Russian Revolution ?

Answer: The bad condition of women responsible for Russian Revolution because :

Most of the women were working in small factories.

Women made up about 31% of the factory labour force by 1914.

They were paid less wages and were forced to work for long hours.

When they launched an agitation, they were fired by the police.

13. Why were socialists against private property and saw it as the root of all social ills ?

Answer: The people who propagated socialism said that individuals, who owned property, did
provide employment to many people but they were concerned with personal gains only. They
did not bother about the welfare of the people. They felt that if society- controlled property,
more attention would be paid to collective social interests socialists wanted this change and
campaigned for it.

14. Which basic principles, ideas and values had the Russian Revolution for rest of the
world?

Answer: The basic principles, ideas and values had the Russian Revolution for rest of the
world:

(a) Economic equality

(b) Social Equality

(c) Socialism

(d) Anti-capitalism.

(e) International fraternity of all the peasants, craftsmen and workers.

Long Answer Type Questions: (5 marks)

1. Describe the circumstances which were responsible for the Russian Revolution.

Answer: The circumstances which were responsible for the Russian Revolution as given below:

The Russian peasantry was in a miserable condition. The farmers could not get even two
square meals a day. Their land holdings were very small and they had to pay heavy taxes.

The Russian as well as the foreign capitalist industrialists exploited the workers by taking
12-14 hours of work and paying very low wages to them. The workers had no right to form
trade unions or seek reforms. They led a miserable life.

The Tsar Nicholas II was a despotic and autocratic ruler. He enjoyed unlimited powers and
rights. The people of the higher strata enjoyed great privileges. The bureaucracy was corrupt
and inefficient. The common people who suffered most, were fed up with the absolute rule of the
Tsar and wanted to get rid of him.

Karl Marx propagated „Scientific Socialism‟. He strongly opposed capitalism which meant
untold exploitation of the common men.

2. Explain in brief Lenin‟s contribution to the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Answer: Lenin had played an important part in the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is true that
after the fall of Tsar, Lenin led the revolutionaries. Really, it was the beginning of the
revolution.

The Provisional Government, under the leadership of Kerenskii, could not implement the
demand of the people and failed.

Under Lenin‟s leadership, the Bolshevik Party put forward clear policies to end the war, transfer
the land to the peasants and advance the slogan „All power to the Soviets‟.

He had described the Russian empire as a Prison of Nations and had declared that . no genuine
democracy could be established unless all the non-Russian people were given equal rights.

3. What were the main objectives of the Russian Revolutionaries ?

Answer: The main objectives of the Russian Revolutionaries were :

The Tsar had thrown Russia into the First World War to fulfil his imperialistic desires. It was the
demand of the revolutionaries that Russia should withdraw from the war. So, it withdrew from
the First World War in 1917 after the Revolution.

After the Revolution, the land was given to the tillers. The landlords had to give the land to the
government. Kolkhoz and Sovkhoj farms were established. In Kolkhoz farms, the peasants
worked collectively.

The revolutionaries had demanded an improvement in the conditions of the industrial workers.
They demanded better wages, good working conditions and removal of
exploitation. After 1917, the industries were nationalised and the dream of workers was fulfilled.

The next aim of the revolutionaries was that the non-Russians should be given equal status.
Lenin believed that without this status these people could never become real Russians.

4. How Lenin‟s name became inseparable from the Russian Revolution ?

Answer: Lenin‟s name became inseparable from the Russian Revolution :

After completing his education, he joined the Communist Revolutionary Party and started
spreading revolutionary ideas among the workers. He favoured the workers. He also favoured
the setting up of the new society based on the principles of socialism of Karl Marx.

He set up a Communist Government in place of the despotic rule in Russia. Therefore, Lenin‟s
name became inseparable from the Russian Revolution.

Lenin united the peasants and workers under the Bolshevik Party and directed the revolution
against the Provisional Government.

Efforts were made to set up a Socialist Government on the basis of principles of Karl Marx.
The private property was confiscated. Lenin took the land from the landlords and distributed
it among the peasants. The Government nationalised all the factories and handed over their
management to the workers. All debts were remitted. The property of the Church was also
confiscated.

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.
6. How did Russia‟s participation in the World War cause the fall of the Tsar ? Answer:

(a) The war was initially popular, and people rallied around Tsar Nicholas II.

(b) As the war continued, support became thin and Tsar‟s popularity declined. Anti-
German sentiments became high.

(c) The Tsarina Alexandra‟s German origins and poor advisers, especially a monk called
Rasputin, made the autocracy unpopular.

(d) Defeats were shocking and demoralising. Russia‟s armies lost badly in Germany and
Austria between 1914 and 1916. There were over 7 million casualties by 1917.

(e) 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 awar.

7. Explain the main effects of the First World War on the industries in Russia.

Answer: Effects of the First World War on the industries in Russia were :

Russian industries were very few and the country was cut off from other suppliers of industrial
goods by German control of the Baltic Sea.

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 essential commodities
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.