Tsardom and communism

What is an empire

A group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an emperor or other powerful government

Two problems with the Russian empire

- it was so big that only 40% spoke Russian
- it was hard to control
- people didn't want to be Russian meaning they won't follow the rules set in place

How industrialisation affect workers in the cities

- terrible working conditions, lived in filth and squalor
- low pay, 12-15 hour days, unguarded machinery, brutal discipline, overcrowding, terrible food
- disease and alcoholism were normality

How industrialisation affected middle class

- they were landowners, industrialists, bankers, traders, businessmen
- more concerned about making money than their business

How industrialisation affected peasents

- 80% were peasants, living and working conditions were terrible
- starvation was common
- much of land in Russia was unsuitable for farming
- very few could read or write

How industrialisation affected the aristocracy

- made up 1.5% of population
- owned 25% of the land

What were Nicholas II's strengths

- had intelligence, faith and courage
- good husband + father
- training of a soldier
- loyal to family
- willed to work hard
- good attention to detail

What were Nicholas II's weaknesses

- he's ignorant
- refused to share power
- refused to listen to minister
- not a strong character
- thinks god placed him there
- makes decisions without consulting others
- personally answered letters ( also good)
- disliked confrontation
- appointed family members + friends

Who was the Tsar

He was the ruler of Russia. The power he had was to rule as an autocrat and rule all deceptions.

Who were the land captains and professional people

- were minor landlords appointed by the tsar. Had power in their local area

Who were the council of ministers appointed by

The tsar. Which meant his friends and family were appointed.
They advised the Tsar on his decisions

Who were the Mir

They were peasant council. Had the power to control peasants but can be overruled by land captains

Who were the zemstva

- local asserted. Could be overruled by landlords and professional people

What did the cadets want

Wanted constitutional monarch and elected parliament

What did the socialist revolutionaries want

Wanted to share all land amping peasants so it could be farmed in small peasant communities

What did the social democrats believe

That the workers would stage a revolutions and remove the Tsar. This would lead to a communist state.

What was the October manifesto

- the tsar said that a new parliament called the duma would be set up and its members elected
- he promised civil rights such as freedom of speech and association.

Why was the duma unsuccessful

- the fundamental laws stopped the duma making laws, appointing ministers and control key areas of finance
- the first duma was shut down quickly because they wanted land reform and health insurance for workers~ prime minster decided to dissolve the duma

How was Russia affected by World War One at the beginning

- tsar seemed popular
- tensions in countryside seemed to disappear
- Russia was at a disadvantage because of its size, transport system and agriculture
- army was big but badly trained and equipped

Battle of Tannenberg

25-28 August 1914. German east Prussia
Russian forces were outmaneuvered and encircled, forcing them to be driven back, regroup, and defend. In the war German forces encircled and destroyed the Russian troops that invaded Germany, taking 95,000 prisoners, and killing 30,000 people.

Battle of Masurian Lakes

September 9-14, 1914, German east Prussia
in which two German armies under the command of General Paul von Hindenburg defeated Russia's First Army under General Paul von Rennenkampf. Russia suffered 125,000 casualties.

Impact of war on Romanovs popularity

- jan-feb 1917 ~ strikes broke out and some supported by the army
- 7th March ~ steel workers went on strike and joined thousands of women demonstration international women day
- 7-10th March ~ demonstrators rose to 250,000 industry stopped and duma set up a provision committee to take over
- 12th March ~ Tsar orders the army to use force to stop the revolt. They refused and some shot their officers and supported the duma
- revolutionaries set up the Petrograd soviet and began taking control of food and set up a soldiers committee
- 15th March ~ Tsar abdicated and his brother Micheal refused to take the throne

Why did the Tsar have to abdicate

- the Russian Amy stood no chance again German army
- people held Nicholas personally responsible after he took control of the army
- his wife was in charge after he took control. She was German. She also intruded and listens to Rasputin.

Why was the March revolution successful

- failures in the war - people held the Tsar personally responsible
- an alternative parliament - the duma meant everyone had an opinion non how things should be run
-stiles - put pressure on the Tsar and what Decisions he should be making

Political problems the provisional government faced

- it was not rudely elected body and didn't represent the people of Russia
- some national minorities wanted a chance of independence
- the Petrograd soviet of workers and soldiers deputies was formed
- Petrograd soccer issues order number one

Economic problems the provisional government faced

- peasants were looting the property of the landlords
- soldiers and workers setting up Soviet's in town and cities
- people wanted to end food shortages

Military problems the provisional government faced

- there were defeats in the war
- soldiers were deserting
- order number one

What was the Petrograd soviet

- the council of normal people in the capital city.

What was order number one

It said that the Petrograd soviet would support provisional government as long as they agreed with the provisional government. If they didn't they could use the army again them.

What did Vladimir Lenin oppose and demand

He opposed WW1 and demanded re-distribution of land and transfer of power

What happened in Petrograd in July

Soldiers and sailors in Petrograd united, joined by demonstrating workers who shouted Bolshevik slogans. Troops loyal fired on the demonstrators. Leon Trotsky was arrested and Lenin fled to Finland.

What happened when Lenin returned for exile

- he promised 'Peace, Land and Bread' and 'All power to the Soviet's' this increase their popularity particularly in the army and workers

What happens in the rebellion again the provisional government

It started as a protest against WW1
- they put down why rebellion with evidence that Lenin had been helped into Russia by Germany
- this descended their popularity in the short term, Lenin was forced to flee again.

General Kornilov

He was a Russian general who tried to overthrow the Provisional Government because he wanted to establish a military dictatorship. Which increased Bolshevik popularity

What happened in October/November in Bolshevik seize of powrr

- Lenin secretly retuned to Russia
- most army units in Petrograd probs loyalty to Trotsky and military revolutionary committee
- the soldiers in the main rot is the city agree to the MRC
- the red guards took control of the post office, bridges and the state bank
- the MRC wins control of the railway stations in Petrograd and the part two bridges
- the provisional government is arrested and the Petrograd soviet (controlled by Bolsheviks) proclaim the creation of a soviet government

What did the sailors demand

- re-election of all species by secret ballot
- freedom is speech for workers, peasants and revolutionary parties
- freedom for all political prisoners
- free trade is ions
- ending the red terror
- freedom for the peasants to farm as wanted

What was the Red Terror

A brutal encounter where people killed or arrested. Where the Red Army shots and punishes people against communism. (Whites)

What was the Red Army

Bolshevik army

What was the NEP

New Economic Policy; allowed private merchants to trade, people owned land, etc./the inly things that the government owned were big companies like train stations and large companies

What is a communist country

A content that had one political party, the communist government controls everyone and everything. Everyone is supported to have an equal share

What is a capitalist country

A country that has a number of different political party. The government doesn't control everything. There are some people who are very rich and some who are very poor.

Why was Famin and issue between 1917-1921

The government was taking the peasants grain leaving them enough to survive but not any extra to sell. People would resort to cannibalism.

According to Lenin say about Stalin and Totsky

- Stalin was too powerful without caution, too rude and becomes intolerable
- Trotsky is too self confident

How did being general secretary help Stalin

It gave him power over the party, kept him close to Lenin and made people want to be liked by him.

How does Stalin come to power

- he stopes Lenin's testament being read to congress
- he tricked Trotsky into not turning up to Lenin funeral and gave the funeral speech himself
- Stalin removes zinoviv and Karmenev
- 1928: Stalin replaces Lenin as leader of the communist party

Purges

Policy pursued by Stalin in USSR in 1930s to remove potential opponents, involved arrests, torture, show trials, deportations to labour camps and executions.

Show trials

They lasted for a few minutes and all found guilty. They were either shot or taken to the gulag

Who was charged for Kirov's murder

16 old Bolshevik leaders were tried for reason + the assassination and all shot

What is propaganda

- information given in a biased or misleading way, usually intended to promote a specific political viewpoint

What is censorship

Controlling the media and telling them what they were and we're not allowed to say and publish

What is a cult

A system of religious worship and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object

What was the cult of personality

Where Stalin created an idealised and heroic image of himself, indoctrinating people to worship him as the defender of Russia from the evils of Capitalism.

Reasons for Stalin modernising the USSR

- to establish his reputation
- the rival the economies of the USA and other capitalist counties
- the increase the USSRs military strength
- to create a communist society
- to increase food supply

What is collectivisation

- peasants were to put their land together to form large joint farms called Kolkhoz

Why was collectivisation a success

- by 1935 90% of farm land was collectivised
- some young people went to agricultural school
- made state control of food easier
- by 1935 grain and animal numbers went back up. May not have been because of collectivisation

Why was collectivisation a disaster

- 10 million dead from famin
- had to introduce a kolkhoz ( an acre of own land)
- machinery often had faults and didnt work properly
- farmers damaged machinery deliberately or through misuse

How did Stalin modernise industry

- he issued 3 five year plans, they were set so every worker understood the targets

What was the first 5 year plan

- targets were, Iron, Steel, Electricity, Oil, Coal
1928-1933

What was the second 5 year plans

- same targets as the first but + tractors, combine harvesters, extension of railways

What was the third 5 year plan

- first to inflicted 'luxury items' like radios and bikes
- the second WW intercepted this.

Who was Alexi Stakhanov? Why was he a significant figure in the 1930s Soviet Union

Super great coal miner, face of socialist workers 102 tons in one shift.

How were kulaks affected

The kulaks were forever to give up their land during collectivisation. If they refused to give up their food, it was taken by force leaving them to starve. They are arrested and sent to labour camps to forced onto poor quality land

How were the industrial workers affected

They were bombarded with propaganda.
Had strict targets and fired if they didn't meet them
Factory discipline was strict and punishment was severe
Many workers were prisoners
Lateness and absence was punished by sacking - often meant losing house or job.
People tried to leave to find new jobs

How were women affected

Thousands of new crested and day care centres were set up
Non-church marriage was set up
Divorce was made easy
Women had equal voting rights to men
Equal pay for equal work
Equal educational opportunities
The reforms weren't enforced
They mainly worked in lower levels in the industry
And mostly in textiles

How were city dwellers affected

Could get well paid jobs + bonuses
Unemployment was almost non-existent
More doctors in USSR than Britain
Education was free and compulsory
Few consumer goods
Most families lived in overcrowded flats
Loyalty to Stalin was good

How were professional workers affected

If in favour to the state - could get rewards
Some ambitious people could be come foreman, supervisors, technicians or managers
There was a secret elite group of quite wealthy people.

What was the 'scorched earth' policy

The soviet troops would burn crops destroy bridges evacuate factories. Over 1000 factories were moved to the east of the Ural Mountains

When did Hitler invade Russia

June 22, 1941. This took Stalin by surprise.

Why did the soviets win again Hitler

- the weather was a big factor. The mud slowed their advance and the freezing temperatures would freeze soldiers to death.
- there was a war in two fronts

What was the Siege of Leningrad

Where Hitler tried to take Leningrad which was the 'heart of communist revolution'. It lasted 872 days and the city lost 1.5 million of its population.

Why was battle of Stalingrad a turning point

- it was the first time the soviets stopped the advance
- an industrial centre
- essential communication links
- encircled Germans
- the success helped the Allie war effort

Stalin's role in soviet victory

- industrialised Russia
- moved raw materials
- overall military strategy
- provided 'inspirational leadership'
- ordered scorched earth policy
- worked with other generals

Stalin wasn't responsible for soviet victory

- ignored warnings of hitlers invasion and delayed response
- winter set in and slowed German advance.
- Germans not equipped for Russia's weather

Political effects of WW2 on Russia

- Stalin continued to lead communist party
- after the war the generals lost all the power they had
- Stalin used the war to increase his popularity
- Stalin became more paranoid
- Stalin took 'supreme commander' title
- he had imprisoned soviets treated with superstition and imprisonments

Economic effects of WW2 on Russia

- A quarter of soviet industry was lost
- thousands of railways were ruined
- collectivised farms were ruined
- lack of peasants to do farm work
- land was ruined by war
- huge amounts of farm land was destroyed

Social effects of WW2 on Russia

- soldiers found there houses destroyed
- there was malnutrition
- over 20 million soviet citizens were killed
- Stalin had some nationalities transported to remoter parts of the USSR
- many died either on the journey or living in the conditions
- many people were homeless
- they psychological effect was profound