Question-1

What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?
Solution:
The following were the social, economic, and political conditions in Russia before
1905.
(a) Social Conditions: The majority religion was Russian Orthodox Christianity
which had grown out of the Greek Orthodox Church. But the empire also included
Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists. The non-Russian nationalities were
not treated equal to that of Russian nationalities. They were not given the freedom to
follow their culture and language. Workers were divided into group on the basis of
skill and training. Peasants formed their group called commune or mir.

(b) Economic conditions: The majority of Russians were agriculturists. Grain was
the main item of export from Russia. Industries were few. Prominent industrial areas
were St Petersburg and Moscow. Much of the production was done by the
craftsmen. There were large factories alongside the craft workshops. With the
expansion of the Russian rail network, foreign investment in factories grew. There
were huge coal, iron and steel production. There were equal numbers of factory
workers and craftsmen. The workers were exploited by capitalists who made their life
miserable.

Historical novels
(c) Political Conditions: Russia was a monarchy. (Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia and its
empire that extended to current-day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland,
Ukraine and Belarus. It stretched to the Pacific and comprised today’s Central Asian states, as
well as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). The Tsars believed in the divine rights of kings.
They were not responsible to the Parliament. All political parties were illegal in Russia.

Question-2
In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe,
before 1917?
Solution:
The working population in European countries was a more united lot than those in Russia.
Workers in England and Germany formed associations and fought for better living and
working conditions. Funds were set up by these Associations to help workers in distress. The
workers in European countries were united in their demand for a reduction of working hours
and the right to vote. Workers association also supported political parties and ultimately
formed political parties themselves. The Labour Party in Britain and a Socialist Party in
France are examples of political parties formed by socialists and trade unionists.

In total contrast to the working population in Europe, the Russian workers were not united.
Workers were divided on the basis of their occupation. Workers whose jobs needed skill and
training considered themselves on a higher plane than the untrained workers. Workers had
strong links to the villages they came from and this also caused a social divide among
workers. Workers’ associations rose dramatically in Russia also, as in Europe. They
demanded reduced working hours and higher wages. The workers were suppressed by the
government.
Question-3
Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?
Solution:
Anti-German sentiments in Russia were high owing to the First World War. Further, Tsarina
Alexandra’s German origin and poor advisors made the autocracy unpopular. Russia suffered
shocking defeats on the waterfront with millions of casualties. Crops and buildings were
destroyed by the Russian army to prevent enemy having any advantage. It led to millions of
refugees. Tsar was being cursed for this situation. Food shortage led to people rioting for
food. The Russian army too shifted its loyalty and began supporting the revolutionaries.

Socialist European literature

A lockout took place at a factory on the right bank of Neva river in sympathy with the
workers on the left bank on 22nd February. Women-led the way to strikes. The government
imposed a curfew. Later the government suspended the Duma which resulted in sharp
protests. The demonstrators ransacked the Police Headquarters and raised slogans about
bread, wages, better hours and democracy.

The government called the cavalry but they refused to fire on the demonstrators. Soldiers and
the striking workers gathered to form a ‘Soviet’ or ‘council’ in the building where the Duma
met. This was the Petrograd Soviet. The very next day, when a delegation went to see the
Tsar, the military commanders advised the Tsar to abdicate. Soviet leaders and Duma leaders
formed a Provisional Government to run the country. The Tsarist autocracy thus collapsed in
February 1917.

Social science textbooks

Question-4
Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution and the
other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who
was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet
history.
Solution:
February Revolution:

1. 22 February: Factory lockout on the right bank.

2. 23 February: Sympathy strike by workers in 50 factories.
3. 24th & 25th: Strikers stage demonstrations. Police called out to suppress the workers.
4. 25th: The government suspends the Duma.
5. 27th: Police Headquarters ransacked by the workers. Regiments support the workers.
Striking workers from the Petrograd soviet.
6. 2nd March: The Tsar abdicates. Soviet and Duma leaders form the Provisional
Government.

Effects:

1. Army officials, landowners, and industrialists became influential.

2. Restrictions on public meetings were removed.
3. Trade unions grew in number.
October Revolution: 16th October:

Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader persuades the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party
to agree to a socialist seizure of power.

 A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet

 The uprising against the Provisional government begins.

 Military Revolutionary Committee seized government offices and arrested ministers.
 The winter palace was shelled.
 Ministers of the Provisional government surrendered.
 The Bolsheviks gained control.

Effects:

 Industries and banks were nationalised.

 Russia became a one-party state. The single party being the Bolshevik Party.

During the February Revolution, the factory workers and the Government Regiments played
an important role. The workers and the regiments joined together. The major impact of the
February Revolution was the downfall of the Russian Monarchy and the establishment of the
Petrograd Soviet.

Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader, played a major role during the October revolution. His
Bolshevik Party overthrew the Provisional Government and gained power. The Russian
Communist Party came into existence.

Question-5
What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October
Revolution?
Solution:
Many changes were brought about by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. They
were:

1. Industries and banks were nationalised. This meant that the government now had their
ownership and management. The land was declared social property and peasants were
allowed to seize the land of the nobility. In cities, Bolsheviks enforced the partition of
large houses according to family requirements.
2. The use of the old titles of the aristocracy was banned. New uniforms for the army and
officials were designed.
3. The Bolshevik Party was renamed as the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik).
4. Despite opposition by their political allies, the Bolsheviks made peace with Germany
and withdrew from the First World War.
5. In the later years, the Bolsheviks became the only party to participate in the elections to
the All Russian Congress of Soviets. It became the Parliament of Russia.

Question-6
Write a few lines to show what you know about:
(i) Kulaks
(ii) The Duma
(iii) Women workers between 1900 and 1930.
(iv) The Liberals.
(v) Stalins collectivization programme.
Solution:
(i) Kulaks: They were the well-to-do peasants who were supposed to be holding stocks in the
hope
of higher prices. They were raided so that they may be eliminated in order to develop modern
farms and establish state-controlled large farms.

(ii) The Duma: The Duma was a consultative parliament that was created on the permission
of the Tsar during the 1905 Revolution.

(iii) Women workers between 1900 and 1930: Women made up 31% of the factory labour
force, but were paid between 1/2 and 3/4 of a man’s wages. They actively led the strikes in
many factories. They even worked on collective farms.

(iv) The Liberals: They were a group which looked to change society. They wanted a nation
which tolerated all religions and opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers. They
argued for a representative, elected parliamentary government subject to laws interpreted by a
well-trained judiciary independent of rulers and officials.

(v) Stalin’s collectivisation programme: Stalin hoped to solve the problem of food shortage
by combining small farms with large and modern farms. This was collectivisation programme
that began in 1929. Peasants were forced to work in these state-controlled collective farms
called Kolkhoz.

Q1. What is the main focus of Chapter 2 in Class 9 History?

Ans. The chapter focuses on the rise of socialism in Europe and the
Russian Revolution of 1917, examining the ideological shift towards
socialism and its impact on Russian society and global politics.
Q2. Who were the key figures in the development of socialist ideas?
Ans. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were pivotal in developing socialist
theories. Their works, such as "The Communist Manifesto," critiqued
capitalism and advocated for a classless society.
Q3. What were the primary causes of the Russian Revolution?
Ans. Major causes included dissatisfaction with the autocratic Tsarist
regime, economic hardship, social inequality, and the impact of World War I
on Russian society.
Q4. How did socialism address the issues caused by industrial
capitalism?
Ans. Socialism aimed to address inequalities by promoting the
redistribution of wealth and power, advocating for worker rights, and
seeking to create a more equitable society.
Q5. What role did the Bolsheviks play in the Russian Revolution?
Ans. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, played a central role in the
Russian Revolution. They overthrew the provisional government and
established a communist state based on socialist principles.
5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after
the October Revolution?

Answer

The main changes which were brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after
the October Revolution:
→ Banks and Industries were nationalised.
→ Land was declared social property, thereby allowing peasants to seize it from
the nobility.
→ In urban areas, houses were partitioned according to family requirements
→ Old aristocratic titles were banned, and new uniforms were designed for the
army and the officials.

→ New uniforms were introduced for the army and the officials.

6. Write a few lines to show what you know about:

(i) Kulaks
(ii) The Duma
(iii) Women workers between 1900 and 1930.
(iv) The Liberals.
(v) Stalin’s collectivization programme.

Answers

(i) It is the Russian term for wealthy peasants who Stalin believed were hoarding
grains to gain more profit. By 1927-28 the towns of Soviet Russia were facing an
acute problem of grain supplies. Kulaks were thought to be partly responsible for
this. Also to develop modern farms and run them along industrial lines the Party
under the leadership of Stalin thought it was necessary to eliminate Kulaks.

(ii) During 1905 Revolution, the Tsar allowed the creation of an elected
consultative parliament in Russia. This elected consultative parliament in Russia
was called Duma.

(iii) They made up 31% of the factory labour force by 1914 but were paid almost
half and three-quarters of the wages given to men. However, interestingly, it was
the women workers who led the way to strikes during the February Revolution.
(iv) They espoused a nation that was tolerant towards all religions; one that would
protect individual rights against the government. Although the liberals wanted an
elected parliamentary form of governance, they believed that the right to vote must
only belong to men, and that too the ones who were property holders.

(v) Stalin believed that collectivization of agriculture would help in improving

grains supplies in Russia. He began collectivization in 1929. All peasants were
forced to cultivate in collective farms (kolhoz). The bulk of land and implements
were transferred to the ownership of the collective farm. Many peasants protested
such attempts and destroyed livestock to show their anger. Collectivization did not
bring the desired results in the food supply situation turned even worse in
subsequent years.
Very Short Answer Questions

1. Who were ‘liberals’?

Answer: Liberals wanted a nation which tolerated all religions. They also
opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers.

2. Who were called ‘radicals’?

Answer: Radicals were the one who wanted a nation in which govt. was
based on the majority of a country’s population. They opposed the
privileges of great landowners and wealthy factory owners.

3. What were the ideals of ‘Conservatives’?

Answer: They were opposed to radicals and liberals. They believed that the
past had to be respected and change had to be brought about through a
slow process.

4. What problems were brought by Industrialisation?

Answer: Work hours were often long and wages were poor and
unemployment created problems for them and housing and sanitation
problems were also growing rapidly.

5. Who all wanted revolutions to put an end to monarchical system?

Answer: Some nationalists, liberals and radicals wanted to overthrow
monarchy.
6. What was the thinking of nationalists regarding existing monarchy?
Answer: Nationalists wanted revolutions that would create ‘nations’ where
all citizens would have equal rights.

7. Give one characteristic of a socialist.

Answer: Socialists are against private property and saw it as the root of all
social ills of the time.

8. Who was Robert Owen?

Answer: Robert Owen was a leading English manufacturer who sought to
build a cooperative community called New Harmony in Indiana (USA).

9. Who was Louis Blanc?

Answer: Louis Blanc was also a nationalist who wanted the government to
encourage cooperatives and replace capitalist enterprises.

10. Name two famous socialists who introduced a communist system.

Answer: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

11. What was a communist society according to Karl Marx?

Answer: Marx believed that to free themselves from capitalist exploitation,
workers had to construct a radically socialist society where all property was
socially controlled.

12. Name the socialist international body which coordinated their

efforts.
Answer: The Second International

[Link] socialist parties were formed in Germany, Britain and France?

Answer: (i) Germany: The Social Democratic Party (SPD)
(ii) Britain: Labour Party
(iii) France: Socialist Party.

14. What is ‘Russian Revolution’?

Answer: The fall of monarchy in February 1917 and the events of October
are normally called the Russian Revolution.
15. Which territories were included in Russian Empire?
Answer: Russian Empire included current day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Estonia, parts of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. It also included today’s
central Asian states as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

16. Which religions were followed in Russian Empire?

Answer: The majority religion was Russian Orthodox Christianity but there
were Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists also.

17. What was the main occupation of Russians?

Answer: About 85 percent of the Russian Empire’s population earned their
living from agriculture.

18. Who owned most properties in Russian Empire?

Answer: The nobility, the king himself and the Orthodox Church owned
large properties.

19. How were Russian peasants different from other European

peasants?
Answer: They pooled their land together periodically & their commune
divided it according to the needs of the individual families.

20. Name the socialist party formed in Russia in 1898 on Marx’s ideas.
Answer: The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party.

21. How did this socialist party work in monarchy?

Answer: It had to operate as an illegal organisation. It set up a newspaper,
mobilized Workers and organised strikes.

22. What role was played by ‘The Socialist Revolutionary Party’ in 1900
Russia?
Answer: This party struggled for peasants rights and demanded that land
belonging to nobles be transferred to peasants.

23. Who were ‘Bolsheviks’?

Answer: It was a political organisation led by Lenin, who thought that in a
repressive society like Tsarist Russia the party should be disciplined and
should control the number and quality of its members. He believed in a
socialist concept.

24. Who were Mensheviks?

Answer: ‘Mensheviks’ also was a political organisation, who thought that
party should be open to all and accept the democratic set up of the
government.

25. What was the demand of workers of St. Petersberg in 1904?

Answer: The workers went on strike demanding a reduction in the working
day to eight hours, an increase in wages and improvement in working
conditions.

26. Which incident was the immediate cause of 1905 Revolution in

Russia?
Answer: ‘Bloody Sunday’ was the incident, where over 100 workers were
killed and above 300 wounded on a Sunday.

27. What was a ‘Duma’?

Answer: ‘Duma’ was a Parliament of elected consultative formed with the
permission of Tsar after the success of 1905 Russian Revolution.

28. Name the leader who led procession of workers to winter palace.
Answer: Father Gapon.

29. Name the countries that formed allied Powers in World War I.
Answer: France, Britain and Russia. Later, Italy and Romania too joined
them.

30. Which countries formed central Powers bloc during World War I?

Answer: Germany, Austria – Hungry and Turkey.

31. What was the new name of St. Petersburg?

Answer: It was a German name, so it was changed to Petrograd, a Russian
name.
32. Which world war situation discredited the government of Russia
and the Czar?
Answer: There were over 7 million casualties by 1917 and the Russian army
destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from being able to live
off the land. This situation discredited the government of Russia and the
Czar Nichalos II.

33. What was located on the right bank of river Neva in Petrograd?
Answer: The workers, quarters and factories were located on the right bank
of river Neva.

34. Which buildings were located on the left bank of river Neva?
Answer: On the left bank were the fashionable areas, the winter Palace and
official buildings, including the Palace where the Duma met.

35. What is ‘Soviet’?

Answer: ‘Soviet’ was a council of soldiers and striking workers of Russia.

36. What was ‘Petrograd Soviet’?

Answer: When Soviet met in the same building where Duma met, it was
named as ‘Petrograd Soviet’.

37. What was the result of February Revolution of 1917 in Russia?

Answer: It brought down monarchy and Duma leaders and soviet leaders
formed a provisional government.

38. What was Lenin’s ‘April Thesis’?

Answer: The three demands of Lenin were called April Thesis. They were
war to be closed, land to the tiller and banks to be nationalised.

39. What new name was given to ‘Bolshevik Party’?

Answer: Bolshevik Party renamed itself ‘The Communist Party’ to indicate
its new radical aims.

40. Who was the Prime Minister of Russia when October Revolution
began?
Answer: Kerensky.
41. Which secret police was formed to punish the one who criticised
Bolsheviks?
Answer: The secret police called ‘Cheka’ first and later OGPU and NKVD.

42. Who controlled the Russian Empire in 1918 and 1919?

Answer: The ‘greens’ (Socialist Revolutionaries) and ‘whiters’ (Pro?Tsarists)
controlled most of the Russian Empire.

43. What was Centralised Planning?

Answer: A process of centralised planning was introduced by Bolsheviks. In
it the officials assessed how the economy could work and set targets for a
five year period called ‘Five Year Plans’.

44. How centralised planning led to economic growth?

Answer: Industrial production increased by 100 percent in the case of oil,
coal & steel and many new factory cities came into being.

45. Who was Stalin?

Answer: Stalin was a close associate of Lenin and came to power in Russian
after Lenin’s death. He introduced firm emergency measures.

46. Who were ‘kulaks’?

Answer: It was the name given to the well-to-do peasants of Russia.

47. Why Kulaks needed to be eliminated?

Answer: To develop modern forms and run them along industrial lives with
machinery, it was necessary to eliminate Kulaks, take away land from
peasants and establish state controlled large farms.

48. What does ‘Kolkhoz’ mean?

Answer: These were collective farms. Peasants worked on this land and the
profit is shared amongst them. Those who resisted collectivisation were
severely punished.

49. What is Comintern?

Answer: It is Communist International, a union of pro?Bolshevik Socialist
parties.
50. After 1905, which elected representative body was formed in
Russia?
Answer: The elected representative body formed in Russia after 1905 was
the Duma.

51. What was the root of all evils in society, according to socialism?
Answer: Private property was the root of all evils in society, according to
socialism.

52. What kind of socialist society did the 19th century French socialist,
Louis Blanc want?
Answer: Louis Blanc wanted the government to encourage cooperatives
and replace capitalist enterprises.

53. Name the international body which formed in 1889 to coordinate

the efforts of socialists all over Europe.
Answer: This organisation was known as the Second International.

54. Where did the Bolsheviks sign a peace treaty with the Germans in
March, 1918?
Answer: The Bolsheviks signed a peace treaty with the Germans in March,
1918 at Brest Litovsk in Soviet Russia.

55. Name the ruler of Russia at the start of First World War.
Answer: Tsar Nicholas II was the ruler of Russia at the start of First World
War.

56. What were the views of the liberals in 19th century Europe
regarding universal adult franchise?
Answer: The liberals were opposed to universal adult franchise. They felt
men of property mainly should have the right to vote. They also did not
want the vote for women.

57. Which groups of workers were regarded as aristocrats among

workers?
Answer: The metal workers were regarded as aristocrats among workers.
58. At the time of the revolution, what was the profession of the
majority of Russia’s population?
Answer: The profession of the majority of Russia’s population was
agriculture.

59. Mention the most significant result of the February Revolution.

Answer: The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II was the most significant result
of the February Revolution.

60. By what other name was the Russian Revolution of 1917 known?
Answer: The Russian Revolution of 1917 was also known as the October
Revolution.

61. Name the original initiator of the ideas of communism.

Answer: Karl Marx (1818-1883), a German philosopher, economist,
sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist was the original
initiator of the ideas of communism.

62. On which issues did the liberals and radicals of 19th century Europe
differ?
Answer: The liberals and radicals differed on the issues of property and
privileges. Many radicals supported women’s suffragette movements.
Unlike liberals, the radicals opposed the privileges of great landowners and
wealthy factory owners.

63. Point out the main features of 19th century Europe.

Answer: It was a time of profound social and economic changes in 19th
century Europe, when new cities came up and new industrialised regions
developed, railways expanded and the Industrial Revolution occurred.

64. Name some important socialists of 19th Century Europe.

Answer: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were important socialists of 19th
century Europe

65. Explain the major demands of Lenin’s April Theses’.

Answer: The major demands of Lenin’s ‘April Theses’ were that the war be
brought to a close, land be transferred to the peasants and banks be
nationalised.
66. Explain the role of Alexander Kerenskii in the Russian Revolution.
Answer: He became second Prime Minister of the provisional government
formed after the February Revolution.

67. What was ‘Cheka’ in Russia after the revolution?

Answer: The Russian Secret Police under Bolshevik rule was referred to by
the name ‘Cheka’.

68. Mention the objective of the women’s suffragette movement.

Answer: Its objective was to get the right to vote for women.

69. The event ‘Bloody Sunday’ was later on called by what name?
Answer: It was called as the 1905 Revolution.

70. Explain the significance of the Russian revolution.

Answer: The major significance of the Russian revolution was the
establishment of a socialist state.

71. Who has sought to build a cooperative community called ‘New

Harmony’?
Answer: Robert Owen has sought to build a cooperative community called
‘New Harmony.’

72. In which year Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was

founded?
Answer: In 1898 Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was founded.

73. Name the religion which was followed by most of the people of
Russia.
Answer: Russian Orthodox Christianity was followed by most of the people
of Russia.

74. Mention the period of civil war in Russia.

Answer: The period of civil war in Russia was 1918-1920.

75. Who led the Bolsheviks in Russia after the division of Socialist
Revolution Party?
Answer: Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks in Russia after the division of
Socialist Revolutionary party.

76. What kind of members were incorporated in the Duma under the
Tsar in Russia?
Answer: The conservatives were incorporated in the Duma under the Tsar
in Russia.

77. Mention the other name of commune in Russia.

Answer: In Russia the commune of farmers was known as ‘Mir’.

78. In the context of Russia who launched the slogan ‘Peace, Land and
Bread?
Answer: In the context of Russia Lenin launched this slogan.

79. In the context of Russia what was ‘Kolkhoz?

Answer: Kolkhoz was collective farm in Russia.

80. In the Russian civil war the Bolsheviks and the socialist
revolutionaries were represented by which of the following colours?
Answer: In the Russian civil war the Bolsheviks and the socialist
revolutionaries were represented by red and green colours.

81. What was the root of all evils in society, according to socialism?
Answer: Private property was the root of all evils in society, according to
socialism.

82. What was the boundary of the Russian empire during 1914?
Answer: In 1914, besides the territory around Moscow, the Russian empire
included current day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland,
Ukraine and Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

83. What was the significance of the Russian Revolution?

Answer: The most significant feature of the Russian revolution was the
establishment of a socialist state.

84. List the religious groups in Russia at the time of Tsar Nicholas II.
Answer: At the time of Tsar Nicholas II, majority of Russians belonged to
the Russian Orthodox Christians. Others were Catholics, Protestants,
Muslims and Buddhists.

85. What was the April Theses’ of Lenin?

Answer: In his ‘April Theses’ Lenin declared that the war be brought to a
close, land be transferred to the peasants and banks be nationalised.

86. When did the Bolsheviks make peace with Germany at Brest-
Litovsk?
Answer: In March, 1918, despite opposition by their political allies, the
Bolsheviks made peace with Germany at Brest-Litovsk.

87. When did Lenin persuade the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik
party to agree to a socialist seizure of power?
Answer: On 16th October, 1917 Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and
the Bolshevik party to agree to a socialist seizure of power.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. How the cooperatives were to function, according to Louis Blanc?

Answer: Louis Blanc: He wanted the government to encourage

cooperatives and replace capitalist enterprises. He suggested cooperatives
in order to guarantee employment for the urban poor. He believed that
cooperatives should be formed with the cooperation of the people and its
profit should be divided according to the work done by the members.

2. How did the revolutionaries originate in the year 1815?

Answer: Some nationalists, liberals and radicals wanted revolutions to put

an end to the kind of governments established in Europe in 1815. In France,
Italy, Germany and Russia, they became revolutionaries and worked to
overthrow existing monarchs.

3. Explain the term Conservatives.

Answer: The Conservatives were opposed to any change, i.e. they were
opposed to radicals and liberals. By the 19th century, however, they
accepted that some change was inevitable, but believed that the past had
to be respected and change had to be brought about through a slow
process.

4. What was the boundary of the Russian empire during 1914?

Answer: In 1914, besides the territory around Moscow, the Russian empire
included current day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland,
Ukraine and Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

5. Who were the Bolsheviks?

Answer: Bolshevism was born at the second congress of the Russian Social
Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1903. Bolsheviks were the majority
group of workers of Russia. They believed in revolutionary methods for
bringing about changes in society and the state. After the October
Revolution, Russia became a one-parry state, i.e., the Bolshevik Party, which
was renamed as the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik). They changed
the whole structure of Russia and Russian Society.

6. Explain the term ‘Mensheviks’.

Answer: Mensheviks were the minority group of the workers of Russia.

They believed in parliamentary methods and participation in elections. They
thought that the party should be open to all. They favoured parties as were
existing in France and Germany, which took part in elections to the
legislatures. Whereas the Bolsheviks argued that the working class should
lead the revolution in alliance with the peasantry, the Mensheviks envisaged
its being led by the bourgeoisie and favoured alliances with the liberals.

7. What was Paris Commune?

Answer: There was a popular uprising in Paris between March and May,
1871. In March, 1871, elections were held in Paris to elect 90 members to
serve as the Government of the Commune. The Paris Commune declared
that its main purpose was to end exploitation of workers and monopolies.
From this commune the concept of ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’
emerged. The French Government crushed this uprising ruthlessly. The
uprising ended in May

8. What do you mean by the ‘reds’, ‘greens’ and ‘whites’ in the context
of Russia?

Answer: Lenin’s New Economic Policy, promulgated by decree on 21st

March, 1921, was a temporary retreat from full socialism to partial
capitalism for the purpose of rebuilding Russia’s economy. It permitted
small businesses to make personal profits, while the state continued to
control banks, foreign trade and large industries. Elements of capitalism
such as individual profit and private ownership of land were permitted in
order to revitalise the Russian economy.

9. Explain the New Economic Policy of Lenin.

Answer: (i) Capitalists are owners of the industries in which they have
invested capital. They believe in private property and a class based society.
Socialists think that all property and means of production should be socially
controlled. They believe in a classless society.
(ii) Capitalists believe that the profit should be enjoyed by the owners of
the industry. Socialists believe that the profits are the result of the workers
‘s labour, so the workers deserve to share it.

10. Why did people in Central Asia respond to the Russian Revolution
in different ways?

Answer: Although the liberals argued for a representative, elected

parliamentary government, but they were not ‘democrats’ because
(i) they did not believe in universal adult franchise, i.e., the right of every
citizen to vote.
(ii) they felt men of property mainly should have the right to vote.
(iii) they were not in favour of women suffrage.

11. List two differences between the capitalist and socialist ideas of
private property.
Answer: The two differences are as follows
(i) The capitalists believed that individuals owned private property whereas
the socialists believed that all property belonged to the society as a whole,
i.e., to the state.
(ii) The capitalists believed that the profits from the property should belong
to the property’s owners, whereas the socialist believed that profits are due
to the workers’ labour and so should be shared by them.

12. What was the socialist system?

Answer: Socialists were against private property and felt it to be the root
cause of all social ills. They felt that though property provided employment,
it gave personal gains to property owners, not to the one who contributed
to make the property productive. Socialists wanted that landowners should
pay attention to collective interest, rather than their own personal interest.

13. Describe the visions of Robert Owen and Louis Blanc.

Answer: (i) Robert Owen: He wanted to form a cooperative community

called ‘New Harmony’, in Indiana. He felt that the government should also
support such cooperatives and encourage them.
(ii) Louis Blanc: He wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and
replace capitalist enterprises. He believed that cooperatives should be
formed with the cooperation of the people and its profit should be divided
according to the work done by members.

14. How were socialist parties formed in various parts of the world?

Answer: Workers in England and Germany began forming workers

associations, for a better living and working conditions. In Germany, these
associations worked closely with the ‘Social Democratic Party’ and helped it
win the parliament seats. They set up funds to help members in times of
distress. In 1905, socialists and trade unionists formed a ‘Labour Party’ in
Britain and ‘Socialist Party’ in France.

15. What were the main causes of the 1905 Revolution?

Answer: Main causes were:
(i) Russia was an autocracy and its ruler was not subject to the parliament.
(ii) Prices of essential goods rose rapidly and real wages declined by 20%.
(iii) About 10,000 workers in St Petersburg went on a strike demanding a
reduction in the working hours, increase in wages and improvement in the
working conditions.
(iv) Finally, the ‘Bloody Sunday’ incident at Winter Palace provoked the
Russians to start the 1905 Revolution against the Tsar.

16. What was the Duma? How far was it successful?

Answer: Duma was an elected legislative body like the parliament having
representatives of the third estate. The Tsar dismissed the first Duma within
75 days and the re-elected Second Duma within three months. He did not
want any restrictions or reductions in his powers. He changed the voting
laws and packed the Third Duma with the conservative politicians and
liberals and revolutionaries were out.

17. What was the impact of World War I on the Russian economy?

Answer: Industrial equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than any

other European country. By 1916, railway lines began to break down and all
able-bodied men were called up to the war. As a result, there were labour
shortages and small workshops producing essential goods were shut down.
Since more ration was sent for the army, there was shortage of bread for
the civilians. By the winter of 1916, riots at bread shops were common.

18. What were the three major demands of the Bolsheviks?

Answer: In April 1917, the Bolshevik leader, Lenin returned to Russia from
exile. He and other Bolshevik leaders opposed the war. So he put forward
three demands, called as Lenin’s ‘April Theses’.
(i) The war to be brought to an end and Russia should withdraw itself from
the war.
(ii) Land to be transferred to the peasants, thus feudalism to be banned.
(iii) Banks be nationalised.

19. How did the Mensheviks resist the protest of the Bolsheviks?
Answer: In industries, committees were formed to question the
industrialists about the way they ran the factories. Trade unions were
formed and soldiers’ committees were formed in the army. In June, about
500 Soviets sent representatives to an All Russian Congress of Soviets. As
the Provisional Government saw the grip of the Bolsheviks becoming
stronger, they decided to take stern measures against the spreading
discontent.

20. What were the causes of the civil war between the Bolsheviks and
the Russian army of the Non-Bolsheyik socialists?

Answer: When Bolsheviks ordered land distribution, the Russian army

began to break up. Non-Bolshevik socialists, liberals and supporters of
autocracy condemned this. Their leaders moved to South Russia and
organised troops to fight the Bolsheviks. These troops and Bolsheviks
fought a civil war; and looting, banditry and famine became common.

21. What was the impact of Stalin’s ‘Reign of Terror’?

Answer: There was criticism on the consequences of collectivisation of

farms. Stalin and his supporters charged these critics with conspiracy
against socialism. With the result, over two million people were either in
prison or labour camps. A large number of them were forced to make false
confessions under torture and were executed. Several punished people
were talented professionally and were brought with false allegations

22. What was the impact of industrial society on the social life of the
people?

Answer: (i) Industrialisation brought men, women and children to factories.

(ii) Work hours were often long and wages were poor.
(iii) Unemployment was common, particularly during times of low demand
for industrial goods.
(iv) Housing and sanitation were problems since towns were growing
rapidly.
(v) Liberals and radicals searched for solutions to these issues.

23. What social changes can be seen in society after industrialisation?

Answer: (i) Industrialisation brought men, women and children to factories.
(ii) Work hours were often long and wages were poor.
(iii) Housing and sanitation problems were growing rapidly.
(iv) Almost all industries were properties of individuals.
(v) Many liberals and radicals themselves were often property owners and
employers.
(vi) So, it was the time when new cities came up and new industrial regions
developed, railways expanded and the Industrial Revolution happened.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Who were the socialists in 19th century Europe? What kind of

society did they envisage?

Answer: Socialists were against private property and saw it as a root of all
social evils. They believed in the idea of cooperatives. In cooperatives
people made associations and produced goods together. The profits of the
business were divided among all members of the association. However,
different socialists had different views regarding how the cooperatives were
to be built. Robert Owen, one of the founders of socialism, suggested that
cooperatives be built on individual initiative. Other socialists like Louis Blanc
wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and replace capitalist
enterprises.

2. What was Bloody Sunday? Or Describe the incident known as

‘Bloody Sunday’? State any two events after the Bloody Sunday which
led to the revolution of 1905 in Russia.

Answer: On Sunday, 22nd January, 1905, the workers of Russia, led by

Father Gapon, reached the winter palace of the Tsar to present a petition.
But they were fired at indiscriminately by police and the cossacks resulting
in the death of more than 100 workers with 300 workers wounded. This
started a series of events that became known as the 1905 revolution. This
incident is known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ in Russian history.
(i) The news provoked unprecedented disturbances throughout Russia.
Strike took place all over the country.
(ii) The Universities of Russia were closed down when student bodies
staged walkouts, complaining about the lack of civil liberties.
(iii) Lawyers, doctors, engineers, middle class workers established Union of
Unions and demanded a constituent assembly.

3. What was the Duma? How far was it successful?

Answer: The Tsar of Russia allowed the creation of an elected consultative

Parliament which was known as Duma. Duma had representatives from the
third estate. The Tsar dismissed the first Duma within 75 days and the re-
elected a second Duma within three months. He did not want any
questioning of his authority. He changed the voting laws and packed the
third Duma with conservative politicians.

In Russia, the ‘reds’ meant Bolsheviks, the ‘greens’ meant socialist

revolutionaries and the ‘whites’ meant pro-Tsarists. The Bolsheviks were the
majority group of workers under the leadership of Lenin. During 1918 and
1919, the ‘greens’ (Socialist Revolutionaries) and the ‘whites’ (pro-Tsarists)
controlled most of the Russian empire. They were backed by French,
American, British and Japanese troops who were opposed to the growth of
socialism in Russia.

4. List two differences between the capitalist and socialist ideas of

private property.

Answer: The Bolsheviks controlled most of the former Russian empire by

January 1920. People in Central Asia responded positively and with
enthusiasm to the February Revolution of 1917 because the revolution
freed them from the oppression of the Tsar’s regime and strengthened
their hopes for autonomy. But they responded with fear to the October
Revolution of 1917, because the autocracy of the Tsar was replaced by the
autocracy of Bolsheviks. In Khiva in central Asia, Bolshevik colonists brutally
massacred local nationalists in the name of defending socialism. In this
situation, people in central Asia were confused about the real nature of the
Bolshevik Government.

5. ‘Liberals of European states were not democratic’. Justify the

statement by giving three examples.
Answer: Karl Marx’s theories were central to the party ideology of Lenin’s
Bolsheviks and had a key role to play in 1917 revolution and the
establishment of the Russian communist state. Marx believed that all
historical changes was caused by a series of class struggles between the
bourgeoisie ‘haves’ and the proletariat ‘have nots’. Vladimir Lenin was
majorly influenced by Marx’s writings. Karl Marx said that industrial society
was capitalist under which workers did not get their share properly. He
wanted the whole society to have the common control over the means of
productions i.e., all production units should be nationalised. He thought
that capitalism could be voted out only through revolution. Marx’s idea
deeply influenced Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution and they followed it
whole heartedly.

6. What was the contribution of Karl Marx in beginning about the

Russian Revolution of 1917?

Answer: The First World War had a severe impact on Russian industry.
(i) Russia’s own industries were few in numbers and the country was also
cut off from other suppliers of industrial goods by German control of the
Baltic sea.
(ii) Industrial equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than any other
country in Europe.
(iii) By 1916, railway lines began to breakdown.
(iv) Able-bodied men were called up to the war and as a result there were
labour shortages and small workshops producing essentials were shut
down.
(v) Large supplies of grains were sent to feed army, bread and flour became
scarce and riots at bread shop became common incident.

7. Explain any three effects of the First World War on the industries in
Russia. Or State any three effects of the First World War on the
Russian Economy.

Answer: (i) At the beginning of 20th century in Russia most industry was
owned by industrialists.
(ii) Government supervised large factories to ensure minimum wages and
time of working hours.
(iii) In crafts units and small workshops sometimes like working hours were
15 hours, compared with 10 or 12 hours in big factories.
(iv) Workers were divided into different social groups and they were also
divided by skill.
(v) Women consisted of 31 percent of the factory labour force. The wages
of a female worker was less than a male worker.
(vi) Some workers formed associations to help other workers in times of
hardship.

8. Describe the conditions of the workers under Tsar in Russia?

Or
Describe any three points regarding the condition of workers in Russia
in the beginning of the 20th century. Or Explain the condition of
workers in Russia before 1917.

Answer: In Russia, the nobility, the crown and Orthodox Church owned
large landed properties.
(i) Unlike the peasants of France, the Russian peasants did not have any
respect for the nobles.
(ii) In Russia, the peasants wanted the land of the nobles and sometimes
they refused to pay rent. Even the peasants murdered the landlords.
(iii) In 1902, peasant agitation occurred on a large scale in South Russia and
in 1905 it spread all over Russia.
(iv) Russian peasants were different from the other European peasants.
Sometimes they pooled their land together.
(v) Peasants established commune (mir) which divided the land according
to the needs of the individual family.

9. Discuss the relationship between peasants and nobles in Russia

during early 19th century.

Answer: At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian people were
mainly agriculturists. About 85 per cent of the Russian population was
agriculturists which is higher than other European countries.
(i) Industry in Russia was developed in some pockets like St Petersburg and
Moscow. Large factories existed alongside craft workshops.
(ii) Many factories were setup in the 1890s. The reason behind it was the
extension of railway network and the increase of foreign investment.
(iii) Coal production doubled and iron and steel output quadrupled at that
time.
(iv) Most industries were owned by industrialist, but government supervised
the wage scale and timing of the factories.

10. Describe the economic condition of Russia before 1905.

Answer: (i) In Russia the war was initially popular and the policies of Tsar
Nicholas II were supported by the people.
(ii) The First World War on the ‘Eastern front’ differed from that on the
‘Western front’. In the West, armies fought from trenches, but in the East,
armies moved a good deal and fought battles leaving large casualties.
(iii) Russia’s army lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and
1916. There were over 7 million casualties by 1917.
(iv) As the German armies moved forward, the Russian army destroyed
crops and building to prevent the enemy to enter easily.
(v) The situation discredited the Russian government and Tsar.
(vi) The Russian Soldier did not wish to First Such a War.

11. What was the condition of Russia during the First World War?

Answer: In March 1917, Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed

provisional government to run the country. Lenin and Bolshevik party
thought that the time wars not ripe for socialist revolution and the
Provisional government needed to be supported.

(i) In the meantime Bolshevik influence grow and the Provisional

government saw its power reduce. So it decided to take stern measures
against the spreading discontent.
(ii) Peasants and their socialist leader wanted a redistribution of land which
could not be fulfilled by the government.
(iii) This government could not succeed to control over industry by the
workers.
(iv) But it resisted attempts by workers to run factories.
(v) This government began arresting the leaders and the popular
demonstrations staged by the Bolsheviks were repressed.

12. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia
before 1905?
Answer: Social Conditions Russian society was divided into three classes,
the clergy, nobility and the working class. Serfdom was abolished in 1861,
but the peasants, who constituted 85 percent of the population, had to pay
heavy taxes for small holdings. Economic Conditions After industrialisation,
many factories were set-up by industrialists. The wages were minimum and
the working hours were sometimes 15 hours. The condition of the workers
was miserable. The state treasury was bankrupt due to heavy expenditure.
Political Conditions Under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, the Russian
empire was vast and feudal. The disastrous defeat of Russia in the Russo-
Japanese War of 1904 had eroded the prestige of Tsar Nicholas II.

13. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from
other countries in Europe, before 1917? Or Explain any five differences
between the peasants of Russia and peasants of Europe.

Answer: Working population of Russia was different from other European

countries in the following ways
(i) About 85 percent of Russians were agriculturists. In France and Germany,
the farmers were between 40 per cent to 50 per cent.
(ii) Industrialisation started late in Russia and industries were only found in
small pockets.
(iii) Workers were a divided social group and maintained strong links with
the villages they come from. In Europe, the industrial revolution changed a
mainly rural society into an urban one.
(iv) In Russia sometimes the working hours for workers were 15 hours,
compared with 10 or 12 hours in Europe.
(v) Unlike European peasants, Russian peasants had no respect for nobles
and some even tried to grab the land of nobles.

14. Describe the main events of the October Revolution in Russia.

Answer: The main events of the October Revolution in Russia were

(a) On 16th October, 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the
Bolshevik party to agree to seizure of power. A military Revolutionary
committee was appointed under the leadership of Leon Trotskii.
(b) The uprising began on October 24, when pro-government troops were
sent to take over telephone and telegraph offices and protect the Winter
Palace. In a swift response, the Military Revolutionary Committee ordered
its supporters to seize government offices and arrest ministers.

(c) The city was under the committee’s control and the ministers had
surrendered. Uprisings took place in other cities also. By December, the
Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow Petrograd area.

15. What was the Communist International?

Answer: After the First World War, the Communist International was
organised in 1919 on the lines of the First International (1864-76) and the
Second International (1889-1914). It was founded in Moscow in March,
1919 on the initiative of the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution in
Russia and at a time of revolutionary upsurge in central Europe. It is also
called the Third International. Its main objectives were to establish unity
among the workers of the world, to fix their daily hours of work, to oppose
imperialism and colonialism, to oppose oppression and wars, to promote
revolution, etc. Under its guidance, various communist parties were formed
in many countries of the world. The Communist International was dissolved
in June, 1943.

16. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks
immediately after the October Revolution?

Answer: The main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately

after the October Revolution were
(i) The Bolsheviks were totally opposed to private properties; thus most of
industry and banks were nationalised.
(ii) Lands of the clergy and nobility were confiscated and land was
declared state property.
(iii) In cities, the large houses were partitioned to accommodate other
families.
(iv) The use of old titles of aristocracy was banned.
(v) To assert the social change, new uniforms, e.g.. Soviet hat, were
designed for the army and the officials.
(vi) The Bolshevik party renamed itself as the Russian Communist
Party, Russia became a one-party state. All Russian Congress of Soviets
became the Parliament of the country.

17. Why were there revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905? What

were the demands of the revolutionaries?

Answer: (a) The causes of the revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905

were
(i) Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 due to the poorly
organised Russian army.
(ii) The prices of essential commodities rose so that real wages declined by
20 per cent
(iii) Workers were dismissed at the Petiole Iron Works.
(iv) The procession of workers led by Father Gapon reached the Winter
Palace where it was attacked by the police. In this incident 100 workers
were killed and 300 wounded. This is known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ which
finally led to revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905.

(b) The revolutionaries demanded a reduction in daily working hours to

eight, increase in wages and improvement in working conditions.

18. Explain the views of socialist on private property. Name the

international body set-up to spread and coordinate their efforts. Or
Explain the views of the socialists on private property with special
emphasis on Karl Marx. Name the International body setup to spread
and coordinate their efforts.

Answer: (i) Socialists were against private property. They saw it as the root
of all social evils.
(ii) Socialists favored society as a whole rather than single individually
owned property, more attention would be paid to collective social
interests.
(iii) Marx said that in capitalism, factories were owned by the capitalists and
the profit of capitalists was produced by workers.
(iv) But the workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of private
property.
(v) Marx suggested that to free themselves from the capitalist exploitation,
the workers had to the construct a radically socialist society. In a socialist
society, all property was socially controlled.
(vi) Marx believed that workers would triumph in their conflict with
capitalists and there should be ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. This
communist society is the natural society of the future. To coordinate their
efforts, Socialists formed the international body, viz, the ‘Second
International.’

19. Describe the circumstances which were responsible for the Russian
Revolution?
Or
Explain any five causes leading to the outbreak of Russian Revolution.
Or
Highlight the social and political conditions that led to Russian
Revolution?

Answer: The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of

revolution in Russia in 1917. The Emperor was forced to abdicate and the
old regime was replaced by a provisional government during the first
revolution of February 1917. In the second revolution, during October, the
provisional Government was removed and replaced with a Bolshevik
government.

The main circumstances which were responsible for the Russian Revolution
are
(i) Russia’s own industries were few in numbers and the industrial workers
were exploited extremely.
(ii) In Russia 85 per cent of people were agriculturists. The king nobles and
church owned large landed properties. Like the industrial workers, peasants
also lived in miserable conditions.
(iii) Russia had an autocracy. Tsar Nicholas II was a deeply conservative ruler
and maintained a strict authoritarian system. He cared little for the general
people. He dragged the Russian into the First World War.
(iv) Karl Marx’s theory communism appealed to the people. He said that
workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of capitalists by the
revolution.
(v) The popularity of Bolshevik party increased steadily under the leadership
of Vladimir Lenin.
The Bolsheviks had formed committees and Soviets and created
conditions which eventually led to the Russian Revolution.

20. Mention the values which are associated with Stalin’s

collectivization programme. Mention three values.

Answer: By 1927 -1928, the towns in Soviet Russia were facing an acute
problem of grain supplies. Stalin introduced collectivization programme.
From 1929, the communist party forced all peasants to cultivate in
collective farms (Kolkhoz). The bulk of land and implements were
transferred to the ownership of collective farm. It was possible by
eliminating the class of ‘kulaks’ well to do or rich farmers of Russia.

The values which are associated with Stalin’s collectivization programme are
as follows
(i) Promotion of State controlled large farms to increase production and
solved the problem of grain scarcity.
(ii) Transfer of Ownership of Land took away land from peasants and
established the collective farm, the state controlled large farms.
(iii) Elimination of a Social Class eliminated ‘kulaks’ the well to do peasants
of Russia.

21. What were the impacts of the Russian Revolution in Russia? Or

Explain any five effects of the Russian Revolution of 1917 over Russia?

Answer: (i) The Russian Revolution put an end to the autocratic Tsarist rule
in Russia. It abolished the Romanov dynasty.
(ii) It led to the establishment of world’s first communist/socialist
government.
(iii) The new Soviet Government announced its with drawl from the First
World War.
(iv) The socialist government announced the nationalization of all
industries, private lands. Banks, mines, railways, telephones, etc. These were
declared as state’s property.
(v) Planned economic development started at the time of Stalin.
Collectivization of agriculture was introduced by Stalin. From 1929, the
party forced all peasants to cultivate in collective farms.
(vi) Planned economy soon turned the USSR into a powerful industrial
nation by the Second World War. Poverty began disappearing from Russia.
With the outbreak of World War II, USSR had given socialism a global face.

22. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Answer: The Tsarist autocracy collapsed in 1917 due to social, economic

and political reasons. Social Reasons In the First World War the defeat of
the Russian army was shocking and demoralising. There were over 7 million
casualties, and 3 million refugees by 1917. The rest of the population
became hostile to the Tsar. Economic Reasons There were labour shortages
due to the participation of able-bodied men in the war which led to the
shutdown of many small factories. Moreover, large quantities of grain were
sent to feed the army. For the people in cities, bread and flour became
expensive and scarce. This scarcity led to riots at bread shops. People
became very dissatisfied with the policies of the Tsar.

Political Reasons Tsar Nicholas II was an autocratic, inefficient, weak ruler

who believed in the Divine Rights of the king. The bureaucracy got special
rights and privileges, but the general public got none. Moreover the Tsar
had built a vast empire and imposed Russian language and culture on
diverse nationalities. A large section of the Russian empire became hostile
to the Tsar and his corrupt bureaucracy. All these factors led to discredit of
the government and brought about the end of Tsarist autocracy.

23. Why were there revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905? What

were the demands of revolutionaries?

Answer: The causes of the revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905

were
(i) Due to Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, prices of
essential goods rose dramatically, so that real wages declined by 20 per
cent.
(ii) At the Putilov Iron Works, dismissal of some workers caused a strike.
During the subsequent events, a procession of workers was attacked by
police in which 100 workers died. This was known as ‘Bloody Sunday’.
(iii) Subsequently, strikes took place all over the country, resulting in the
creation of an elected Parliament or Duma. The revolutionaries demanded a
reduction in daily working hours to eight, increase in wages and
improvement in working conditions.

24. Differentiate between the ideas of liberals, radicals and

conservatives.

Answer: (i) Liberals: They believed in changing the society. They wanted a
nation which tolerated all religions. They wanted to safeguard the rights of
individuals against government. However, they thought that only
propertied men should have the right to vote. They also did not want
women to vote.
(ii) Radicals: In contrast, they believed in the rule of majority of the
country’s population. They opposed the privileges of the landowners and
factory owners and supported women’s right to vote.
(iii) Conservatives: They opposed both the liberals and radicals. Earlier they
opposed any kind of change but by the nineteenth century, they accepted
the change but believed that the past has to be respected and change had
to be brought through a slow process.

25. Who was father Gapon? Narrate the events leading to the ‘Bloody
Sunday’ incident and the 1905 Revolution.

Answer: Father Gapon was the leader of the procession of workers who
marched towards the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Events:
(i) When this procession of workers reached the Winter Palace, it was
attacked by the police.
(ii) Over a hundred workers were killed and about three hundred wounded.
(iii) This incident known as the ‘Bloody Sunday’ started a series of events
leading to the 1905 Revolution.
(iv) Strikes took place, universities closed down and student bodies staged
walkouts.
(v) Lawyers, doctors and engineers and other middle class workers formed
unions and demanded constituent assembly.

26. Who was Karl Marx? What was his theory of socialism?

Answer: Karl Marx was a communist who introduced the concept of

socialism. Karl Marx’s Theory:
(i) He felt that the industrial society belonged to the capitalists.
(ii) Capitalists owned the capital invested in industries, but the profit was
produced by workers.
(iii) He believed that the condition of workers would never improve, as long
as profit is taken by the capitalists.
(iv) Marx believed that to free themselves from the capitalists’ exploitation,
workers had to form a socialist society where all property was socially
controlled. This would be a communist society.

27. What were the main causes of the Russian Revolution?

Answer: Main causes were:

(i) Autocratic rule of Tsars: In 1914, the Russian emperor was Tsar Nicholas
II. He fought a number of wars to expand his empire in the north and west
in Europe. He has borne the expenditure of war by taxing the common
people of Russia.

(ii) Conditions of peasants: Majority of the Russians were agriculturalists.

Major part of the land was owned by nobles and clergy and these peasants
worked as farmers on daily wages. They were paid less and worked more
and sometimes under debt, they were not even paid wages.

(iii) Status of industries: Industry was found in pockets. Prominent industrial

areas were St. Petersburg and Moscow. Craftsmen undertook much of the
production, but large factories existed alongside crafts workshops. Foreign
investment in industries increased with the extension of Russia’s railway
network.

(iv) Conditions of workers in the industries: Most industries were owned by

private industrialists. Though the government supervised factories’ working
hours and wages of the workers, but still rules were broken. Women
workers were also paid less than men. Some workers formed associations
to help members in times of unemployment and financial hardships.

(v) Formation of socialist parties: All political parties were illegal in Russia
before 1914. The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was founded in
1898 by socialists, who respected Marxist ideas. But because of government
policies, it had to operate secretly as an illegal organisation. It set up a
newspaper, mobilized workers and organised strikes.

28. Describe the history of the Socialist Movement in Russia.

Answer: In 1898, the Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was formed
on the lines of Karl Marx. Some socialists formed the Socialists
Revolutionary Party in 1900, to struggle for peasants rights and demanded
that land belonging to nobles be transferred to peasants. Lenin felt that
these were peasants who were poor as well as rich, so they could not all be
a part of the socialist movement. Lenin, who formed the Bolshevik group
felt that in a society like Tsarist Russia, party should be disciplined and
should control its members number and quality, whereas Mensheviks
thought that the party should be open to all. The party was divided over
the strategy of organisation, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Bolsheviks were
led by Lenin and Mensheviks by Kerensky.

29. Describe the condition of Russia during World War I.

Answer: In Russia, the war was initially popular and people agreed to Tsar
Nicholas’ policies. The First World War on the eastern front differed from
western front. In the west, armies fought from trenches along eastern
France. In the east, armies fought battles with large casualties. Defeats were
shocking and demoralising. As German armies further moved, the Russian
army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy to enter easily.
Destruction of crops and buildings led to over three million refugees in
Russia. The situation discredited the government of the Tsar. Even soldiers
did not like to fight such a war.

30. State the main events leading to the February Revolution in

Petrograd.

Answer: All the workers’ quarters and factories were located on the right
bank of the river Neva. On the left bank were the fashionable areas, the
Winter Palace, official buildings and the palace where Duma met. In
February 1917, there was severe food shortage in workers’ quarters. On 22
February, a lockout took place at a factory leading to a strike by the
workers. In other factories also, workers went on strikes and women led the
way to the strikes. This came to be called, ‘The International Women’s Day’.
The workers ultimately crossed the river and surrounded the official
buildings in protest. The government imposed a curfew and called out the
cavalry and police to keep a check on them.

31. How was the February Revolution able to bring down the
monarchy in Russia?

Answer: On Sunday the 25 February, the government suspended the

Duma. Demonstrations returned back on the streets of the left bank. People
raised slogans about bread, wages, better hours and democracy. The
government tried to control the situation by calling the army but the
cavalry refused to fire at the demonstrators. Now soldiers also joined
workers and had all gathered to form a Council called the ‘Soviet’. This was
the Petrograd Soviet. The very next day, a delegation went to see the Tsar
and advised him to accept defeat. He decided to abdicate on 2 March and
the Soviet leaders and the Duma leaders formed a Provisional Government.
New Russia’s future would be decided by the Constituent Assembly, elected
on the basis of universal adult franchise. Petrograd had led the February
Revolution that brought down the monarchy in February 1917.

32. Which events led to the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia?

Answer: (i) A conflict grew between the Provisional Government and the
Bolsheviks as Lenin feared that the Provisional Government may set up a
dictatorship.
(ii) On 16 October 1917, Lenin persuaded them to accept socialists’ power
and appointed a Military Revolutionary Committee under Leon Trotskii to
organise the seizure.
(iii) The uprising began on 24 October and Kerenskii, the Prime Minister left
the city to call troops.
(iv) In a swift response, the Military Revolutionary Committee ordered its
supporters to seize government offices and arrest ministers.
(v) By nightfall, the city was under the Committee’s control and the
ministers had surrendered.
(vi) Uprisings took place in other cities. There was heavy fighting but by
December, the Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow-Petrograd area.
33. What changes were brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately
after the October Revolution?

Answer: (i) Bolsheviks were totally opposed to private property.

(ii) Most industry and banks were nationalised in November 1917. This
meant that the government took over ownership and management.
(iii) Land was declared a social property and peasants were allowed to seize
the land of the nobility.
(iv) In cities, they enforced the partition of large houses according to family
requirements.
(v) They banned the use of the old titles of aristocracy.
(vi) The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party.

34. What do you know about Stalin’s Collectivisation Programme?

Answer: From 1929, the party forced all peasants to cultivate in collective
farms. The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership
of collective farms. Peasants worked on the land and the profit was shared.
Enraged peasants resisted the authorities and destroyed their livestock.
Those who resisted the collectivisation were severely punished. Many were
deported and exiled. As they resisted collectivisation, peasants argued that
they were not rich and they were not against socialism. Stalin’s government
allowed some independent cultivation but treated such cultivators
unsympathetically.

35. What were the views of liberals about the transformation of

society in the 18th century?

Answer: Views of liberals: (i) Liberals wanted a nation which tolerated all
religions.
(ii) They also opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers.
(iii) They wanted to safeguard the rights of individuals against
governments.
(iv) They argued for a representative, elected parliamentary government,
subject to laws interpreted by a well-trained judiciary that was independent
of rulers and officials.
(v) However, they did not believe in universal adult franchise. They felt men
who own property mainly should have the vote. They also did not want the
vote for women.

36. What were the effects of the Russian Revolution on the world?

Answer: (i) In many countries, communist parties were formed?like the

Communist Party of Great Britain.
(ii) The Bolsheviks encouraged colonial people to fight for their
independence.
(iii) Many Non-Russians from outside the USSR participated in the
conferences held by socialists and the Bolshevik-founded Comintern (a
Communists International).
(iv) Some received education in the USSR’s Communist University of the
Workers of the East.
(v) With the outbreak of World War II, the USSR had given socialism a
global face and world stature.

37. Why the period after the success of French Revolution can be
called the age of social change?

Answer: (i) The French Revolution opened up the possibility of creating a

dramatic change in the way in which society was structured.
(ii) Before the 18th century society was broadly divided into estates and
orders and it was the aristocracy and church which controlled economic
and social power.
(iii) Suddenly, after the revolution, it seemed possible to change this. In
many parts of the world including Europe and Asia, new ideas about
individual rights and who controlled social power began to be discussed.
(iv) In India, Raja Rammohan Roy and Derozio talked of the significance of
the French Revolution and many others debated the ideas of post-
revolutionary Europe.
(v) The developments in the colonies, in turn, reshaped these ideas of
societal change.

38. “World War I left Russia in such a situation that it led to February
revolution in Petrograd.” Do you agree?
Answer: (i) In World War I, Russian defeats were shocking and
demoralising, Russia’s army lost badly in Germany and Austria between
1914 and 1916.
(ii) 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.
(iii) The war 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 by German control of the Baltic Sea.
(iv) Industrial equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than
elsewhere in Europe. By 1916, railway lines began to break down.
(v) Able-bodied men were called up to the war. As a result, there was labour
shortage and small workshops producing essentials were shut down.
(vi) Large supplies of grain were sent to fed the army. For the people in the
cities, bread and flour became scarce. By the winter of 1916, riots at bread
shops were common.
(vii) In the winter of 1917, conditions in the capital, Petrograd, were grim. In
February 1917, food shortages were deeply felt in the workers quarters,
leading to lockouts and about fifty factories called a strike.

39. What was the global influence of Russian Revolution?

Answer: (i) In many countries, communist parties were formed like

the Communist Party of Great Britain.
(ii) The Bolsheviks encouraged colonial people to follow their experiment of
taking power.
(iii) Many non-Russians from outside the USSR participated in the
Conference of the People of East and the Bolshevik-founded Comintern (an
international union of pro-Bolshevik socialist parties).
(iv) Some received education in USSR’s Communist University of the
Workers of the East.
(v) By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, the USSR had
given socialism a global face and world stature.