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INTRODUCTION

National Studies: Russia and the Soviet Union 1917–1941

Key features

Bolshevik ideology in theory and practice

competing visions for the Bolshevik Party and the USSR

Bolshevik consolidation of power

Political and economic transformation

Social and cultural transformation

Nature and impact of Stalinism

Aims, nature and effectiveness of Soviet foreign policy

SOURCES

BACKGROUND

From "Russia and the Soviet Union" By Ken Webb:

At the turn of the 20th century, Russia was a nation of contrasts. Economically it was stuck in the Middle Ages... Socially, it exhibited many features of the feudal system... Politically it clung to autocracy, yet there were stirrings of demand for constitutional, and even revolutionary change. Urban poverty, rural destitution, growing political violence and tsarist repression were combining to create a situation that would lead to revolution.

GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY

- Russia at the turn of the 20th century covered 22 400 000 square kilometres, one-sixth of the Earth's surface

- As Russia expanded over the centuries, it developed into a multinational empire

- Over the centuries, invasion had been easy for such groups as Napoleon's armies in 1812, and Hitler's in 1941

- History of invasion imparted a sense of insecurity

- Common belief persisted in Russia that it needed strong, centralised rule to protect itself from foreign invasion

- Russian empire contained approx. 100 different ethnic groups. The only thing that could hold such a disparate nation together, it was believed, was strong, centralised leadership

PRE-REVOLUTONARY

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Translation (from top to bottom):

Tsar - "We reign over you"

Ministers - "We rule you"

Clergy - "We fool you"

Gendarmes - "We shoot you"

High Society - "We eat you"

Peasantry - "We work for you" and "We feed you".

Political Cartoon c.1900

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY ECONOMY

From "Russian Industrialisation" by Llewellyn, Rae & Thomson (2014):

...most of the export revenue that flowed into the empire simply lined the pockets of aristocrats and powerful land-owners; it was not used as capital to develop an industrialised economy. Industrial projects and incentives were often proposed – but they were rarely embraced since they threatened the financial interests of conservative landowners. There was some heavy industry – mining, steel production, oil and so on – but this was small when compared to Russia’s imperial rivals: Britain, France and Germany...

Russian factories were unable to produce sufficient amounts of weapons, munitions or machinery. There was very little technical innovation; most of Russia’s new technologies were imported from the West.

https://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/russian-industrialisation/

ACTIVITIES

TASK ONE

Referring to evidence, outline the STEEP aspects of the Russian empire at the turn of the 20th century.

TASK TWO

'Well intentioned but ultimately a liability.' To what extent do you think this statement accurately sums up Tsar Nicholas II? Conduct some of your own research in order to locate key information and evidence to support your assessment.

https://www.history.com/news/romanov-family-murder-execution-reasons

RESOURCES

Propaganda

https://ehistory.osu.edu/exhibitions/russian_revolution

CONCLUSION

- The geography of Russia offered both great potential and enormous difficulties

- In 1900, society was almost feudal in structure while the economy was dominated by outdated agricultural practices

- Tsar Nicholas II was determined to maintain absolute power. However, he was a weak leader

- A fundamental problem was the inability o fthe political system to adapt to changes demanded by modernisation

- SInce the 1860s, Russia had experienced frequent, revolutionary violence

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