AQA History Tsardom and Communism
• Impact of the Second World War: political, economic, and social problems caused by the Great
Patriotic War up to 1945 - correct answerPolitical problems - weakened trust in Stalin initially due to his
lack of preparation in 1941; challenge of reasserting control over areas liberated from German
occupation which cooperated with them e.g. Ukrainians, Baltic peoples, hoping for independence, Stalin
had to reimpose Soviet control harshly on millions; continued use of repression (NKVD still operated,
whole ethnic groups deported, martial law and censorship)
Economic problems - 1,700 towns, 70,000 villages, and 31,000 factories destroyed by the German
invasion; infrastructure devastated across USSR; industrial production had to relocate; many factories
damaged/outdated by 1945; labour shortages due to millions dead or injured; farms abandoned or
destroyed; grain production dropped dramatically (1943 harvest less than half of 1940); livestock
numbers fell harshly; return to collectivisation meant harsh treatment of peasants continued; war cost
around 1/3 of USSR total wealth; recovery would take years
Social problems - huge loss of life (around 27 million dead); millions displaced by German occupation;
many cities overcrowded due to industrial relocation; families separated; severe malnutrition; hospitals
overwhelmed; psychological trauma widespread; women resisted expectations to return to normal roles
• Impact of the Second World War: Stalin's wartime leadership - correct answer22 June 1941 Launch of
Operation Barbarossa
Stalin caught off guard despite warnings, suffering catastrophic early defeats and losing lots of territory,
men, and resources
Initial failures - ignored intelligence reports of the incoming German invasion; withdrew from leadership
for several days following the attack; Soviet forces poorly prepared, lacking good leadership due to the
purges of the Red Army
Recoveries and strong leadership - created GKO (State Defence Committee) which ran the war effort;
appointed himself as Supreme Commander-in-Chief; took direct control of military and economic
planning
Propaganda - revived patriotic and nationalist messages rather than Communist ideology; portrayed the
war as a defence of "Mother Russia"; Stalin became a symbol of unity, the "father of the nation"
Economic - moved thousands of factories east of the Urals to stop them from being taken over by
Germans; mass produced tanks, aircraft, and ammunition (outproduced Germany by 1943); relied
heavily on forced labour and harsh discipline to meet targets
Military decisions - personally oversaw key campaigns e.g. Stalingrad 1942-43, willing to adapt tactics
and trust generals like Zhukov following earlier mistakes, brutal discipline (executed retreating soldiers)
e.g. Order No 227
,Costs - up to 27 million Soviet citizens died, use of terror tactics (deported "unreliable" ethnic minorities
like Chechens and Crimean Tartars), harsh punishments, NKVD still operated during the war maintaining
fear and obedience
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: growth of revolutionary opposition - correct answerHis autocracy
included a strong powerful military, sworn loyalty to the Tsar, Okhrana (secret police), ability to use the
Church as leverage over the people
Opposition grew since lower classes (majority of population) were neglected, high levels of censorship,
wealth inequality, corruption, etc.
Some groups e.g. Social Democrats (Marxist) started aiming for a proletarian revolution (split into
Bolsheviks and Mensheviks in 1903); Social Revolutionaries focused more on agrarian reform and land
redistribution; Liberals (Kadets and Octobrists) sought constitutional monarchy
Workers disliked low wages and a lack of representation; peasants disliked land hunger and poverty;
Okhrana suppressed opposition
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: Stolypin's policies - land reform, industry, and use of oppression -
correct answerLand reform - aimed to break up the mirs and form a new class of kulaks. Allowed
peasants to leave the mir, created Peasant Land Bank to provide loans. By 1914, around 25% had left the
mir, but only 15% had established separate farms. Many were too poor or too traditional to change, and
land hunger remained an issue.
Industry - aimed to develop economy and modernise Russia, focusing on railways and coal production.
Industrial growth slowed past 1908 due to international economic downturn, railway network kept
expanding e.g. Trans-Siberian Railway, new factories; production increased by 100% from 1906-1914.
Was developing, but not fast enough for its population nor to compete with other European powers.
Use of oppression - introduction of martial law in some areas, harsh repression against revolutionaries
and strikers. From 1906-1911 over 3000 people were executed, and many more were exiled to Siberia.
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the 1905 Revolution - correct answerUnpopularity of the Tsar led
to the 1905 revolution - Long-term causes: autocratic rule of Nicholas II led to censorship and
repression; dissatisfied workers and peasants; land shortages, redemption payments, famines; low
wages, poor working conditions; growth of political parties
Short term - Bloody Sunday: peaceful protest led by Father Gapon to the Winter Palace, 200,000 shot at
and around 200 killed. Russo-Japanese war: humiliating defeats e.g. at Tsushima and Port Arthur, mutiny
of the Potemkin, economic strains due to the war e.g. unemployment, food shortages
Events of the revolution - strikes and protests across Russia e.g. General Strike in October, formation of
Saint Petersburg Soviet led by Trotsky, mutinies, riots by ethnic minorities
, Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the Dumas and political stalemate - correct answerOctober
manifesto in 1905 promised the establishment of a democratically elected Duma, but it was quickly
undermined in 1906 when the passed The Fundamental Laws, which reasserted the Tsar's absolute
power, allowed him to veto any decisions made by the Duma, and rule autocratically when the Duma
was not in session.
First Duma - radicals, liberals, peasants, wanted ministerial responsibilities, seizure of gentry's land, and
removal of emergency laws. Dissolved after 10 weeks since it opposed the Tsar.
Second Duma - Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, SRs, radicals, liberals, rejected Stolypin's agrarian reforms and
did not approve any new laws. Dissolved after 5 months since it opposed the Tsar.
Third Duma - changes to voting system favouring landowners and nobility, not workers and peasants,
meant it was very conservative, passing 2200/2500 proposals.
Fourth Duma - similar, but dissolved after the October Revolution
A stalemate - Dumas had no power, Nicholas refused to listen and chose to rule autocratically, repeated
dissolutions, Conservatives resisted change.
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the impacts of attempts to reform Russia up to 1914 - correct
answerImpacts of attempts - four Dumas created between 1906 and 1917. First two dissolved quickly
and were very radical, wanting ministerial responsibilities, seizure of the gentry's land, removal of
emergency laws, rejecting Stolypin's agrarian reforms, etc. Third Duma lasted longer because of changes
to the voting system and passed 2,200/2,500 proposals, but was later dissolved; final Duma was similar
but dissolved after the October Revolution.
Stolypin's reforms - martial laws, executions of revolutionaries (3000 killed) nickname of "Stolypin's
necktie"; agrarian reforms, including: ability to leave the "mir" (commune); encouraged formation of
Kulaks, which were richer land-owning peasants; industrial boom from 1906-1914 where production
increased by 100%; offered loans to peasants through the Peasant Land Bank. By 1914, over 2 million
peasants had left the mir, with 15% of the total peasantry being appeased by his reforms
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the October Manifesto - correct answerIssued by Nicholas II,
promising: a democratically elected Duma; civil rights, freedom of speech and conscience; uncensored
newspapers; right to form political parties.
Middle-class liberals accepted it with many joining the Octobrists; Radicals and workers didn't trust it
and demanded more, including the Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionaries (who rejected it); peasants
were quietened by promises of reduced redemption payments
Following it, very little change managerially with the Tsar ignoring the Dumas (who held little powers) -
he dissolved the first two very quickly and by 1907 he changed the voting laws to prevent opposition.
• Impact of the Second World War: political, economic, and social problems caused by the Great
Patriotic War up to 1945 - correct answerPolitical problems - weakened trust in Stalin initially due to his
lack of preparation in 1941; challenge of reasserting control over areas liberated from German
occupation which cooperated with them e.g. Ukrainians, Baltic peoples, hoping for independence, Stalin
had to reimpose Soviet control harshly on millions; continued use of repression (NKVD still operated,
whole ethnic groups deported, martial law and censorship)
Economic problems - 1,700 towns, 70,000 villages, and 31,000 factories destroyed by the German
invasion; infrastructure devastated across USSR; industrial production had to relocate; many factories
damaged/outdated by 1945; labour shortages due to millions dead or injured; farms abandoned or
destroyed; grain production dropped dramatically (1943 harvest less than half of 1940); livestock
numbers fell harshly; return to collectivisation meant harsh treatment of peasants continued; war cost
around 1/3 of USSR total wealth; recovery would take years
Social problems - huge loss of life (around 27 million dead); millions displaced by German occupation;
many cities overcrowded due to industrial relocation; families separated; severe malnutrition; hospitals
overwhelmed; psychological trauma widespread; women resisted expectations to return to normal roles
• Impact of the Second World War: Stalin's wartime leadership - correct answer22 June 1941 Launch of
Operation Barbarossa
Stalin caught off guard despite warnings, suffering catastrophic early defeats and losing lots of territory,
men, and resources
Initial failures - ignored intelligence reports of the incoming German invasion; withdrew from leadership
for several days following the attack; Soviet forces poorly prepared, lacking good leadership due to the
purges of the Red Army
Recoveries and strong leadership - created GKO (State Defence Committee) which ran the war effort;
appointed himself as Supreme Commander-in-Chief; took direct control of military and economic
planning
Propaganda - revived patriotic and nationalist messages rather than Communist ideology; portrayed the
war as a defence of "Mother Russia"; Stalin became a symbol of unity, the "father of the nation"
Economic - moved thousands of factories east of the Urals to stop them from being taken over by
Germans; mass produced tanks, aircraft, and ammunition (outproduced Germany by 1943); relied
heavily on forced labour and harsh discipline to meet targets
Military decisions - personally oversaw key campaigns e.g. Stalingrad 1942-43, willing to adapt tactics
and trust generals like Zhukov following earlier mistakes, brutal discipline (executed retreating soldiers)
e.g. Order No 227
,Costs - up to 27 million Soviet citizens died, use of terror tactics (deported "unreliable" ethnic minorities
like Chechens and Crimean Tartars), harsh punishments, NKVD still operated during the war maintaining
fear and obedience
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: growth of revolutionary opposition - correct answerHis autocracy
included a strong powerful military, sworn loyalty to the Tsar, Okhrana (secret police), ability to use the
Church as leverage over the people
Opposition grew since lower classes (majority of population) were neglected, high levels of censorship,
wealth inequality, corruption, etc.
Some groups e.g. Social Democrats (Marxist) started aiming for a proletarian revolution (split into
Bolsheviks and Mensheviks in 1903); Social Revolutionaries focused more on agrarian reform and land
redistribution; Liberals (Kadets and Octobrists) sought constitutional monarchy
Workers disliked low wages and a lack of representation; peasants disliked land hunger and poverty;
Okhrana suppressed opposition
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: Stolypin's policies - land reform, industry, and use of oppression -
correct answerLand reform - aimed to break up the mirs and form a new class of kulaks. Allowed
peasants to leave the mir, created Peasant Land Bank to provide loans. By 1914, around 25% had left the
mir, but only 15% had established separate farms. Many were too poor or too traditional to change, and
land hunger remained an issue.
Industry - aimed to develop economy and modernise Russia, focusing on railways and coal production.
Industrial growth slowed past 1908 due to international economic downturn, railway network kept
expanding e.g. Trans-Siberian Railway, new factories; production increased by 100% from 1906-1914.
Was developing, but not fast enough for its population nor to compete with other European powers.
Use of oppression - introduction of martial law in some areas, harsh repression against revolutionaries
and strikers. From 1906-1911 over 3000 people were executed, and many more were exiled to Siberia.
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the 1905 Revolution - correct answerUnpopularity of the Tsar led
to the 1905 revolution - Long-term causes: autocratic rule of Nicholas II led to censorship and
repression; dissatisfied workers and peasants; land shortages, redemption payments, famines; low
wages, poor working conditions; growth of political parties
Short term - Bloody Sunday: peaceful protest led by Father Gapon to the Winter Palace, 200,000 shot at
and around 200 killed. Russo-Japanese war: humiliating defeats e.g. at Tsushima and Port Arthur, mutiny
of the Potemkin, economic strains due to the war e.g. unemployment, food shortages
Events of the revolution - strikes and protests across Russia e.g. General Strike in October, formation of
Saint Petersburg Soviet led by Trotsky, mutinies, riots by ethnic minorities
, Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the Dumas and political stalemate - correct answerOctober
manifesto in 1905 promised the establishment of a democratically elected Duma, but it was quickly
undermined in 1906 when the passed The Fundamental Laws, which reasserted the Tsar's absolute
power, allowed him to veto any decisions made by the Duma, and rule autocratically when the Duma
was not in session.
First Duma - radicals, liberals, peasants, wanted ministerial responsibilities, seizure of gentry's land, and
removal of emergency laws. Dissolved after 10 weeks since it opposed the Tsar.
Second Duma - Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, SRs, radicals, liberals, rejected Stolypin's agrarian reforms and
did not approve any new laws. Dissolved after 5 months since it opposed the Tsar.
Third Duma - changes to voting system favouring landowners and nobility, not workers and peasants,
meant it was very conservative, passing 2200/2500 proposals.
Fourth Duma - similar, but dissolved after the October Revolution
A stalemate - Dumas had no power, Nicholas refused to listen and chose to rule autocratically, repeated
dissolutions, Conservatives resisted change.
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the impacts of attempts to reform Russia up to 1914 - correct
answerImpacts of attempts - four Dumas created between 1906 and 1917. First two dissolved quickly
and were very radical, wanting ministerial responsibilities, seizure of the gentry's land, removal of
emergency laws, rejecting Stolypin's agrarian reforms, etc. Third Duma lasted longer because of changes
to the voting system and passed 2,200/2,500 proposals, but was later dissolved; final Duma was similar
but dissolved after the October Revolution.
Stolypin's reforms - martial laws, executions of revolutionaries (3000 killed) nickname of "Stolypin's
necktie"; agrarian reforms, including: ability to leave the "mir" (commune); encouraged formation of
Kulaks, which were richer land-owning peasants; industrial boom from 1906-1914 where production
increased by 100%; offered loans to peasants through the Peasant Land Bank. By 1914, over 2 million
peasants had left the mir, with 15% of the total peasantry being appeased by his reforms
Nicholas II's autocracy and the court: the October Manifesto - correct answerIssued by Nicholas II,
promising: a democratically elected Duma; civil rights, freedom of speech and conscience; uncensored
newspapers; right to form political parties.
Middle-class liberals accepted it with many joining the Octobrists; Radicals and workers didn't trust it
and demanded more, including the Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionaries (who rejected it); peasants
were quietened by promises of reduced redemption payments
Following it, very little change managerially with the Tsar ignoring the Dumas (who held little powers) -
he dissolved the first two very quickly and by 1907 he changed the voting laws to prevent opposition.
