Name: ALPS Target:

AS Grade: A2 ALPS target: Personal target:

Based on your AS performance:

what is your most important

skills and study targets for

studying this essay based topic

next year.

SKILL TARGET:

STUDY TARGET:

Russia Skills Strongly Agree Agree Neither

Agree nor

disagree

Disagree Strongly

disagree

AO1a: I can use a wide range of

accurate and relevant evidence.

AO1a: I can accurately and

confidently use appropriate

historical terminology.

AO1a: I can create clearly

structured and coherent answers

to questions.

AO1a: I can communicate

accurately and legibly.

AO1b: I understand how to

analyse key concepts (continuity/

change/ causation/ significance)

within their historical context.

AO1b: I can produce excellent

synthesis (drawing links between

different rulers across a time

period).

AO1b: I can produce a thorough

synoptic assessment (a judgement

over a whole time period).

AO1b: I understand different

interrelationships across different

areas and can support these

connections.

Study skills: I can take

responsibility for my own

learning, seek information and

clarification independently and

know when to ask for help.

Study skills: I can keep up to date

with deadlines and stay organised.

Zemstva

Duma

Autocracy

Serfs

Emancipation

Crimea Effect

Russification

Radicals

Liberals

Constitutional

monarchy

Soviet

Constituent

Assembly

Red Army

Okhrana

Cheka

N.K.V.D.

New Economic

Policy

War Communism

Collectivisation

Show Trials

Red Tsar

Kulaks

Dekulakisation

De-Stalinisation

UKASE

© OCR 2013 GCE History A v3

85

Unit F966 Option B

Theme 4: Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964

This theme focuses on the nature of Russian government and its impact on the Russian people and society. Candidates should understand the similarities and differences between the autocratic rule of the tsars to 1917 and the subsequent Communist dictatorship but are not expected to have a detailed knowledge of the events of 1917.

Candidates are not expected to demonstrate a detailed understanding of the specification content but are expected to know the main developments and turning points relevant to the theme.

Content

x Russian rulers: similarities and differences in the main domestic policies of Alexander II, Alexander III, Nicholas II, the Provisional Government, Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev.

x The nature of government: autocracy, dictatorship and totalitarianism; change and continuity in central administration; methods of repression and enforcement; the extent and impact of reform; the extent and effectiveness of opposition both before and after 1917.

x The impact of the dictatorial regimes on the economy and society of the Russian Empire and the USSR: changes to living and working conditions of urban and rural people; limitations on personal, political and religious freedom; extent of economic and social changes.

x Impact of war and revolution on the development of Russian government: the effects of the Crimean War, the Japanese War, 1905 Revolution, 1917 Revolutions, World War One, World War Two, the Cold War.

Useful Russian History Timeline, 1855-1964

Ruler Main Developments Outcomes 1855-1881 Alexander II (The ‘Tsar Liberator’)

1856: Defeat in the Crimean War 1861: Emancipation of the serfs 1866: First assassination attempt against Alexander II 1881: Assassination of Alexander II

1864: Zemstvo law Growth of opposition groups. Political ‘Reaction’

1881-94 Alexander III (Russification and Reaction)

1883: Land Banks established 1880: Land captains formed. 1891: Famine Investment in Industry (Witte)

1892-1903 Witte’s Great Spurt

1894-1917 Nicholas II (End of three centuries of the Romanov dynasty)

Formation of political parties 1904-5 Russo Japanese War Liberal Reforms 1914-1917: First World War and army desertions

1898: Social Democrats 1901: Social Revolutionaries 1905: Bloody Sunday and 1905 Revolution: the October Manifesto. 1906 Fundamental Law 1906-11: Stolypin’s work 1906-14: Four Dumas met 1917: February Revolution- abdication of the Tsar

1917 (February- November) Provisional Government

Continued in the war. Relaxed censorship laws (Eight Principles) Rise of Opposition Groups

October Revolution

1918-1924 Lenin (The ‘Red Tsar’)

Constituent Assembly Withdrew from the war 1918-1921: Civil War 1921: Famine and Economic Collapse

1918: Lenin established a Communist dictatorship 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918-1921: War Communism 1921-1927: New Economic Policy

1928-1953 Stalin (Totalitarianism)

1922-1928: Struggle for Power 1928/9-1941: Five Year Plans and collectivisation. 1934-1940: The Great Terror (reprised after the war) 1941-45: The Great Patriotic War

Stalin emerged as leader Industry and agriculture transformed but at a heavy price- famine (1932-34), loss of freedom, end of private business initiatives. Elimination of Stalin’s rivals and opposition.

1953-1964 Khrushchev (Destalinisation)

1954-55: Struggle for power 1954: Agricultural reforms 1956: Denunciation of Stalin by Khrushchev at the Twentieth Communist Party Congress 1959: Seven Year Plan started 1962: Khrushchev backed down over the Cuban Missile Crisis

Khrushchev emerged as leader. The Virgin Lands scheme 1957: Political decentralisation began. Growth in heavy industry/ consumer goods 1964: Khrushchev overthrown

Learning Objectives

To be able to explain why Alexander II emancipated the serfs and what other issues Alexander II had

to deal with, with reference to the situation that Russia was in when he inherited the throne q.

Success Criteria

1. Ao1a: Explain any issues/problems that Alexander II had when he inherited the throne in

1855 q.

2. Ao1a: Explain why Alexander II emancipated the serfs q.

3. Ao1a: Describe the process q and place into the context q.

4. Study Skills: Create useful notes using higher order thinking skills on Alexander II’s motives

for emancipating the serfs q.

5. Ao1b: Assess how significant Alexander II’s actions were to the lives of the people of Russia

q.

Task 1: What kind of man do we think Alexander II was?

Look at the following list of words and decide which ones apply to Alexander II.

Stupid, Intelligent, Humane, Repressive, Educated, Leader, Well Prepared, Experienced, Unfeeling,

Knowledgeable, Sensitive, Selfish, Horrible, Well travelled, Courageous, Smartly dressed, Patriotic,

Autocratic, Reformer, Resistant to change.

Annotate your image with the words that you have chosen. I f you have any reasons to think so, add

those in too!

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Task 2: The situation facing Alexander II

Create a paragraph describing what situation was Russia in when Alexander inherited it in 1855. Use

Access to History: Russia, 1815-1881. Chapter 4, the Emancipation of the Serfs

Include:

1. Economy

2. Foreign Policy

3. Society

4. State of Government

CHALLENGE: Target grades B+ should be attempting to explain how Alexander II’s personal qualities

and experience may be influencing his solutions to these problems.

Task 3: The Emancipation of the Serfs

This is another note-taking exercise where the emphasis is on brevity.

Your mission (s is to write Alexander II’s motives out concisely (no more than 1 sentence on each of

the motives that you can identify).

CHALLENGE

Grades C+, rank Alexander II’s motives in order of significance.

Grades B+, as above but also add three more events or people besides Alexander II that affected the

emancipation.

Task 4: The Process of Emancipating a Serf

Create your own method of note taking to develop your explanation of what caused the serfs to be

emancipated.

It should include:

• A description of what happened.

• An explanation of what caused the emancipation of the serfs.

• Targets C+: An analysis of the significance of these causes.

• Target B+: placed this work into the context of the time (discussed what other than

Alexander II caused the emancipation).

Complete this on lined or plain paper and tag it into your booklet.

Task 5: To what extent did the emancipation of the serfs change the lives of the peasants.

Within this you have three tasks to do:

1. Identify what has changed in the life of the serfs.

2. Identify what has remained the same in the life of the serfs.

3. Develop a conclusion. To what extent did emancipation change the life of the serfs?

Grades C+: Consider whether whatever change and continuity improves the life of the serfs.

Grades B+: To what extent did Alexander II achieve his motives?

You can show your conclusion in whatever way you like: it does not have to be written.

Complete this on lined or plain paper and tag it into your booklet.

SUPER FUN SILLY THINKING TASK

If Alexander II was an animal, what kind of animal would he be? Draw or describe the type of animal,

explaining your reasoning with relevant evidence in this box.

Learning Objectives

To be able to explain what Alexander III’s problems and actions were and compare them with those

of Alexander II q.

Success Criteria

1. Ao1a: Explain what motivated Alexander III q.

2. Ao1a:Explain the internal and external turmoil facing Alexander III q.

3. Ao1b: Compare Alexander III’s issues/ problems/ motives/ actions with those of Alexander II.

and make a judgement on the change and continuity between the two q.

4. Ao1b: Assess how significant Alexander III’s actions were to the lives of the Russians q.

Task 1: The guiding principles of Alexander III

Alexander III was guided by principles inherited from his tutor, Pobedonostsev. Read page

15 of Heinemann Russia and its Rulers textbook and the section called the “role of

Pobedenostsev” in the reading from Access to History, Reaction and Revolutions: Russia

1881-1924 in order to add an explanation of a) what each of them were, and b) how each of

them were visible in Alexander III’s Russia.

The Policies of Alexander III. Use the rest of these sections to complete the following table.

Measure taken by Alexander III (remember, you

will need to describe it!)

Did it concern Orthodoxy/ Autocracy/ Nationality What was its impact on the Russian people?

‘The Reaction’: The Statute of State Security

‘The Reaction’: The University Statute, 1887

‘The Reaction’: The Zemstva Act, 1890

‘Russification’

Task 2: The Internal and External Turmoil. Whose Fried Egg is Yolkier? A fried egg has a white outside and a

yellow yolk inside. We are going to use this to symbolise the internal (yolk) and external (white) pressures on

both Alexander II and Alexander III. Read pages 15-16 of the Heinemann Russia and its Rulers textbook and use

the knowledge gained so far, draw your own fried eggs to symbolise internal and external turmoil. The size of

the yolk and the white should reflect the severity of their troubles (e.g. the more significant the internal trouble,

the larger the yolk).

Weaknesses Russia’s Problems

Learning Objectives

To be able to explain what Nicholas II’s problems and actions were and compare them with those of

Alexander II and III q.

Success Criteria

1. Ao1a: Explain what the strengths and weaknesses of Nicholas II were q.

2. Ao1a: Explain how Nicholas II attempted to preserve autocracy in Russia q.

3. Ao1b: Compare Nicholas II’s issues/ problems/ motives/ actions with those of the previous two

Tsars and make a judgement on the change and continuity between the three q.

Task 1: Nicholas II’s strengths and weaknesses in comparison to Russia’s problems.

Read page 18-19 of the Heinemann Russia and its Rulers textbook in order to create Nicholas II’s muscles

and dumbbells.

Add to Nicholas II’s muscles any strengths he has.

Add to one side of Nicholas II’s dumbbells what weaknesses he has.

Add to the other side of Nicholas II’s dumbbells what problems Russia has to deal with during his regime.

Complete the box with how long you think Nicholas II’s muscles can lift those dumbbells.

Nicholas II can lift these dumbbells for...

Strengths Strengths

Task 2: Nicholas II’s Preservation of Autocracy

Much of what Nicholas II did was, similarly to his predecessors, only concerned with the preservation of the

Tsarist autocracy. However, there were occasions when his actions were overtaken by events outside of his

control.

Using the pages 19-21 of the Heinemann Russia and its Rulers textbook, complete the table below, showing

how Nicholas II’s actions were designed to preserve autocracy. Nicholas II’s most important legislation has

been put in for you to ensure that you have it, but you will still need to explain it.

Event (you may want to

write a sentence or two to

say what happened).

What were Nicholas II’s actions in

response to that event?

How were Nicholas II’s actions

designed to preserve autocracy?

State supported industrial

expansion was already

started under Alexander III

Agricultural reform under

Stolypin

Greater economic freedom

in Russia

Russification had begun

under Alexander III

Catastrophic war with Japan

(1904-5) followed by

revolution (1905)

Introduced the October Manifesto

The October Manifesto was

quite liberal.

The Fundamental Law

The creation of the Dumas

The First Duma

The Second Duma

The Third Duma

The Fourth Duma

The 300th Anniversary of the

Romanov Dynasty (1913)

The First World War

Task 3: The Fabulous Fabergé Tsars. Fabergé eggs were jewelled, enamelled eggs, made by the Russian jewellers (House of Fabergé) for the Russian

aristocracy and given at Easter. Sometimes they would contain surprises (such as necklaces or miniature pictures of the Russian Royal Family).

Sometimes the eggs themselves would have portraits. This one is the Rose Trellis Egg which was presented by Nicholas II to his wife and contained a

diamond necklace and a miniature of her son, the Tsarevich Alexander framed in diamonds. For more information: http://www.faberge.com/news/49-imperialeggs.aspx

Create your own Fabergé eggs for each of the Tsars, showing their motives, actions, effects of actions and anything else you can consider. Try to

show where there are similarities (continuities) by using the same symbols/ words/ images across the eggs.

Learning Objectives

To be able to explain what the Provisional Government’s domestic policies were q.

Success Criteria

1. Ao1a: Explain how the Provisional Government intended to reshape Russia q.

2. Ao1a: Describe what the domestic policy of the Provisional Government was q.

3. Ao1b: Explain why the Provisional Government failed q.

Task 1: What were the Provisional Government problems and intentions.

From Heinemann Russia and its Rulers textbook, p.22-23

They [the Provisional Government] came with a clear liberal agenda in which they believed that the changes they

made were not to preserve an outdated autocracy, but to introduce the benefits of 19th

century liberalism.

However, the context for establishing this was much more unfavourable than the context which the three Tsars

had faced in preserving their ideal type of regime. The world in 1917 was a distinctly illiberal place, with freedom

everywhere subordinated to the needs of war. It was extremely unlikely that without a liberal market economy, a

strong educated middle class, a democratic tradition and a period of peace to ease a transition that Russia could

not suddenly become a liberal democracy. The great majority of the opposition did not believe in this and the

supporters of the old regime had not valued it...

The liberal reforms after March 1917 were more whole-hearted than those of the Tsars but freedom of press,

movement, association, political activity and the end of political police and control added to the problem. The

enemies of democracy got free rein...

The peasant land seizures [where the peasants simply took over landed estates] were neither prevented, nor

recognised, leaving a state of uncertainty in the countryside. If the government had issued a Land Decree

accepting the new ownership, then perhaps the history of Russia might have been different. But that would have

been asking the liberal middle class politicians to betray their entire ethos of respect for property and law and

order. Lenin [leader of the Bolshevik Party] who had no interest in either could easily promise the peasants land...

[and] could also promise peace- international obligations to capitalist powers meant nothing... But the Provisional

Government needed foreign recognition, believed in honouring obligations and respecting the sacrifice millions

had made... Had a constitution been established and elections held quickly then the Provisional Government might

have achieved legitimacy. However, they allowed themselves to be distracted by the practical problems of

organising all this in a time of war.

The problem for the Provisional Government was that the Tsar had been overthrown by events in the capital

rather than in the country as a whole. The revolution had spread to the cities, but the bulk of Russia had not been

involved. Therefore the new political leaders were not known on a national level and the authority of the

government had not been imposed nationally. Whole areas had drifted out of any control when the Tsarist regime

collapsed- as was shown by the peasant land seizures. Troops were drifting home by late summer; local police

forces were disintegrating... The sheer size of Russia, its poor communications and education reduced the

effectiveness of the Provisional Government. Russian traditions of disintegration at time of crisis made it hard for

it to assert control.

Into this political vacuum came a number of competitors- the Soviets [councils of workers that emerged in the

1905 Revolution- the most important was the Bolshevik controlled Petrograd Soviet], the extremist groups and

some discontented military units.

Read the above and highlight the following:

1. Problems that the Provisional Government had to deal with.

2. What the Provisional Government intended to do following their takeover of power.

Do you think that the Provisional Government could have succeeded on the basis of what you

have read?

3. What do you suggest the Provisional Government do to solve the following problems?

Problem What you think the Provisional

Government should have done?

What the Provisional Government did

do?

The Peasant Land Seizures

Involvement in the First World War

(which Russia is losing)

Controlling or dealing with their

rivals/ opposition

4. Use the summary of the Provisional Government (on the next page) and page 7 of the Access

to History, Russia and its Rulers to explain what the Provisional Government did actually do in

the third column of the above table.

5. The Eight Principles of the Provisional Government.

Below are the Eight Principles that the Provisional Government drew up and proclaimed to the

people of Russia, explaining how they would run Russia.

• Read them, and decide which principles were mistakes. Highlight them and explain why. Use

page 8 of your textbook to help you.

The Soft Boiled Egg of Failure

Use this soft boiled egg to explain why the Provisional Government failed. Use your

textbook and the work done so far to develop your conclusion.

1. Full and immediate amnesty on all issues political and religious, including:

terrorist acts, military uprisings, and agrarian crimes etc.

2. Freedom of word, press, unions, assemblies, and strikes with spread of

political freedoms to military servicemen within the restrictions allowed

by military-technical conditions.

3. Abolition of all hereditary, religious, and national class restrictions.

4. Immediate preparations for the convocation on basis of universal, equal,

secret, and direct vote for the Constituent Assembly which will determine

the form of government and the constitution.

5. Replacement of the police with a public militsiya and its elected

chairmanship subordinated to the local authorities.

6. Elections to the authorities of local self-government on basis of universal,

direct, equal, and secret vote.

7. Non-disarmament and non-withdrawal out of Petrograd the military units

participating in the revolution movement.

8. Under preservation of strict discipline in ranks and performing a military

service - elimination of all restrictions for soldiers in the use of public

rights granted to all other citizens.

The Yolk should symbolise problems that the Provisional Government had to deal with and their weaknesses. The

shell should represent their authority and strengths. The soldiers- what is attacking the Provisional Government.

Learning Objectives

To be able to explain, assess and compare the key domestic policies of the Communist Rulers, Lenin,

Stalin and Khrushchev q.

Success Criteria

1. Ao1a: Explain what the domestic policies were q.

2. Ao1a: Identify and evaluate change and continuity with the Tsars and each otherq.

3. Ao1b: Explain whether they were red Tsars or not q

Task 1: What did each ruler do?

Using your Access to History, Russia and its Rulers book and any additional research you wish to

undertake, develop a way of showing what the domestic policies were of each of the Communist

rulers; Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev.

Task 2: Identification and evaluation of Change and Continuity with the Tsars and Each Other

Create a timeline of Russian domestic policy throughout the hundred years (this is a way of drawing

all of your notes together to create an overall judgement)

Task 3: Explain whether the Communists were Red Tsars or not.

A red Tsar is a leader that is Communists but acts in the same way as the Tsars. Complete your

reading on Lenin and Stalin as Red Tsars and then make your judgement in the box below.

Ruler Argument FOR being a Red

Tsar

Argument AGAINST being a

Red Tsar

Conclusion

Lenin

Stalin

Khrushchev

Alexander II

Alexander III Nicholas II Provisional Government

Lenin

Stalin Khrushchev Use this final box for extra notes or

ideas.

If each leader was a type of EGG which type would they be? You can pick from Scrambled, Poached, Hard-Boiled,

Soft-Boiled, Fried, Raw, Omelette, Easter, Fabergé or you may pick eggs from different birds or reptiles (e.g.

ostrich egg). Draw or write (or both) your conclusions in the boxes below.

Look at the work you have done on your leaders. Draw links between them and explain which leaders are similar to which leaders?