Name:
ALPS Target:
AS Grade:
Based on your AS performance:
what is your most important
skills and study targets for
studying this essay based topic
next year.
A2 ALPS target:
Personal target:
SKILL TARGET:
STUDY TARGET:
Russia Skills
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.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither
Agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
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
Unit F966 Option B
Theme 4: Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964
Content
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.
Russian rulers: similarities and differences in the
main domestic policies of Alexander II, Alexander
III, Nicholas II, the Provisional Government, Lenin,
Stalin, Khrushchev.
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.
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.
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.
© OCR 2013
GCE History A v3
85
Useful Russian History Timeline, 1855-1964
Ruler
1855-1881
Alexander II
(The ‘Tsar Liberator’)
1881-94
Alexander III
(Russification and
Reaction)
1894-1917
Nicholas II
(End of three centuries of
the Romanov dynasty)
Main Developments
1856: Defeat in the Crimean War
1861: Emancipation of the serfs
1866: First assassination attempt
against Alexander II
1881: Assassination of Alexander II
1883: Land Banks established
1880: Land captains formed.
1891: Famine
Investment in Industry (Witte)
Formation of political parties
1904-5 Russo Japanese War
Liberal Reforms
1918-1924
Lenin
(The ‘Red Tsar’)
1914-1917: First World War and army
desertions
Continued in the war.
Relaxed censorship laws (Eight
Principles)
Rise of Opposition Groups
Constituent Assembly
Withdrew from the war
1918-1921: Civil War
1928-1953
Stalin
(Totalitarianism)
1921: Famine and Economic Collapse
1922-1928: Struggle for Power
1928/9-1941: Five Year Plans and
collectivisation.
1917 (FebruaryNovember)
Provisional Government
1934-1940: The Great Terror (reprised
after the war)
1941-45: The Great Patriotic War
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
Outcomes
1864: Zemstvo law
Growth of opposition groups.
Political ‘Reaction’
1892-1903 Witte’s Great Spurt
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 Revolutionabdication of the Tsar
October Revolution
1918: Lenin established a
Communist dictatorship
1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1918-1921: War Communism
1921-1927: New Economic Policy
Stalin emerged as leader
Industry and agriculture
transformed but at a heavy pricefamine (1932-34), loss of freedom,
end of private business initiatives.
Elimination of Stalin’s rivals and
opposition.
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!
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.
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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!)
‘The Reaction’: The Statute of State Security
‘The Reaction’: The University Statute, 1887
‘The Reaction’: The Zemstva Act, 1890
‘Russification’
Did it concern Orthodoxy/ Autocracy/ Nationality
What was its impact on the Russian people?
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).
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.
Weaknesses
Strengths
Nicholas II can lift these dumbbells for...
Russia’s Problems
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).
State supported industrial
expansion was already
started under Alexander III
Agricultural reform under
Stolypin
What were Nicholas II’s actions in
response to that event?
Greater economic freedom
in Russia
Russification had begun
under Alexander III
Catastrophic war with Japan
(1904-5) followed by
revolution (1905)
The October Manifesto was
quite liberal.
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
Introduced the October Manifesto
The Fundamental Law
How were Nicholas II’s actions
designed to preserve autocracy?
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
What the Provisional Government did
Government should have done? 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.
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 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.
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
Lenin
Stalin
Khrushchev
Argument FOR being a Red
Tsar
Argument AGAINST being a
Red Tsar
Conclusion
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.
Alexander II
Alexander III
Nicholas II
Provisional Government
Lenin
Stalin
Khrushchev
Use this final box for extra notes or
ideas.
Look at the work you have done on your leaders. Draw links between them and explain which leaders are similar to which leaders?