1. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia belore
1905?
2. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other
countries in Europe, before 19177
3. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?
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.
5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately
after the October Revolution?
6. Write a few lines to show what you know about:
kulaks
the Duma
women workers between 1900 and 1930
the Liberals
Stalin's collectivisation programme,
Answers
Answer:
The social, economic and political conditions in Russia, before 1905 was quite backward.
Social inequality was very prominent among the working class. 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 worker. Workers had strong links to the villages they came from and this also caused a social divide among workers.
Economically Russia was going through a very difficult period. The population had doubled and the economic conditions turned from bad to worse. The government introduced new programmes of industrialization which created employment . This Industrialization did not help the workers who were exploited and their living condition only worsened.
Compared to other European nations, Russia was politically backward, during the thirteenth century. All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914. The Russian peasants formed the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1900, but as they were not a united group they were not considered to be part of a socialist movement.