Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

This history chapter studies the rise of socialist ideas in Europe and the Russian Revolution of 1917. You will learn about the three political groups after the French Revolution, the liberals, radicals and conservatives, and how industrialisation led to the spread of socialism, with thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels arguing that workers should overthrow capitalism. You will see how Russia in 1914, ruled by Tsar Nicholas II, was a largely agricultural country, where about 85 percent of the people earned their living from farming. You will study the 1905 Revolution and Bloody Sunday, the strain of the First World War, the February Revolution of 1917 that ended the monarchy, and the October Revolution in which the Bolsheviks led by Lenin seized power. You will learn about the changes that followed, including the nationalisation of industry and banks, the civil war, and Stalin's Five Year Plans and forced collectivisation of agriculture. Finally, you will examine the global influence of the revolution and of the USSR.

Detailed Worksheet: Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. Distinguish between liberals, radicals and conservatives. (2 marks) 2. What is socialism? How is it different from capitalism? (2 marks) 3. What was Bloody Sunday? (2 marks) 4. What were Lenin's April Theses? (2 marks) 5. What is collectivisation? Who were the kulaks? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. About 85% of the Russian Empire's population earned their living from agriculture. If the population was about 16 crore, how many were farmers? How does this compare with France or Germany, where the share was 40 to 50%? (3 marks) 7. In 1904, prices of essential goods rose so quickly that real wages fell by 20%. If a worker could buy 50 kg of bread with his wages before, how much could he buy after the fall? (3 marks) 8. Arrange in chronological order with dates: October Revolution, Bloody Sunday, February Revolution, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, first Five Year Plan begins, formation of the USSR. (3 marks) 9. In the Constituent Assembly elections of November 1917, suppose a region had 2,00,000 votes, of which the Bolsheviks got 25% and the Socialist Revolutionaries 40%. Find the votes of each and the votes of all others. (3 marks) 10. Under the first Five Year Plan, suppose steel output rose from 4 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes. Find the percentage increase. Why did Stalin focus on heavy industry? (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a flowchart showing the causes of the February Revolution of 1917. (4 marks) 12. Draw a timeline from 1905 to 1929 showing the main events of the Russian Revolution and after. (3 marks) 13. On an outline map of Europe, mark Russia, Petrograd, Moscow and Germany. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Describe the economic and social conditions in Russia before 1905. (5 marks) 15. Explain the events of the October Revolution and the main changes the Bolsheviks introduced afterwards. (5 marks) 16. Describe Stalin's collectivisation programme. What were its results? Explain the global influence of the Russian Revolution. (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Give correct dates and names and show all calculations.