SOCIALISM IN EUROPE AND RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (CHAPTER 2) HISTORY
PART 2 (CONTD)
Q22. Name the two groups that fought in the first WORLD WAR.
Ans.22
1) CENTRAL POWERS
Germany, Austria and Turkey.
2) ALLIED POWERS
France, Britain, Russia, later Italy and Romania.
Q23. What was the First World War?
Ans. The war between the Central and Allied powers in Europe and outside Europe was called the First
World War.
Q24. What was the attitude of the Russian people when the First World War broke out?
Ans 24.
1). The Russian people initially supported Tsar Nicholas II. However, as the war continued, support
became less because the Tsar refused to consult main parties in the Duma.
2). Anti – German sentiment was high.
a) St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd.
b) Tsarina Alexandra’s German origins and poor advisors like monk Rasputin made the autocracy
unpopular.
Q25. What was the effect of FIRST WORLD WAR on Russia.
A25.
1) The First World War on the ‘Eastern Front’ differed from that on the ‘Western Front’. In the West,
armies fought from trenches stretched along eastern France.
2) In the east, armies fought battles leaving large casualties.
3) Russian army faced defeat and had to retreat. They lost badly in Germany and Austria.
4) As they retreated, they destroyed crops, buildings to prevent the enemy from being able to live off the
land.
There were over 3 million refugees in Russia and soldiers did not want to fight the war.
Q26. “The First World War had a severe impact on industry.” Justify
OR
Discuss the Impact of the First World War on Russian industry.
Ans. 26.
1) Russia had very few industries and could not get industrial goods from other countries because
Germans controlled the Baltic Sea.
2) Industrial equipment started breaking down more rapidly in Russia.
3) Railway lines also broke down
4) All strong men were forced to become soldiers leading to labour shortage and small shops started
closing down.
5) A large amount of food grain was sent for the army leading to the shortage of bread and flour and
riots also took place.
Q27. Briefly explain the causes of the February Revolution of 1917.
OR
Explain the causes and events leading to February Revolution in Petrograd
A27. 1) 1.Petrograd’s layout emphasized the division among society – Workers’ homes and factories were
located on the right bank of river Neva and the left bank had fashionable areas–the WINTER PALACE,
OFFICES and the PALACE where the DUMA met.
2. In February 1917, food shortages hit the workers and the winter was very cold.
3. Parliamentarians who wanted to preserve the elected govt. opposed the Tsar’s desire to dissolve the
DUMA.
4. a. On 22nd February, a strike took place at a factory on the right bank and workers of 50 other
factories joined the many factories , the strikes were led by women , thus this day came to be known as
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S Day.
b. Demonstrating workers came to the centre of the capital called NEVSKII PROSPEKT. The govt.
imposed a curfew.
C. Demonstrators dispersed but came back on the 24th and 25th and the govt. called out the police and
cavalry.
5. The govt. suspended the DUMA.
a. politicians spoke against this.
b. The police headquarters were attacked and people raised slogans about bread, wages, better working
hours and democracy.
c. The govt. again called out the cavalry but the cavalry refused to fire at the demonstrators.
d. Regiments revolted and joined the striking workers and soldiers and workers came together to form a
SOVIET or COUNCIL in the same building where the DUMA met. This was called the PETROGRAD
SOVIET.
Q.28. Petrograd had led the February Revolution in 1917. What were the results /consequences of it?
A.28.
RESULT— 1) Regiments revolted and joined the striking workers and soldiers and workers came
together to form a SOVIET or COUNCIL in the same building where the DUMA met. This was called
the PETROGRAD SOVIET.
2) The next day, a delegation went to meet the Tsar and advised him to abdicate the throne. He followed
their advice and abdicated the throne.
3) Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a provisional govt. It was decided that Russia would now
have a Constituent Assembly based on Universal adult franchise.
Thus Petrograd’s February Revolution brought down the monarchy in February 1917.
Q.29. Elaborate on the events that took place in Russia after February 1917.
Ans.29.
1) a) Army/land owners and industrialists were influential in the provisional government but the Liberals
and Socialists among them wanted an elected government.
b) Restrictions were removed on public meetings and associations. Soviets like the Petrograd Soviet were
set up everywhere.
2) a) Lenin’s April Theses – In April 1917, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin came back from exile. He felt
that it was time for soviets to take power.
b) He declared that:
the war should be stopped
land to be transferred to the peasants
banks to be nationalized
These demands were LENIN’S APRIL THESIS.
3. Workers:
a) Through the summer the workers’ movement spread. Factory committees were formed. Trade unions
grew in number. Soldiers committees were formed in the army.
b) As the Provisional Govt. saw its power reduce, stern measures were taken such as:
*resisted attempts by workers to run factories
*arresting leaders
4. Peasants
In the countryside, peasants and their Socialist Revolutionary leaders demanded for a redistribution of
land. Encouraged by the Socialist Revolutionaries, peasants seized land between July and September.
Q.30 Describe the main events of the Revolution of October 1917.
A30.
1. As the conflict between the Provisional Govt. and the Bolsheviks grew, Lenin feared that the
Provisional govt. would set up a dictatorship.
2. a) Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of
power.
b) Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet under Leon Trotskii to organize the
seizure.
c) The revolt began on 24th Oct. Sensing trouble, PM Kerenskii had left the city to summon troops.
3. Military men loyal to the govt. seized the buildings of two Bolshevik newspapers. Pro- govt. troops
were sent to take over telephone and telegraph offices and protect the Winter Palace.
4. a) Military Revolutionary Committee ordered its supporters to seize govt. offices and arrest ministers.
Ship Aurora shelled the Winter Palace.
b) Other vessels took over military points and by night city was under committee’s control.
5. There were revolts in other cities also. There was heavy fighting-especially in Moscow- but by
December, the Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow-Petrograd area.
Q.31. Elaborate on the events that took place in Russia after February 1917. What changed after
October?
Ans.31.
1. a) Bolsheviks were opposed to private property.
b) Most industries and banks were nationalized in November 1917.
c) Govt. took over ownership and management.
2. a) Land was declared social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
b) Bolsheviks partitioned large houses according to family requirements.
3. a) They banned the use of the old titles of aristocracy.
b) New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.
4. The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party. In November 1917, the Bolsheviks
conducted the elections to the Constituent Assembly, but they failed to win support.
5. a) In the years that followed, the only party to participate in the elections to the All Russian Congress
of Soviets, which became the Parliament of the country.
b) The secret police called the CHEKA first and (later OGPU and NKVD) punished those who
criticized the Bolsheviks.
Q.32. What were the reasons for collectivization introduced by Stalin?
Ans.32.
1. Stalin introduced firm emergency measures because there was an acute shortage of grain
supplies. He believed that rich peasants and traders in the countryside were holding stocks in
the hope of higher prices. Speculation had to be stopped and supplies confiscated.
2. Party members toured the grain-producing areas, supervising enforced grain collections, and
raiding ‘kulaks’ (well to-do peasants).
3. a) As shortages continued the decision was taken to collectivize farms.
b) It was believed that grain shortages due to small size of holdings.
c) To develop modern farms and run them along industrial lines with machinery it was necessary to
eliminate kulaks, take away land from peasants and establish state-controlled large farms.
Q.33. Mention the features of Stalin’s Collectivization programme. Also state its effects.
Ans.32.
1. From 1929, the Party forced all peasants to cultivate in collective farms (kolkhoz).
2. The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms.
3. Peasants worked on the land, and the kolkhoz profit was shared.
4. EFFECTS-
a) Peasants were angry and resisted the authorities and destroyed their livestock.
b) The number of cattle fell by one-third.
c) Those who resisted collectivization were punished.
d) The government of Stalin allowed some independent cultivation, but treated such
cultivators unsympathetically.
e) In spite of collectivization, production did not increase immediately and due to bad
harvests over 4 million people died.
