i.

CLASS IX - HISTORY

CHAPTER 2-SOCIALISM IN EUROPE AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

Q1.In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before

1917?

Ans. Working population in Russia was different from the workers in other countries in Europe in any
respects:

Workers: -Workers were divided by skill. Workers whose jobs needed skill and training considered
themselves

on a higher plane than the untrained workers.

-But they did unite to strike work when they disagreed with employers.

Peasants: -Peasants in Russia had no respect for nobility. Peasants wanted the land of the nobles to be
given to

them. Frequently, they refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords.

- Russian peasants pooled their land together periodically and their Commune (mir) divided it according
to the

needs of individual families.

Q2. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Ans.

• The revolutionary movement in Russia had been growing when the 1905 Revolution broke out. On 9th

January 1905, a mass of peaceful workers with their wives and children was fired at in St. Petersburg

while on its way to the winter Palace to present a petition to the Czar.

• More than a thousand of them were killed and thousands of others were wounded. This day is known
as

Bloody Sunday. The news of the killings provoked unprecedented disturbance throughout Russia. The

1905 Revolution proved to be a dress rehearsal of the revolution that came in 1917. It aroused the
people
and prepared them for revolution.

• The Czar took Russia into the First World War. This proved fatal and brought about the final
breakdown

of the Russia autocracy. By February 1917, 7 million causalities by 1917 and the Russian army destroyed

the crops and buildings which led to 3 million refugees in India. The soldiers did not want to fight the

war. There was widespread discontent throughout the empire as well as in the army. The condition was

ripe for a revolution.

• Minor incidents usually set off revolutions. In the case of the Russian Revolution, it was a
demonstration

by working class women trying to purchase bread. A general strike of workers followed, in which soldiers

and others soon joined.

• On March, 1917 the capital city of Petersburg fell into the hands of the revolutionaries. Soon the

revolutionaries took Moscow, the Czar gave up his throne and the first Provisional Government was

formed on 15th March 1917.

Q3. Explain the events of the February Revolution of 1917.

(i) Grim Condition in the Petrograd: In the winter of 1917, conditions in the capital, Petrograd, were
grim.

In February 1917, food shortages were deeply felt in the workers’ quarters. The winter was very cold.
There

had been exceptional frost and heavy snow.

(ii) Women Lead the Strike: On 22 February, a lockout took place at a factory. The next day, workers in
fifty

factories called a strike in sympathy. In many factories, women led the way to strikes. This came to be
called

the International Women’s Day.

(iii) Violent Incidents: In the next few days the workers tried to pursue the government to fulfil their
demand

but government called out the cavalry. The streets thronged with people raising slogans about bread,
wages,
better hours and democracy. However, the cavalry refused to fire on- the demonstrators. An officer was
shot at

the barracks of a regiment and three other regiments mutinied, voting to join the striking workers.

(iv) Formation of Soviet: By that evening, soldiers and striking workers had gathered to form a soviet or

council in the same building as the Duma met. This was the Petrograd Soviet.

(v) Formation of Provisional Government: The very next day, a delegation went to see the Tsar. Military

commanders advised him to abdicate. He followed their advice and abdicated on 2 March. Soviet
leaders and

Duma leaders formed a Provisional Government to run the country. Russia’s future would be decided by
a

constituent assembly, elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage.

Army Officials, landowners and industrialist were influential in the provisional Government. But the
liberals as

well as socialists among them worked towards an elected government. Restrictions on public meetings,
and

associations were removed. ‘Soviets’ like the Petrograd soviet were set up everywhere, though no
common

system of election was followed.

Q4. What were the effects of the February Revolution 1917?

The major effects can be counted as follow:

i. It led to the downfall of the Tsar. With that the monarchy and the autocracy finally came to an end.

ii. The first provisional government under the leadership of Kerensky was established.

iii. Lenin had been exiled in Switzerland during the February revolution. He returned to Russia in April

1917. He took up the task of organizing the Bolshevik party as an instrument for revolution.

iv. Failure of the Kerensky government created conditions for another revolution and ultimately resulted
in

the formation of the Bolshevik government.

Q5.Who were ‘Bolsheviks’?

i. Bolsheviks were the majority group of the workers of Russia, who under the leadership of Lenin,
believed

in the revolutionary methods for bringing about changes in the society and the state.

ii. In their opinion, the parliamentary methods would not be able to bring about any changes in a
country

like Russia where no democratic rights existed and where there was no Parliament. Ultimately, it was

these Bolsheviks who were able to bring about a successful revolution in Russia in 1917 and they

changed the whole structure of the state and the society.

Q6. Who was Lenin? What were his three demands?

Ans. Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik Party in Russia. His three demands were -

i. War to be ended.

ii. Land to be transferred to the peasants.

iii. Banks to be nationalized.

Q7.Explain the events of the Revolution of October 1917:

i. In September, 1917 Lenin started discussions for an uprising against the government. Bolshevik

supporters in the army, soviets and factories were brought together.

ii. On 16 October 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a
socialist

seizure of power. A military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet under the Leo

Trotskii to organize the seizure. The date of the event was kept a secret.

iii. The uprising began on 24 October. Sensing trouble, Prime Minister Kerenskii had left the city to
summon

troops. At dawn, military men loyal to the provisional Government seized the buildings of two Bolshevik

newspapers. Pro-government troops were sent to take over telephone and telegraph offices and the
protect

the Winter Place.

iv. In a swift response, the Military Revolutionary Committee ordered its supporters to seize government

offices and arrest ministers. Late in the day a ship Aurora shelled the Winter Palace. Other vessels sailed

down the Neva (river) and took over different military points.

v. By nightfall, the city was under the committee’s control and the ministers had surrendered. At a
meeting

of the All Russia Congress of Soviets in Petrograd, the major approved the Bolshevik action.

vi. Uprisings took place in other cities also. There was heavy fighting especially in Moscow but by

December, the Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow-Petrograd area

Q8.What were the effects of the October Revolution, 1917?

The October Revolution brought about a dramatic change in Russia with its implications for the whole of
Europe.

Some of the important effects can be summed up as follows:

i. Withdrawal from World War I Russia withdrew from the war. It signed a treaty Brest Litovsk with

Germany after ceding the territories that Germany demanded as a price for peace.

ii. Confiscation of land: Following the decree on land, the estates of the landlords, the church and the
Tsar

were confiscation and transferred to the History peasants, societies. The land was to be allotted to
peasant

families for cultivation by them.

iii. Abolition of Private Property: Private property as the means of production was abolished. The motive

of private profit was eliminated from the system of production.

iv. Nationalization: By the middle of 1918, banks and insurance companies, large industries, mines,
water

transport and railways were nationalized. Foreign debts were repudiated. Foreign investments were

confiscated.

v. Fatal Blow to Aristocracy: Autocracy was overthrown; it was destroyed and the power of the church
was finished.

vi. Formation of the USSR: The Tsar’s empire was transformed in to the USSR. The policies of the USSR

were to be directed to the realization of the socialist ideal ‘to each according to his need, from each

according to his ability’.

vii. Economic Planning: Economic planning was adopted as an instrument of state policy. To build a

technologically advanced economy at a fast rate and to eliminate inequalities in society.

viii. Income from Work: All forms of private property were abolished. Work or labour became the sole

source of income for livelihood. The right to work became a constitutional right. It became the duty of

the state to provide employment to every individual.

ix. Education: Universal education was given a high priority.

x. Equality of Nationalities: The equality of all the nationalities in the USSR was recognized in the

constitution framed in 1924 and later in 1936.

xi. Autonomy of Republics: The constitution gave the republics the autonomy to develop their own

languages and cultures. This autonomy was particularly significant for the Asian republics which were

backward in comparison to the European republics.

Q9.What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October

Revolution?

i. The congress of Soviets on 8th November 1917 issued a proclamation to all peoples and belligerent
state

to open negotiations for a just peace without annexation and indemnities. Russia withdrew from the
war,

through formal peace was signed with Germany later, after ceding the territories that Germany
demanded

as price for peace.

ii. Following the decree on land, the estates of the landlords, the church and the Tsar were confiscated
and
transferred to peasants’ societies to be allotted to peasant families to be cultivated without hired
labour.

iii. The control of industries was transferred to stop committees of workers.

iv. By the middle of 1918, banks and insurance companies, large industries, mines, water transport and

railways were nationalized, foreign debts were repudiated and foreign investments were confiscated.

v. A Declaration of the rights of Peoples was issued conferring the right of self-determination upon all

nationalities.

vi. A new government called the council of People’s Commissars, headed by Lenin was formed.

Q10.Write a few lines to show what you know about:

1. Kulaks 2. The Duma 3. Women workers between 1900 and 1930 4. Stalin’s collectivization

programme

1. Kulaks: It was a name for well to do farmers of Russia. During the period of Stalin to develop modern
farms,

and run them along industrial lines with machinery, it was considered necessary to eliminate Kulaks.

2. Duma: It was an elected consultative Parliament, whose creation was allowed by the Tsar during the
1905

Revolution in Russia.

3. Women workers between 1900 and 1930: Women workers constituted a significant proportion of
industrial

workers in Russia; about 31 percent of the workers were women. Women were paid less wages than
male

workers-varying from one-half to two thirds. Women workers were more active in trade union activities,
and

were dedicated to their profession.

5. Stalin’s collectivization programme: Collectivization refers to setting up of collective farms. Collective

farms were state-owned large farms. Collective farms were set up after.

• Eliminating ‘kulaks’, i.e., the large land owners, and confiscation of their lands by the state; and
• Taking away small- sized lands belonging to poor peasants. Collective farms were known as kolkhoj.
The main

features of this arrangement were as follows;

• Peasants worked on the land.

• Profit was shared.

Collectivization was resisted by the peasant. Those who resisted Collectivization were severely punished
by the

Stalin government.Collectivisation, however, failed to bring in any substantial improvement in

agricultural

output in Russia.

Q11.What is known as Bloody Sunday? /What were the events which led the incident Bloody Sunday?

• The liberals campaigned for the formation of the parliament and demanded for a Constitution for
Russia

• 1904: Prices of the essential goods increased while the real income declined by 20%.

• The dismissal of four members of the Assembly of Russian Workers at the Putilov Iron Works called for

industrial action.

• Bloody Sunday: 110,000 workers in St Petersburg under the guidance of Father Gapon went on strike

demanding the reduction in the working day to 8 hours, and increase in wages and improvement in

working conditions. The Tsar ordered them to be attacked by Police and Cossacks. Over 100 workers

were killed and about 300 wounded. This incident is known as the Bloody Sunday and is responsible for

the 1905 revolution.

• Strikes took place all over the country, universities closed down, and student bodies staged walkouts,

complaining about the lack of civil liberties.

• Lawyers, doctors, engineers and other middle-class workers established the Union of Unions and

demanded a constituent assembly.

• The Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma.

• The Tsar did not want any questioning of his authority or any reduction in his power; he changed the
voting laws and packed the third Duma with conservative politicians.

Q12. What led to the divisions of Bolsheviks and Mensheviks?

1. Bolsheviks:

i. They were the major group of the workers of Russia, who under their leader Lenin, believed in the

revolutionary methods for bringing about changes in the society and the state.

ii. They did not believe in the Party system Parliament and elections etc.

iii. It wanted the number and quality of its members should be controlled.

2. Mensheviks:

i. They believed in the Parliamentary system and participation in the elections for running the state and
society.

ii. They believed in party system like France and Germany which took parts in the elections to the
legislature of

their country.

iii. The membership of the party should be open to all.

Q13. Describe the social, economic and political conditions of Russia before revolution?

Social and Economic Conditions:

Condition of Peasants:

• In Russia the conditions of peasants were very miserable. Serfdom had been abolished in 1861, but it
did

not improve the conditions of peasants. They still had miserably small holdings of land with no capital

to develop even these.

• For the small holdings they acquired, they had to pay heavy redemption dues for decades. Land
hunger

of the peasants was a major social factor in Russian society.

No Middle Class:

• As there was no middle class in Russia, industrialization began very late in the second half of the 19th
century. Then it developed at the fairly fast rate, but more than half of the capital for investment came

from foreign countries. Foreign investors were interested in quick profits and showed no concern for the

conditions of workers.

• Russian capitalists, with insufficient capital competed with foreign investors by reducing workers’

wages. Whether factories were owned by foreigners or Russians, the conditions of workers were
horrible.

• The workers had no political rights and no means of gaining even minor reforms. The words of Marx

that worker have nothing to lose but their chains range literally true to them.

Q14. What was the impact of the Russian Revolution over the globe?

The October of 1917 had a universal impact.

• The Russian Revolution was the first successful revolution in history which proclaimed the building of a

society-a society based on the principles of equality-as its objective. The ideology gained its followers
throughout

the globe.

• The Communist International was formed. It aimed to promote revolution on an international scale.
The

International communist organization was born under Comintern which decided on policies to be
followed by

all communist parties.

• The concept of democracy came to be redefined. It came to be increasingly realized that for a
democracy to be

real, political rights without social and economic rights were not enough.

• The idea of state playing an active role in regulation the economy and planning the economy to
improve the

conditions of the people came to be accepted universally. Universally, labour gained dignity.

• The popularity of socialism globally helped to check discriminations based on race, colour and sex. The
spread

of socialistic ideas also helped in promoting internationalism.

• The Russian Revolution helped to end imperialism. It influenced the movements for independence in
the

colonized words.

Q15. What was the Immediate cause of the 1917 Revolution in Russia?

The Immediate cause of the Revolution: (The First World War)

• The immediate cause of the Russian Revolution was the outbreak of world war I. Russian imperial

ambitions led her to the war but the Russian government, inefficient and corrupt, was incapable of

carrying on a modern war. The decadence of the royal family made matter worse, Nicholas II was

completely under the influence of his wife. She, in turn, was ruled by a friend named Rasputin in who

virtually suffering among the people.

• There was a shortage of bread. Russia was technologically backward in arms and equipments.

• Her railways could not carry such a large army while the contracts for making arms and ammunition

were given to men who made profits for themselves but did not deliver the goods in time. So that in the

campaign of 1915 the supply of rifles failed and with insufficient shells, Russia was badly beaten.

• It created a hue and cry in the public but Czar Nicholas II continued to ignore the demand of the
national

parties and the submerged nationalities. Russia’s armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between
1914

and 1916. There were over 7 million casualties by 1917.

• The workers in Russia went on strike. Large scale uprisings in all the big cities and towns perturbed the

Czar. Czar ordered his troops to open fire on them. But the soldiers refused to obey their officers and

joined the revolutionaries. The condition was ripe for the revolution.

Q16. What were the causes of the Russian revolution

CAUSES OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

In the 19th century, almost all Europe was undergoing important social, economic and political
transformation.
Most of the countries were republics and monarchies had ended. A new social order based on equality
was

coming to the fore. Russia, however, was still living in the old world under the autocratic rule of the
czars. The

people, particularly the farmers and the workers lived in miserable conditions. People were starting to
get note

of this and this culminated in the revolution. The main caused the Russian revolution were as follows:-

i) AUTOCRATIC RULE OF CZAR

The autocratic rule of Czar Nicholas II was responsible for the revolution of 1971. Nicholas believed in
the

Divine Rights of kings and had no interest in the welfare of the people. He had all powers of the state in
his

hands. The preservation for absolutism was regarded by him as a sacred duty. He was only was
supported by the

nobility and the upper layers of the clergy. Nicholas was also dominated by his wife. She was ruled by a
friend

named Rasputin, who virtually ran the govt. Corruption, was on the high and it resulted in great

suffering among people. There was shortage of bread. This created great resentment among the people
against

the czar. The Russian czar had built a vast empire by conquest for diverse nationalities in Europe and
Asia. In

these conquered lands, they forced the people to use the Russian languages and changed the cultures of
these

areas to benefit the empire. The result was that they also became hostile to the czar.

ii) SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA

Russia was living in ‘the old world’ under the czars. Serfdom had been abolished, but it did not improve
the

condition of the peasants. They still had smallholdings of land with no capital to develop even these.
They had
to pay heavy redemption dues. Land hunger of the peasants was a major social factor in Russian society.

Industrialization began very late in Russia then it developed at a fairly fast rate, but more than half of
the capital

for investment came from foreign countries. Foreign investors were interested in quick profits and
showed no

concern for the condition of workers Russian capitalists with insufficient capital, competed with foreign
investors

by reducing workers’ wage. The workers had no political rights and no mean s of gaining even minor
reforms.

Thus, they choose to rise in a revolution.

iii) THE REVOLUTION OF 1905

The czar, Nichols II was inefficient. The nobility and the clergy whom he benefited blindly supported him.
He

never cared for the good of his people. He had his imperialist designs and went to war with Japan in
1904. But

he was defeated. The people turned against him and a revolution broke out in 1905 AD.

The procession of peaceful workers that was going to present a petition to the czar was mercilessly
fired.

Thousands of people got killed or wounded. This mass killing caused great resentment in Russia. Even
some

sections of the army revolted. Strikes and demonstration broke out. The czar yielded and promised to

set up a constitutional monarchy in Russia. But, he soon forgot his promise and went by his old ways. It
aroused

people and prepared them for the revolution of 1917, hence the revolution of 1905 proved a dress
rehearsal for

the revolution of 1917.

iv) ROLE OF INTELLECTUALS AND THINKERS

Many Russian thinkers have been influenced by developments Western Europe and wanted to see
similar change
in Russia. The teaching of Karl Mart and Fredrick Engels made a great contribution to the forces of
revolution

in Russia. Different Russian thinkers like Tolstoy and Turknov infused revolutionary ideas

in to the minds of the Russians and they started demanding the same rights as were being enjoyed by
the people

in western countries. They czar turned down their demands an d this led to the revolution of 1917.

v) THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

The czar took Russia into the First World War to satisfy his impe4rial ambitions. But the czarist state was

incapable of carrying on a modern war. The Russian Army suffered heavy reverses. The govt. was
completely

unmindful of the conditions of soldiers on the front. By February 1917 about 7 million Russian soldiers
had been

killed in the war. It became very difficult for the Russians to fight due to shortage of money, men and
materials

so untrained farmers and workers were sent to the war front this also resulted in heavy losses. There
was

widespread discontent throughout the empire as well as in the army. The condition was ripe for a
revolution.

Q.17.Explain the collectivisation policy of Stalin. / What were the major changes Introduced in
agriculture by

Stalin? Explain.

• The collectivisation policy was introduced by Stalin who came to power after the death of Lenin. The

main reason was the shortage of grain supplies. It was argued that grain shortage was partly due to the

small size of the holding.

• After 1917, the land had been given over to peasants. These small-sized peasant farms could not be

modernised. 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.
• From 1929, the government forced all peasants to cultivate in collective farms (kolkhoz). The bulk of

land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms. Peasants worked on the

land, and the kolkhoz profit was shared.

• Enraged peasants resisted the authorities, and destroyed their livestock. Between 1929 and 1931, the

number of cattle fell by one-third. Those who resisted collectivisation were severely punished. Many

were deported and exiled.

• As they resisted collectivisation, peasants argued that they were not rich, and were not against

socialism. They did not want to work in collective farms for a variety of reasons. So, Stalin’s

government allowed some independent cultivation, but treated such cultivators unsympathetically.

In spite of collectivisation, production did not increase immediately. In fact, the bad harvest of 1930-
1933 led

to one of the most devastating famines in Soviet history when over 4 million died.

Q.18 Diffrentiate between capitalist economy and socialist economy.

Ans

Capitalist Economy Socialist Economy

1. A Capitalist Economy is a system where private

entities control the factors of production like labour,

natural resources or capital goods.

1. A Socialist Economy is an economic system

where the factors of production like labour, natural

resources or capital goods are under the control of

the government.

2. The main motive of the production of goods and

services in a Capitalist Economy is to earn profit.

2. The main motive of producing goods and services

in a Socialist Economy is the welfare of the general

public.

3. There is minimal or no role of the government in a

Capitalist Economy when it comes to the production

and distribution of goods and services.

3. In a Socialist Economy, the government has

complete control over the production and distribution

of goods and services.

4. The distribution of income is unequal in a

Capitalist Economy.

4. The distribution of income is more or less equal in

a Socialist Economy.

5. In a Capitalist Economy, the forces of demand and

supply determine the price of goods and services.

5. In a Socialist Economy, the government regulates

and controls the price of goods and services.

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