russia

• Who held titles and controlled vast areas of land in Russia?

  The aristocracy or nobility
• What percentage of Russia's population were poor peasants?

  80%
• What were the living conditions like for Russian peasants?

  Terrible, with famine and starvation common
• What was the life expectancy of peasants in some regions in the early 19th century?

  40 years of age
• Why did many peasants migrate to cities during the industrial revolution?

  They hoped for a better life
• What were the working conditions like for urban workers in cities like St Petersburg?

  Dreadful, with overcrowding and low pay
• How long were the working days for urban workers?

  12-15 hours
• What were urban workers not allowed to form?

  Trade unions
• What type of government existed in Russia?

  Autocracy
• How strong was the Tsar's rule in Russia?

  Very strong, with absolute power
• Why might there be problems in the future for the Tsar's rule?

  Due to widespread poverty and opposition
• What is an autocracy?

  A system with one person having absolute power
• Who was the Tsar we will be studying?

  Tsar Nicholas II
• What did Tsar Nicholas II believe about his rule?

  That God placed him as ruler
• What could Tsar Nicholas II do without consulting anyone?

  Make any decisions in government
• What was the role of ministers appointed by the Tsar?

  To help him rule
• What happened to the ministers appointed by the Tsar?

  He could sack them without consultation
• When did Russian peasants become free from landowners?

  During the 1860s
• Who controlled each area of Russia as governors?

  Members of the aristocracy
• What powers did governors have in Russia?

  Order police to arrest and imprison opponents
• How was censorship enforced in Russia?

  Through widespread control of media
• What did the police and secret police do to opponents of the Tsar?

  Intimidated, harassed, and imprisoned them
• Who ruled Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century?

  Tsar Nicholas II
• Why did people oppose the Tsar?

  Due to poverty and war failures
• What did Lenin and the Bolsheviks want to achieve in 1917?

  A revolution to change governance
• How did the Bolsheviks gain control of Petrograd in October 1917?

  By taking control of key positions
• Why might communist ideas have been attractive to the Russian population?

  They promised equality and ownership
• When did the Civil War begin?

  June 1918
• Which two groups fought in the Civil War?

  The Reds and the Whites
• Why did the Reds win the Civil War?

  Support from peasants and strong leadership
• What were two methods Lenin used to secure Bolshevik rule?

  Ending the war and using propaganda
• Why was Lenin so successful in establishing a dictatorship?

  By using armed force and gaining support
• What is a totalitarian state?

  A government with complete control over lives
• What is a key feature of a totalitarian state?

  A dictator with total power
• How did Stalin establish a police state in the Soviet Union?

  By using the NKVD to monitor citizens
• What happened to members of the Communist Party suspected of disloyalty?

  They were arrested or murdered
• How many members of the Communist Party were killed during the Great Terror?

  Around 1 million
• How did ordinary citizens demonstrate loyalty to Stalin?

  By denouncing colleagues or neighbors
• What were the Gulags?

  Labour camps for political prisoners
• What was the atmosphere created by Stalin's regime?

  An atmosphere of fear and terror