Class-IX Social Science History India and the Contemporary World – I Chapter 2: Socialism In Europe and the Russian Revolution

1. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?
Ans: Before 1905, Russia’s social, economic, and political situation was backward:
(i) Social Conditions: Agriculturists made up 85 % of Russia’s population. Industry existed, although it was uncommon for the majority of it to be privately owned. Workers were classified based on their profession. They primarily moved to cities in search of factory work. The peasantry was passionately devout, yet they were unconcerned about the nobility. They believed that land should be split between them.
(ii) Economic Condition: Russia was going through a difficult economic moment. Prices of basic goods rise while real earnings fall by 20%, resulting in the well-known St. Petersburg strike.
The 1905 Revolution began with this strike, which sparked a chain of events. There were strikes all around the country during this revolution, universities shut down, and numerous professionals and workers formed the Union of Unions, seeking the formation of a constituent assembly.
(iii) Political Condition: Before 1914, political parties were unlawful. In 1898, socialists who admired Marx’s ideas created the Russian Social Democratic Workers Party. This party was split into two sections in 1903: Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Lenin, who is recognised as the greatest theorist on socialism after Marx, led the Bolsheviks, who were in the majority.
2. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917?
Ans: Before 1917, Russia’s working population differed from that of other European countries because not all Russian workers travelled from the countryside to work in the factories. Some of them remained in the villages and commuted to work in the towns daily. They were a socially and professionally separated group, which was reflected in their attire and demeanour. Because their trade required more training and skill, metal workers were considered “aristocrats” of the working class. Despite this, the working class remained united behind a single cause: strikes against poor working conditions and employer tyranny.
3. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?
Ans: After dismissing the first two Dumas, the Tsar filled the parliament with conservatives. The Tsar made decisions without consulting the Duma during the First World War. The war’s large-scale fatalities of Russian soldiers alienated the people even more from the Tsar. The retreating Russian soldiers set fire to farmland and buildings, resulting in a severe food scarcity in Russia. All of these factors contributed to the Tsarist autocracy’s demise 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.
Ans:
February Revolution: Events
(i) On the 22nd of February 1917, women led the procession, and a factory was locked out.
(ii) The Duma was suspended by the government on February 25th.
(iii) On the 26th and 27th of February, workers went on strike, which was shortly followed by the military.
(iv) On March 2nd, the Tsar abdicated and Soviet and Duma’s leaders formed a transitional administration.
Effect: There was no political party at the forefront of the February Revolution. The people themselves were in charge. Petrograd had deposed the monarchy and so earned a prominent position in Soviet history. The number of trade unions expanded. The Tsar’s dictatorial rule came to an end. Public meeting and Association restrictions were eliminated.
October Revolution: Events
(i) In April 1917, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia.
(ii) In July, the Bolsheviks staged a demonstration against the provisional government.
(iii) Between July and September, peasants took land from wealthy landowners.
(iv) On October 16, 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik party to agree to a socialist takeover of power.
(v) On October 24, a Bolshevik revolt took place in Petrograd.
Effect: The October Revolution was principally spearheaded by Lenin and his subordinate Trotskii, with the masses rallying behind them. It was the start of Lenin’s reign over the Soviet Union, with the Bolsheviks under his command. The fall of the interim government was the most significant result of the October revolution. Russia had embraced socialism.
5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution?
Ans: The following are the major changes brought about by the Bolsheviks shortly following the October Revolution:
(i) Nationalization of banks and industries.
(ii) The nobility’s land was proclaimed social property, allowing peasants to seize it.
(iii) Houses in metropolitan areas were divided into sections based on family needs.
(iv) New clothes for the army and authorities were designed, and old aristocratic titles were abolished.

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.
Ans:
Kulaks: It’s a Russian word for wealthy peasants who, according to Stalin, were stockpiling food to increase their profits. By 1927-28, grain supplies in Soviet Russia’s towns were in short supply. Part of the blame was attributed to the Kulaks. To construct modern farms and administer them on an industrial scale, the Communist Party, led by Stalin, believed it was also vital to exterminate Kulaks.
The Duma: The Tsar permitted the formation of an elected consultative parliament in Russia during the 1905 Revolution. The Duma was the name of Russia’s elected consultative parliament.
Women Workers Between 1900 and 1930: By 1914, women accounted for 31% of factory workers, but they were paid between half and three-quarters of the wages paid to males. Women employees, on the other hand, were the ones who led the road to strikes during the February Revolution.
The Liberals: Stalin believed that agricultural collectivization would improve Russia’s grain supplies. In 1929, he began the process of collectivization. All peasants were obliged to work in communal farms (kolhoz). The majority of the land and implements were transferred to the collective farm’s ownership. Many peasants resisted such initiatives by destroying animals as a form of protest. Collectivization did not produce the intended outcomes, and the food supply crisis worsened in the years that followed.
Stalin’s Collectivisation Programme: They advocated for a country that was tolerant of all religions and would defend individual liberties from the government. Despite their desire for an elected parliamentary system of government, the liberals believed that the ability to vote should only be granted to men, and only to those who owned property.