7/1/24, 9:11 PM Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Class 9 Important Questions

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Class 9 History Chapter 2 Important Questions

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution
Class 9 Social Science History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

important questions and answers cover the major concepts of the chapter. Solving answers of

these important questions help students to revise the Chapter most competently. We

prepared these questions with PDF as per the latest NCERT book and CBSE syllabus. Practising

these questions before the exam will ensure excellent marks in the exam.

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Class 9

Important Questions

1. How did Social Democrats disagree with Social Revolutionaries?

Answer: (a) (i) Socialist Revolutionary Party was formed in 1900.

(ii) They were in favour of peasants’ rights.

(iii) They demanded that land belonging to the nobles be transferred to peasants.

(b) (i) Socialist Democrats disagreed with Socialist Revolutionaries about peasants.

(ii) Lenin felt that peasants were not one united group because there were poor, rich,

labourers and capitalists among them. So they could not all be the part of a socialist

movement.

2. Explain consequences of the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia.

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7/1/24, 9:11 PM Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Class 9 Important Questions

Answer: Consequences of the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia are as mentioned below:

(i) Tsar abdicated on 2 March.

(ii) Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a provisional government to run the country.
(iii) It was agreed that Russia’s future would be decided by a constituent assembly, elected on

the basis of universal adult suffrage.

(iv) The provisional government removed restrictions on public meetings and associations.

(v) Soviets, like the Petrograd Soviet, were set up everywhere, though no common system of

election was followed.

3. Liberals were not Democrats. Explain.

OR

Why do we say that liberals could not be called ‘democrats’?

Answer: The liberals could not be called democrats because even though they argued for are
presentative, elected parliamentary government, subject to laws interpreted by a well-trained

judiciary that was independent of rulers and officials, they did not believe in universal adult

franchise and also did not want the voting rights for women. They felt right to vote should

only be given to the propertied men.

4. How did Social Democrats disagree with Socialist-Revolutionaries? [CBSE 2016]

Answer: Social Democrats disagreed with Socialist Revolutionaries in the following ways.

(a) Social Democrats believed workers to be the main force of revolution whereas Socialist

Revolutionaries argued that peasants would be the revolutionary class.

(b) Social Democrats wanted benefits for the workers and control on the factors of
production. Socialist Revolutionaries, on the other hand, demanded land to the peasants.

(c) Social Democrats felt that peasants were not a united group as they were rich and poor

and many owned large tracts of land. Socialist Revolutionaries favoured peasants as natural

socialists.

5. What was the difference between Bolshevik and Menshevik group? [CBSE 2016]

OR

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Who were the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks?

Answer: The Bolsheviks were the majority group led by Vladimir Lenin who thought that in a

repressive society like Tsarist Russia, the party should be disciplined and control the number

and quality of its members. They were the group who conducted the Russian Revolution.

Mensheviks, on the other hand, were the minority group who thought that the party should
be open to all. They did not believe in revolution but wanted to bring changes through

democratic means.

6. Discuss Lenin’s ‘April Theses’. [CBSE 2016]

OR

What were the demands referred to in Lenin’s ‘April Theses’?

Answer: The following were the demands referred to in Lenin’s April Theses’.

(a) World War I should be brought to an end.

(b) Land should be transferred to the peasants.

(c) Banks should be nationalised.

7. Describe the sequence of events responsible for the Revolution of 1905 in Russia.

Answer: The sequence of events responsible for the Revolution of 1905 in Russia was as

given below:
(i) Autocracy: There was autocracy in Russia. Liberals, Social Democrats and Socialist

Revolutionaries demanded a constitution.

(ii) The year 1904: Prices rose and wages declined.

(iii) Dismissal of four workers of the Assembly of Russian Workers was the immediate cause

that led to workers’ strike.

(iv) Demands: They demanded a reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in

wages and improvement in working conditions.

(v) Bloody Sunday: A procession of workers led by Father Gapon was attacked by the police

killing 100 workers. This led to a series of events that became known the 1905 Revolution.

(vi) Results: (a) The Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma.

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(b) A large number of trade unions and factory committees of factory workers came into

existence.

8. Briefly describe the general impact of First World War on Russia.

Answer: General impact of the First World War was as mentioned below:

(i) Initially the war was popular and people rallied around Tsar.

(ii) As the war continued, the support became less as Tsar did not consult the main parties in
the Duma.

(iii) Defeat of Russian armies in Germany and Austria.

(iv) By 1917 there were 7 million casualties.

(v) As Germany controlled the Baltic Sea, Russian industries could not get supplies. Similarly

there was break down of the railway lines and shortage of labour as most of them were

fighting the First World War.

(vi) On their retreat, the Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy

from being able to live off the land. The destruction of crops and buildings led to over 3

million refugees in Russia.

9. Describe global impact of the Russian Revolution.

Answer: (i) In many countries, communist parties were formed e.g., the Communist Party of

Great Britain.

(ii) The Bolsheviks encouraged colonial people to fight against imperialism.

(iii) Many non-Russians from outside the USSR participated in the Conference of the People

of the East (1920) and the Bolsheviks founded Committee which was an international union of
pro-Bolshevik socialist parties.

(iv) Some received education in the USSR’s Communist University of the Workers of the East.

(v) By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, the USSR had given socialism a

global face which eventually led to the rise of cold war in Europe.

10. Why did the Bolshevik Party accept the April Theses’? Give any five reasons.

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Answer: Bolshevik Party accepted the April Theses’ because of the following reasons.

(a) The Provisional Government under Kerenskii failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people

like land to the tiller, peace, control of industries by the workers, etc. Rather it became more
unpopular.

(b) The government was under the influence of landowners, army officials and industrialists

that affected its decisions.

(c) Lenin felt that time had come to seize the power from the government.

(d) People’s demands were included in the programme along with exit from the war and

nationalisation of banks.
(e) Lenin’s view was accepted when the Provisional Government began suppressing the

Bolsheviks.

11. Differentiate between the ideas of the liberals and radicals in Europe (take the time

period after the French Revolution).

Answer: The liberals did not believe in universal franchise. In contrast, radicals wanted a

nation in which government was based on the majority of a country’s population. Liberals felt

men of prosperity mainly should have the vote. They did not want the vote for women. On

the other hand the radicals supported women’s suffrage movements and opposed the

privileges of great landowners and wealthy factory owners. They were not against the
existence of private property but disliked concentration of property in the hands of a few.

12. Why do we say that liberals during this time could not be called ‘democrats’?

Answer: The liberals opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers and wanted to
safeguard the rights of individuals against governments. They also argued for a

representative, elected parliamentary government, subject to laws interpreted by a well-

trained judiciary that was independent of rulers and officials. However, they could not be

called democrats. They did not believe in universal adult franchise and also did not want the

vote for women. They felt right to vote should only be for men of property.

13. How should society, according to liberals and radicals, develop?

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Answer: Liberals and radicals were often property owners and employers. Having acquired

wealth through industrial ventures and trade, they firmly believed that such efforts should be

encouraged — that its profits would be reaped if the work force in the economy was healthy
and citizens were educated. They put forth that societies could develop if the poor could

labour, freedom of individuals was ensured and those with capital could operate without

restraint.

14. Why were socialists against private property and saw it as the root of all social ills?

Answer: The people who propagated socialism said that individuals who owned property, did

provide employment to many people but they were concerned with personal gains only and

did not bother about the welfare of the people. They felt that if society controlled property,

more attention would be paid to collective social interests.

15. Describe the incident known as ‘Bloody Sunday’.

Answer: Over 110,000 workers in St. Petersburg went on strike in 1905, demanding a

reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in wages and improvements in

working conditions. When this procession reached the Winter Palace it was attacked by the
police and the Cossacks. Over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded. This incident,

known as Bloody Sunday, started a series of events that became known as the 1905

Revolution.

16. What effect did the war have on the industry of Russia.

Answer: Russian industries were very few in number and the country was cut off from other

suppliers of industrial goods by German control of the Baltic Sea. Industrial equipment

disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than elsewhere in Europe. By 1916 railway lines began to

break down. Able bodied men were called up to the war. As a result, there were labour

shortages and small workshops producing essential commodities were shut down.

17. Why was the decision to collectivise farms taken?

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Answer: It was thought that rich peasants and traders in the countryside were holding stocks

in the hope of higher prices. This created a shortage. As shortage continued, the decision was

taken to collectivise farms as Lenin felt that the small size of farms caused the shortage. They
also felt that these small size farms could not be modernised. They felt that the need of the

hour was to develop modern farms and run them along industrial lines with machinery.

18. “By the 1950s it was acknowledged within the country that the style of government

in the USSR was not in keeping with the ideals of the Russian Revolution.” Why was this

said?

Answer: By the 1950s it was acknowledged within the country that the style of government in

the USSR was not in keeping with the ideals of the Russia Revolution. Russia, a backward

country, had become a great power. Its industries and agriculture had developed and the

poor were being fed. But it had denied the essential freedoms to its citizens and carried out
its developmental projects through repressive policies.

19. What was the role of the Tsar in the peasant revolt of 1905? Did the revolt fail?
Discuss briefly.

Answer: During the 1905 Revolution, the Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative

parliament or Duma. The Tsar dismissed it within 75 days and re-elected. Second Duma :

within 3 months. He 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.

Yes, the revolt failed.

20. Discuss the civil war that took place in Russia after the October Revolution and its

consequences.

Answer: When the Bolsheviks ordered land redistribution the Russian army began to break

up. Non- Bolshevik socialists, liberals and supporters or autocracy condemned the Bolshevik
uprising. They were supported by the French, American, British and Japanese troops. The

Bolsheviks kept industries and banks nationalised during the civil war. A process of centralised

planning was introduced. Rapid construction and industrialisation started. An extended

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schooling system developed. Stalin introduced collectivisation of the farms so that no

shortage of grain should occur. The Bolsheviks controlled most of the farmer of Russian

Empire.

21. What was the basic principle of the Marxist theory?

Answer: Marx believed that the conditions of workers could not improve as long as profit

was accumulated by private capitalists. Workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of
private property. Workers must construct a radically socialist society where all property was

socially controlled. This would be a communist society and a Communist Party was the

natural society of the future.

22. Discuss briefly the Five Years Plans.

Answer: A process of centralised planning was introduced. Officials assessed how the

economy could work and set targets for a five-year period, on this basis they made the five-

year plans The government fixed all prices to promote industrial growth during the first two

plans (1927-32 and 1933-38) centralised planning led to economic growth.

23. Explain why did the Bolsheviks considered the Russian revolution as only the “first

stage” of the revolution.

Answer: The Bolsheviks considered the Russian revolution as only the ‘first stage’ of

revolution because merely seizing power was not their ultimate aim. They aimed at an
egalitarian society. The next stage of the revolution included redistribution of land,

nationalisation of industries and banks, collective farming. The power of the pro-Tsarist

aristocracy had to be crushed. Rich peasants had to be forced to redistribute land. Their

ultimate aim was to establish the rule of the proletariat – the peasants and workers.

24. What made the Tsar the ‘Autocrat of all the Russians’? Describe the steps he took

just before the Russian Revolution.

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Answer: The Tsar was not subject to parliament. Liberals in Russia campaigned to end this

state of affairs. All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914. The Russian Social

Democratic Workers Party founded in 1898 operated as an illegal organisation. Russia under
Tsar Nicholas II was an autocracy.

25. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Answer: Anti-German sentiments were high. St. Petersburg (a German name) was renamed
Petrograd. Tsarina Alexandra’s German origin and poor advisors made the autocracy

unpopular. The defeats in the World War I were shocking – seven million casualties and three

million refugees by 1917. This situation discredited the government and the Tsar. There was

shortage of food, people were rioting as bread and flour became scarce. The large Russian

army shifted its loyalty and began supporting the revolutionaries, Tsarist power collapsed.

26. Mention the demands of the workers who went on strike at St. Petersburg in 1904.

Answer: When four members of the Assembly of Russian Workers were dismissed, there was

a call for industrial action. Over the next few days over 110,000 workers in St. Petersburg went

on strike. Workers demanded a reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in
wages and improvement in working conditions.

27. What was the impact of the First World War on the Russian economy?

Answer: The war caused large supplies of grain to be sent to feed the army. For the people in
the cities, bread and flour became scarce. By the writer of 1916, riots at bread shops were

common. The workers in Leningrad were the worst sufferers as a severe winter added to their

miserable conditions. The economic crisis led to Revolutions.

28. Mention the important steps taken by Lenin to improve the agriculture and

economy of Russia.

Answer: Lenin nationalist most industries and banks. He ordered land redistribution. He

permitted peasants to cultivate the land that had been socialised centralised planning was

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introduced. Five year plans were made. The government fixed all prices during the First two

year “plans”. There was increased production of oil, coal and steel. An extended schooling

system developed, factory workers and peasants could go to universities. Communes were set
up, members are in a communal dining hall and income was divided according to the

principles of “cooperative commission”.

29. Why socialists were against private property?

Answer: The possibility of a workers’ state fired people’s imagination across the world. In

many countries, communist parties were formed, for example, the Communist Party of Great

Britain. The Bolsheviks encouraged colonial peoples to follow their experiment. Many non-

Russians outside USSR participated in the Conference of the Peoples of the East (1920) and

the Bolsheviks founded Comintern. Some received education in the USSR’s Communist

University of the Workers of the East. By the beginning of the second World War, the USSR
had given socialism a global face and world stature.

30. What was Lenin’s April Theses? Why were some members of the Bolshevik Party
surprised by the April Theses? What made them change their attitude? What were the

main objectives of the Russian Revolutionaries?

Answer: The three demands of Vladimir Lenin, after his return to Russia in April 1917′ were :

(i) He and the Bolsheviks had opposed the war since 1914. He felt in 1917 that was should be

brought to a close.

(ii) Land should be transferred to the peasants.

(iii) The banks should be nationalised and the party should be renamed “Communist Party”.
These three demands were called Lenin’s “April Theses”.

Most of the members of the Bolshevik were initially surprised as they thought the time was

not yet ripe for a socialist revolution and the provisional government needed to be

supported. The developments of the subsequent months made the party change its attitude

the workers movement spread, trade divisions grew in number the power of the provisional

government grew weaker factories and reprised them. In the countryside peasants pressed

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for redistribution of land and encouraged by socialist revolution’s ideas peasants seized land

between July and september 1917. This led to the change of view and the Bolsheviks decided

to size power.

31. Why did the Kerensky government became unpopular in Russia?

Answer: The Kerensky government tried to suppress the workers movement and the

Bolshevik influence. It suppressed all demonstrations staged by Bolsheviks in July 1917. Many
Bolsheviks had to go into hiding. Peasants in the countryside had started demanding redis.

The Tribution of land. Kerensky was suspected of setting up a dictatorship and Lenin

persuaded Petrograd Soviet and Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of power.

Kerensky had to leave the city to summon troops.

32. Mention any two changes introduced by Stalin in the Russian economy. How did

Stalin deal with the critics?

Answer: Stalin introduced the collectivisation. All peasants had to cultivate collective farms

(Kolkohz) from 1929. The profit was shared by the peasants working on the land. Before

collectivisation, Stalin took steps to eliminate ‘Kulaks’ – the well to do peasants. He took away
land from them and established large state controlled farms. Stalin severely punished the

critics of his programme. Many were deported and exiled. He charged his critics with

conspiracy against socialism. By 1939, 2 million were put in prisons or labour camps. A large

number were forced to make false statements under torture and were executed. Several

among them were talented professionals.

33. What steps were taken to improve the condition of factory workers and peasants in

Russia after the civil war?

Answer: Five year plans were made to promote industrial growth. Industrial production was

increased by 100 percent in oil, coal and steel. New factories were built. In Magnitogorsk a
new steel plant was built in three years. Extended schooling system developed, creches were

established in factories for the children of women workers, cheap public health care was

provided. Model living quarters were built up for workers.

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34. How did the destruction of Russian industries after the First World War become one

of the causes of resentment of people?

Answer: The First World War had a devastating impact on industries. Russia’s own industries

were few in number and the country was cut off from other supplies of industrial goods by

German control of the Baltic Sea. Industrial equipment disintegrated rapidly. By 1916, railway
lines began to break down. Able bodied men were called up to the war. As a result,

workshops producing essentials were shut down. Huge supplies of grain were sent to feed

the army. For the people in cities, bread and flour became scarce. By the winter of 1916, riots

at bread shops were common.

35. Discuss the relationship between peasants and nobles in Russia during early 19th

century.

Answer: Peasants cultivated most of the land. But the nobility, the crown and the church

owned large properties. Except in few cases peasants had no respect for the nobility. Peasants

wanted the land of the nobles to be distributed to them. Frequently peasants refused to pay
rent and even murdered landlords. In 1902, such events occurred on a large scale in South

Russia. In 1905 such incidents took place all over Russia.

36. Describe the three reforms introduced in Russia by Czar Nicholas II after the

Revolution?

Answer: (i) The Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma.

(ii) Most committees and unions were declared illegal. Severe restrictions were placed on

political activity.

(iii) The Tsar dismissed the first Duma within 75 days and the re-elected second Duma within
three months. He did not want any reduction in his power. He changed the voting laws and

packed the third Duma with conservative politicians. Liberals and revolutionaries were kept

out.

37. What were the different notions of Liberals, Radicals and Conservatives regarding

formation of the new Government in Russia? Discuss.

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Answer: Liberals opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers. They wanted to

safeguard the rights of individuals against governments. They argued for a representative

elected parliamentary government with an independent judiciary. Radicals wanted a

government based on the majority of a country’s population. Unlike liberals, they opposed

the privileged of great landowners and wealthy factory owners. They disliked the idea of

concentration of property in the hands of a few. Conservatives were opposed to radicals and

liberals. They believed that the past had to be respected and change had to be brought about

through a slow process.

38. What were the three main changes observed after the October Revolution in Russia?

Answer: (i) Most industries and banks were nationalised in November 1917. The government

took over their ownership and management.

(ii) Land was declared social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the
nobility.

(iii) Large houses in cities were partitioned according to family requirements. Old titles of

aristocracy were banned. New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.

39. Why socialists were against private property?

Answer: Socialists saw private property as the root of all social ills of the time. Individuals

owned the property that gave employment but the propertied were concerned only with

personal gain and not with the welfare of those who made the property productive. So,

according to them, if society as a whole rather than single individuals controlled property,

more attention would be paid to collective social interests.

40. Explain how a society, according to socialists, can operate without property. What
would be the basis of socialist society?

Answer: Socialists had different visions of the future. Some such as Robert Owen, a leading
English manufacturer, sought to build a co-operative community called New Harmony in

Indiana (USA). Other socialists felt that co-operatives could not be built on a wide scale only

through individual initiative.

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They wanted that governments must encourage co-operatives and replace capitalist

enterprise. This was propagated by Louis Blanc in France. They said that cooperatives were to

be associations of people who produced goods together and divided the profits according to
the work done by members. More ideas were added to this body of arguments.

These ideas were added by Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels. Marx argued that industrial society
was capitalist. Capitalist owned the capital invested in factories. The profit which came to

them through these factories was produced by the workers. The workers contributed to the

profits but did not gain anything.

Their condition could improve only if the workers freed themselves from capitalists

exploitation. For this the workers needed to construct a radically socialist society where all

property was socially controlled. This would be a communist society. The second International

was the body termed to coordinate their efforts.

41. What developments took place in Europe in support of socialism?

Answer: By the 1870s the socialists formed an international body, namely the Second

International to coordinate their efforts. Associations were formed by workers in Germany

and England to fight for better living and working conditions. To help members in times of

distress, they set up funds and demanded a reduction in working hours and the right to vote.

In Germany, these associations worked closely with the Social Democratic Party and helped it

win parliamentary seats. By 1905 socialists and trade unionists formed a Labour Party in

Britain and a Socialist Party in France.

42. Discuss Stalin’s collectivisation programme.

Or
What was Collectivisation? How did stalin use this programme?

Answer: Stalin felt that collectivisation would definitely solve the problem of shortage. From
1929 the Party forced the 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
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destroyed their livestock. Between 1929 and 1931 the number of cattle fell by 1/3. Those who

resisted collectivisation were severely punished. Many were exiled and deported. The

peasants argued that they were not rich and were not against socialism but they opposed
collectivisation for a variety of reasons. Some independent cultivation was allowed by Stalin’s

government but such cultivators were treated unsympathetically. In spite of all these

measures production did not increase immediately.

43. How did socialism spread in Europe?

Answer: The International Workingmen’s Association — the First International–was formed in

1864. With its formation “Socialism stepped onto the stage of history as a World Movement”.

Its slogan was “proletarians of all countries unite”. It worked for the emancipation of the

workers and laid stress on the ‘‘abolition of all class rules”. It continued up to 1872. In 1889,

the socialists formed the Second International to coordinate their efforts. Associations were
formed by workers in Germany and England for better living and working conditions. They set

up funds to help members in times of distress. By 1905, socialists and trade unionists formed

a Labour Party in Britain and a Socialist Party in France.

44. Discuss the causes that led to the Revolution of 1917.

Or

Describe the circumstances which were responsible for Russian Revolution.

Answer: Russian peasantry was in a miserable condition. Feudalism and serfdom prevailed till

1861. The capitalist industrialists exploited the workers by making them work 12-14 hours, for

low wages. The despotic rule of Tsar Nicholas II. The bureaucracy was corrupt, rigid and
inefficient. The common people were fed up with the absolute rule of the Tsar. Karl Marx

propagated scientific socialism. Liberal ideas of the west through literature entered Russia

plus Tolstoy and other thinkers infused revolutionary thoughts in the youth.

45. Comment on the role of Vladimir Lenin in the revolution and his contribution to the

economic policy.

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Answer: Vladimir Lenin played an important part in the Russian Revolution of 1917. He led

the revolutionaries after the fall of the Tsar Under Lenin’s leadership, the Bolshevik Party put

forward clear policies to end the war, transfer land to the peasants and advance the slogan
‘All power to the Soviets’. He was of the opinion that no genuine democracy could be

established unless all the non-Russians were given equal rights. These were the real objectives

of the Russian Revolution and he fulfilled all these objectives. That is why Lenin’s name has

become inseparable from the Russian Revolution.

46. Discuss the role and importance of Lenin in the history of the USSR.

OR

Examine the role of Lenin in Russian Revolution.

Answer: In April 1917, the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia from exile. He

said it was time for the Soviets to take over power. He declared that the war be brought to a
close, land be transferred to peasants, banks be nationalised. These three demands were

Lenin’s ‘April Theses’. He argued that Bolshevik Party be renamed the Communist Party. In

January 1918, Lenin dismissed the Constituent Assembly. There was only one party — the All

Russian Congress of Soviets. It also became the Parliament of the country. The secret police

OGPU and NKVD punished those who criticised the Bolsheviks. By 1920, the Bolsheviks

controlled most of the former empire. The Bolsheviks created the USSR from the Russian
Empire in December 1922.

47. What were the immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution? (CBSE 2010)

Or

What were the impacts of the Russian Revolution on Russia?

Answer: Most industries and banks were nationalised in November 1917. This meant the

government took over the ownership and management. Land was declared social property

and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility. In cities, Bolsheviks enforced the

partition of large houses according to family requirements. They banned the use of old title of

aristocracy. To assert the change, new uniforms were designed for the army and the officials.
The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party.

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48. How did communism in Russia influence capitalist societies?

Answer: Karl Marx argued that industrial society was capitalist. Capitalists owned the capital

invested in factories. The profit of capitalists was produced by workers. Workers had to

overthrow capitalism and the rule of private property. A radically socialist society had to be

constructed. A communist society was the natural society of the future. By 1870s, socialists
ideas spread through Europe.

49. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?

Answer: Social conditions : People of different social status, classes, religions and diverse
nationalities were there. Imposition of Russian language was made to belittle the cultures of

these people. Main groups of Russian population were farmers, workers, landowners,

capitalists, industrialists and traders. Economic conditions : 85 percent of Russians were

agriculturists. Agriculture provided employment to a vast population. Cultivators produced

food for market as well as their own needs Political conditions : Nobles got their power and

position through their services to the Tsar, not through local popularity. This was unlike
France where peasants respected nobles and fought for them. In Russia, peasants wanted the

land of the nobles, they refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords.

50. In what ways was the working population is Russia different from other countries in

Europe, before 1917?

Answer: Workers were a divided social group in Russia. Some had strong links with villages,

some had settled in cities. Workers were divided by skill. Metal workers considered

themselves aristocrats. Despite division they did unite to strike work when they disagreed

with employers. Like workers, peasants were also divided. But they had no respect for the
nobility. They wanted the land of the nobles. They refused to pay rent and even murdered

landlords.

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

the October Revolution?

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Answer: Most industry and banks were nationalised. This meant that the government took

over the ownership and management. Land was declared social property and peasants were

allowed to seize the land of the nobility. In cities, Bolsheviks enforced partition of large
houses according to family requirements. Use of old aristocratic titles were banned. New

uniforms were designed for the army and the officials. The Bolshevik Party was renamed the

Russian Communist Party. Russia became a one-party state. The secret police OGPU and

NKVP punished those who criticised Bolsheviks.

52. Comment on the global influence of the Russian Revolution.

Or

What were the international consequences of the Russian Revolution?

Answer: Existing socialist parties in Europe did not wholly approve of the way the Bolsheviks

took power and kept it. Still the possibility of a workers’ state fired their imagination across
the world. In many countries communist parties were formed. Bolsheviks encouraged colonial

people to follow their example. Many non-Russians received education in the USSR’s

University of the Peoples of the East. By the time the Second World War broke out, the USSR

had given socialism a global face and world stature.

53. How did Russia’s participation in the World War caused the fall of the Tsar?

Answer: The war was initially popular and people rallied around Tsar Nicholas II. But as the

war continued, support became thin and Tsar’s popularity declined. Anti-German sentiments

became high. The Tsarina Alexandra’s German origins and poor advisers, especially a monk

called Rasputin, made the autocracy unpopular. Defeats were shocking and demoralising.
Russia’s armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916. There were over 7

million casualties by 1917. The destruction of crops and buildings led to over 3 million

refugees in Russia. The situation discredited the government and the Tsar. The war also had a

severe impact on industry. Many of them producing essential goods were shut down. Able

bodied men were called up to the war. Large supplies of grains were sent to feed the army.

For the people in the cities, bread and flour became scarce. By the winter of 1916, riots at
bread shops were common.

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7/1/24, 9:11 PM Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Class 9 Important Questions

54. What conditions led to the Russian Civil War in 1918-1920? Any four points.

Answer:

(i) The Russian army began to break up after Bolsheviks ordered land redistribution. Soldiers

who were mostly peasants wished to go home for the land and deserted.

(ii) Now Bolshevik Socialists, Liberals and supporters of autocracy condemned the Bolshevik
uprising. Their leaders organised the troops to fight the Bolsheviks.

(iii) During 1918 and 1919, the ‘greens’ (Socialist Revolutionaries) and ‘whites’ (pro-Tsarists)

controlled most of the Russian empire. They were backed by French, American, British and

Japanese troops. As these troops and the Bolsheviks fought a civil war, looting, banditry and

famine became common.

(iv) Supporters of private property among ‘whites’ took harsh steps with peasants who had
seized land.

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