Essay Planning

1. Essay Planning Thursday 21 January 2010

2. How far do you agree that a study of Russian government in the period 1855 to 1964 suggests that Russia exchanged Romanov Tsars for Red Tsars from 1917?

3. First thoughts • Key Words • Key Theme to focus on

4. First thoughts • Key Words Romanov Tsars exchanged Red Tsars 1917 • Key Theme to focus on a comparison between the methods of rule of the Tsars and the communists; similarities and differences.

5. Obvious structure • Introduction • Similarities • Differences • Conclusion

6. How was Russia governed? BEFORE 1917 Autocratic: Tsars (Romanov dynasty) Claimed Divine Right to rule by birth Supported by Orthodox Church Secret police (Third Section / Okhrana) Tried to silence /crush opponents Alexander II 1855-81 (some reforms) Emancipated the serfs Set up Zemstva (local councils) Faced opposition / assassinated in 1881 Alexander III 1881-94 (reactionary) Abandoned reforms – was very autocratic His reign nicknamed ‘the Reaction’ Silenced opposition Appointed Land Captains to control peasants Nicholas II 1894-1917 (abdicated) Tried to be as autocratic as his father Described plans for constitution as ‘senseless dreams’ Faced revolution in 1905 Survived by granting a Duma (parliament) From 1907 rigged Duma elections Stolypin used terror (the ‘Stolypin necktie’) to crush opponents Influenced by Rasputin from 1906 Had to abdicate in 1917 during WW1 AFTER 1917 Dictators: (Communist Party) Claimed to rule on behalf of the proletariat Banned organised religions Secret police (Cheka e.t.c.) Banned all opposition parties Lenin also banned factions within the CP Lenin 1917-1924 Shut down Constituent Assembly Banned all opposition parties Defeated White Armies in Civil War Cheka used ‘Red Terror’ against opposition Crushed the Kronstadt Revolt Banned factions in Communist Party Ill from 1922 (a triumvirate ruled for him) Stalin c.1925 – 1953 Defeated rivals in power struggle to be firmly in power by 1928 In 1930s used terror: (purges, show trials, dekulakisation; the gulags) Ruled through fear: ‘Soviet citizens came to fear their own shadows’ Khrushchev c.1954 – 1964 Defeated rivals in power struggle to be firmly in power by 1956 Used ‘secret speech’ to launch destalinisation Tried to reform but failed: resigned 1964 SIMILARITIES Autocracy & Dictatorship – two very authoritarian systems Both very undemocratic (e.g. Nicholas II rigged Duma elections/ Lenin shut down Constituent Assembly) Both systems used secret police (Okhrana / Cheka) to crush opponents (but the communists did this more efficiently) Both used terror (e.g Stolypin & Stalin) though the scale of terror much greater under communism) Under both systems the ruler who tried to reform came badly unstuck (Alexander II assassinated / Khrushchev forced to resign)

7. Differences

8. Similarities Consider also whether the SCALE and EXTENT of similar policies actually makes them DIFFERENT

9. How far do you agree that the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 was the most important turning point in the nature of Russian government in the period 1855 to 1964?

10. First thoughts • Key Words • Key Theme to focus on

11. First thoughts • Key Words abdication of Tsar Nicholas II most important turning point nature of Russian government • Key Theme to focus on an evaluation of several turning points to decide which was the most important.

12. Possible alternatives • Something from reign of Alexander II (Crimean War; Emancipation; assassination) • The 1905 Revolution / October Manifesto • Involvement in the First World War • The October Revolution 1917 • The death of Lenin / rise of Stalin • Khrushchev’s ‘secret speech’ 1956 There are others but these are good examples

13. Obvious structure • Introduction • Paragraph about named factor • Paragraphs about each alternative factor (be sensible about how many you will have time to develop and try to make sure 100 years covered by some reference to Alexander II and Khrushchev) • Conclusion

14. How far did the living and working conditions of the Russian peasants remain uniformly poor throughout the period 1855 - 1964?

15. First thoughts • Key Words • Key Theme to focus on

16. First thoughts • Key Words living and working conditions Russian peasants uniformly poor • Key Theme to focus on an analysis of the living and working conditions of the Russian peasants; did they remain UNIFORMLY poor or did they vary (sometimes improve and sometimes deteriorate)

17. The Russian Peasantry 1855 - 1964 Tsarist Russia Expectations The Romanovs had a paternalistic attitude as the ‘Little Fathers’ of their people Serfdom had existed throughout the Romanov dynasty from 1613 to 1861. Improvements 1861 Emancipation 1878 - 86 Bunge’s more progressive policies as Finance Minister ( e.g.1883 Peasants’ Land Bank; 1886 abolished poll tax) 1906+ Stolypin’s Kulak policy Bad Treatment / Conditions Terms of Emancipation Decree Imposition of Land Captains Taxation Policy i.e. Monster Tariff 1891 Famine e.g 1891 Communist Russia Expectations Under Marxist theory the exploitation of the people would be replaced by Utopian equality Improvements 1917 Decree on Land 1921 NEP Bad Treatment / Conditions 1918 - 21 War Communism 1929 Collectivisation 1929+ Stalin’s persecution pf the ‘Kulaks’ Famine e.g 1921 1932-33

18. Obvious structure • Introduction • Paragraph on the generally poor living & working conditions of the peasants (drawing examples across the 100 years) • Paragraphs on periods when conditions improved • Paragraphs on especially bad times • Conclusion