Sunday, 20 July 2014

History Socialism

HISTORY: LESSON - 2

Q1) Why did socialists considered private property as the

root of all social ills?

Individuals owned the property that gave employment

but the propertied were concerned only for personal gain

and not for the welfare of those who made the property

productive .Society should be considered as a whole rather

than single individuals that controlled the property. Socialists

wanted this to change and so campaigned for it.

Q2)What was the contribution of Karl Marx in bringing about

the Russian Revolution in 1917? or Describe the theory of

1)Karl Marx was a strong supporter of socialism and was

deadly against capitalism and private property.

2)Marx argued that industrial society was 'capitalist'.

Capitalists owned the capital invested in factories, and the

profit of capitalists was produced by workers.

3) He felt that the condition of workers could not improve as

long as this profit was accumulated by private capitalists.

4)Marx believed that to free themselves from capitalists

exploitation's, workers had to construct a radically socialist

society where all property was socially controlled which

would be a communist society.

5)He was convinced that workers would triumph in their

conflict with Capitalists.

Q3) Discuss various visions of socialists regarding socialist

1. Socialists had different visions of the future. They were well

known in the 19th

 century. .Some believed that if a society as

a whole controlled property, more attention would be paid to

collective social interests.

2.Some socialist like Robert Owen, a leading English

manufacturer, believed in the idea of cooperatives sought

to built a cooperative community called New Harmony in

3. Other like Louis Blanc felt that cooperatives couldn’t be built

only if the governments encouraged them.

4. These cooperatives were to be associations of people who

produced goods together and divided the profits equaled

5. Karl Marks argued that an industrial society was capitalists

which exploited the workers and kept the profit for

themselves. He believed that the workers had to construct

a radically socialist society where all property was socially

Q4 Describe the growth of socialism in Europe?

1.By the 1870s, socialist ideas spread through Europe and

to coordinate their efforts, socialists formed an international

body-namely, the Second International.

2.Workers in England and Germany began forming

associations to fight for better living and working conditions.

3. They set up funds to help members in times of distress and

demanded a reduction of working hours and the right to vote.

4. In Germany these association worked closely with the Social

Democratic Party and helped it win parliamentary seats.

5. By 1905, socialists and trade unionists formed a Labor Party

in Britain and a Social Party was formed in Europe.

Q5)In what way was the working population in Russia

different from other countries in Europe before 1917?

1.About 85% of the Russian people were agriculturalist.

This proportion was much higher than in most European

2. Industry was found in pockets. Prominent industries areas

were St. Petersburg and Moscow. Workers were divided

into social group on the basis of their skills

3. Metal workers considered themselves aristocrats among the

4. Woman made up about 31% of the factory labour force by

1914 , but they were paid less than men.

5.Peasants too were divided and pooled their land together

periodically and their commune divided it according to the

needs of individual family.

6.The rich peasants were called 'Kulaks'. Russian peasants

had no respect for the nobility and fought with them. They

refused to pay rent and even murdered the landlords.

Q6) How were the Russian peasants different from other

European peasants?

Russian peasants were different from the other European

peasant because they pooled their land together periodically

and their commune divided it according to the needs of

individual families.

Q7)Which event in Russian history is known as ‘Bloody

1. In January 1905 over 110,000 workers in St Petersburg went

on strike demanding a reduction in the working day to eight

hours, an increase in wages and improvement in working

2.When the procession of workers led by Father Gapon

reached the Winter Palace in order to represent a petition to

the Tsar it was attacked by the police and the Cossacks.

3. Over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded.

4.This incident took place on Sunday so it was known as’

Bloody Sunday ’which later started a series of events that

became known as the 1905 Revolution.

Q8)Mention any five effect/ consequences/ significance

of ‘Blood Sunday’ in Russia?

1) This incident, known as’ Bloody Sunday ’ started a series of

events that became known as the 1905 Revolution.

2) Strikes took place all over the country. Universities closed

down when students walk-outs, complaining about the lack

of civil liberties.

3)Lawyers, doctors, engineers and other middle-class

workers established the Union of Unions and demanded a

constituent assembly.

4) The Tsar allowed the creation of an elected Consultative

Parliament or Duma.

5) A new form of organization called ‘Soviets’ developed,

which played a decisive role in the upheaval of 1917.

Q9) What was the effect of the First World War on Russian

1. In Russia, the war was initially popular and people rallied

around Tsar Nicholas II. As the war continued, the Tsar

refused to consult the main parties in the Duma.

2. Russia’s armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between

1914 and 1916 and there were over 7 million casualties by

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

refugee in Russia.

4. The country was cut off from other suppliers of industrial

goods by German control of the Baltic sea and Industrial

equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia.

5. Able bodied men were called up to the war which resulted in

labour shortages.

6. Large supplies of grain were sent to feed the army. For the

people in the cities, bread and flour became scarce.

Q10)Trace the event which led to the February Revolution in

1.In February 1917, there was acute food shortage in the

worker’s quarters. Parliamentarians were opposed to the

Tsar’ desire to dissolve the Duma.

women led the way to strikes called the International

Women’s Day.

3.The strikes continued with the workers surrounding the

fashionable quarters & official buildings at the centre of the

capital-the Nevskii Prospekt.

4.On Sunday,25th

the Duma and on 27th

ransacked. The streets thronged with people raising slogans

about bread, wages, better hours and democracy.

5. The government tried to control the situation and called out

the cavalry, but they refused to fire on the demonstrators.

6. Land by evening , soldiers and striking workers were united

to form a ‘soviet’ or “council’ in the same building as the

Duma met which became the’ Petrograd Soviet’.

 February, a factory lockout took place and many

 February, the government suspended

, the Police Headquarters were

Q11)Explain the role of Lenin in the Russian Revolution of

1. In April 1917 , the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin returned

to Russia from his exile. He organized the Bolshevik Party &

felt it was time for the soviets to take over the power.

2.He declared that the war be brought to a close, land be

transferred to the peasants, and banks be nationalized.

These three demands were Lenins “ April Theses”.

3. He renamed the Bolshevik Party as the communist party to

indicate its new radical aims.

4.Factory committees, trade union and soldier committees

5. He proclaimed the right of all peoples to self-determination.

With the fall of Kerenskii’s government, Lenin became the

head of the communist state.

Q12) Describe the main event of the October Revolution in

1) After Lenin returned from exile to Russia, there was

continues conflict between the Bolsheviks and the

Provisional Government. Lenin feared that the Provisional

Government would set up a dictatorship. In September, he

began discussion for an uprising against the government.

2) On 16th October 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd

Soviet and the Bolshevik Party for a socialist seizure of

power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed

under Leon Trotskii to organize the seizure.

3) When the uprising began on 24 October, Prime Minister

Kerenskii left the city to bring the troops to prevent the

situation from going out of control.

4) In a swift respond, the Military Revolutionary Committee

attacked government officers and arrest ministers. Later,

the ship ‘Aurora’, shelled the Winter Place and by nightfall,

the city was under Bolshevik’s control.

5) After heavy fighting the Bolshevik gained full control of the

Moscow-Petrograd area. This action of the Bolshevik were

approved by All Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd.

6) The October Revolution was led by Lenin & Leon Trotskii

& all who supported these leaders. It marked the beginning

of lenin’s rule over the Soviet with the Bolshevik under his

Q13) Describe any 5 changes brought by the Bolshevik after

October Revolution?

1) Peace: Immediately after coming to power, Lenin withdrew

from war and made peace with Germany at Brest Litovsk.

2) Property: The Bolshevik abolished all private property

which was a means of production. Land of clergy and

nobility were confiscated. It was declared social property

and peasants were allowed to seize it. Large houses were

divided according to family requirements.

3) Nationalization: All industries, banks, transports and

railways were nationalized.

4) Privilege: The Bolshevik banned the use of old tiles of

aristocracy. This marked the end of the Tsar’s rule in

5) Rights: All unequal treaties which the Tsar’s government

had imposed was removed. The right of all people to

equality and self determination was proclaimed.

Q14)Explain the condition which led to the Russian civil war between 1918 and 1920?

1) The Bolsheviks became the only party that participated in

the elections to the ‘All Congress of soviets’.

2) Trade unions were kept under the party control and secret

police punished those who criticized the Bolsheviks.

3) Non-Bolshevik socialists liberals and supporters of

autocracy condemned the Bolshevik uprising.

4) During 1918 & 1919, the greens and whites controlled most

of the Russian Empire.

5) French, American, British and Japanese troops also

involved themselves as they were worried at the growth of

Socialism in Russia.

6) Therefore a civil war broke out between these tropes and

the Bolsheviks.

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