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Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41

The growth of opposition to the tsar in early 1917

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 3

Overview

Peasant land hunger, workers' slums, the bread shortage of 1916–17, inflation and wages, the socialist parties, Tannenberg, Nicholas II at the front, the war economy, the suspended Duma and conscription's effect on the countryside.

What you need to know

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Key term

What did Russian peasants want most in the years before 1917?

Key term

Why were living conditions so bad for town workers by 1917?

Key term

What happened to the bread supply in Russian cities during the winter of 1916–17?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What did Russian peasants want most in the years before 1917?

    Model answer

    More land of their own, because most farmed small strips with backward methods and struggled to feed their families.

  2. 2

    Why were living conditions so bad for town workers by 1917?

    Model answer

    Rapid industrial growth had crammed them into overcrowded, filthy slums, and they faced long hours, low wages and dangerous machinery.

  3. 3

    What happened to the bread supply in Russian cities during the winter of 1916–17?

    Model answer

    Bread became scarce and dear because the railways broke down and grain stayed in the countryside, so people queued for hours in freezing weather.

  4. 4

    What effect did wartime inflation have on workers' wages?

    Model answer

    Prices rose far faster than pay, so real earnings fell and many workers could no longer afford bread or fuel.

  5. 5

    Which parties gained support among discontented workers and peasants?

    Model answer

    Socialist parties such as the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, who promised peace, food and the landlords' estates.

  6. 6

    What happened to the Russian army at Tannenberg in 1914?

    Model answer

    It was crushed by the Germans and its commander shot himself, a humiliating defeat in the very first weeks of the fighting.

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AThe huge loss of life left England short of workers.
BForeign craftsmen and labourers were wanted.
CCompetition for work also bred resentment.

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