Russia, 1894–1945: Tsardom and communism

What is the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

The Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course is a period study. The course focuses on key events in the history of Russia during a chaotic half century and the development of communism through the period. You will study key events, key individuals and the social, economic, political and cultural impact of these changes.

What is the purpose of the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

This study enables you to study the importance of different social, economic, political and cultural factors and how they shaped tsarist and communist Russia.

What are the key parts of the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism is split into three parts:

• ❖ Part 1 looks at the end of tsardom and the impact of the First World War.
• ❖ Part 2 looks at Lenin's new society and the impact of his leadership.
• ❖ Part 3 looks at life in the Stalinist USSR.

What are the key individuals that I will study on the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Tsar Nicholas II.
• ❖ Grigori Rasputin.
• ❖ Vladimir Lenin.
• ❖ Nikolai Bukharin.
• ❖ Leon Trotsky.
• ❖ Joseph Stalin.

What are the key events that I will study on the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

Some of the key events you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The 1905 Revolution.
• ❖ The First World War.
• ❖ The October Revolution.
• ❖ The power struggle after the death of Lenin.
• ❖ The Great Terror and the purges.
• ❖ Collectivisation and the Five Year Plans.
• ❖ The Second World War.

How will I be assessed on the Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism course?

Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism forms part of paper 1 which you have a total of 2 hours to complete. You should spend 1 hour on this section of the paper. There will be 6 exam questions which will assess what you have learnt on the tsardom and communism course.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 4 marks. This question requires you to describe and explain how the two interpretations are different.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 4 marks. This question requires you to describe and explain why the two interpretations are different.
• ❖ Question 3 is worth 8 marks. This question requires you to explain how convincing the interpretations are, you must give a substantiated judgement based on the interpretations and the contextual information.
• ❖ Question 4 is worth 4 marks. This is a describe question in which you must provide 2 detailed reasons/examples/features about a particular topic covered in Germany 1890-1945.
• ❖ Question 5 is worth 8 marks. This question will test your understanding of second order concepts (cause, consequence, change, continuity, etc.). In this question you must demonstrate your knowledge about a topic you have covered and give different reasons based on the second order concept you have been given.
• ❖ Question 6 is worth 12 marks. This question will ask you to pick between two events, individuals or situations and will ask you to make a sustained judgement of both bullet points using your contextual knowledge and understanding of second order concepts.