differences in how many valuable things people own, such as land or businesses, can be described as wealth inequality

members of the most powerful group in a society can be described as elites

The extent to which communism changed Russia

History

Karl Marx and communism

Tsarist Russia

The Bolsheviks

The Russian Civil War, 1918-21

Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s

In this unit, pupils examine the profound societal changes brought about by communism following the Russian Revolution. This sets the stage for the next unit, ‘Post-war Britain: for whom did the United Kingdom become a ‘New Jerusalem’?’, where they will contrast the effects of communism with the democratic socialism that influenced British society in the post-war era.

In ‘The French Revolution: How did Europe respond to the French Revolution?’, pupils studied how France's eighteenth century revolution influenced people's lives. Building on that, this unit explores how the radical ideas of the Russian Revolution transformed Russian society under communism, demonstrating the power of revolutionary ideologies.

In this unit, pupils learn about Karl Marx's theories regarding communism and the conduct and impact of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. They examine the Russian Civil War and Russian society in the 1920s and 30s, allowing them to judge the extent to which communism changed Russia.

The Russian Revolution: did communism completely transform Russian society? 

Write the missing keyword. Members of the most powerful group in a society can be described as ...

counted for just 1% of the population but owned 25% of land

included wealthy bankers, traders and factory owners

made up just 3% of the population and many lived in poverty

made up the majority of the population but lived hard lives

Match up each of the social groups in Tsarist Russia with its correct description.

What name was used to describe Stalin's use of the secret police to remove potential opponents?

collectivistion aimed to improve Soviet industry

collectivisation increased the amount of grain secured by the Soviet state

collectivisation was popular with peasants

collectivisation decreased the amount of tractors available for farming

collectivisation led to a famine which killed millions

Russia's industry was much smaller than that of the leading European powers

there was significant wealth inequality between different social groups

the secret police were used to remove political opposition

leaders of the government believed in Karl Marx's Communist theories

Identify the valid similarity between Tsarist Russia and Soviet Russia by 1939.

Stalin begins collectivisation and the Five Year Plans

Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

Soviet policy of grouping together and modernising farms

process of building up a country's manufacturing abilities

a period of sudden and significant change in a society

Match up each keyword with its correct definition.

Write the missing word. Karl Marx was responsible for developing the set of political ideas known as ...

Write the missing word. In 1922, the Communist Party renamed Russia the {{}} Union.

majority of the population lived in rural areas

relatively few tractors were used for farming

many factories were staffed by unskilled workers

Which example best demonstrates the lack of modernisation in Russian agriculture by 1927?

The extent to which communism changed Russia

Lesson outcome