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The extent to which communism changed Russia

I can assess the extent of difference between tsarist Russia and Soviet Russia.

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Lesson 6 of 6
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The extent to which communism changed Russia

I can assess the extent of difference between tsarist Russia and Soviet Russia.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In February 1917, tsarist rule in Russia came to an end and in October 1917, Communist Party rule began.
  2. Communist Party policies introduced by Stalin modernised agriculture and industry in the USSR.
  3. Russian tsars and the Communist Party both ruled Russia with absolute power.
  4. Communist Party rule significantly reduced wealth inequality but created new types of inequality in the USSR.

Keywords

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

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

Common misconception

Students assume that revolutions lead to complete change.

Emphasise that there were significant changes in Russia after 1917 but similarities remained, such as the lack of freedom for opposition.

Students may be more confident in the final task if they verbally practice making counter-arguments first. Students could be paired together and given a list of claims (i.e. the Soviet economy was completely transformed) and asked to make counters.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match up each keyword with its correct definition.

Correct Answer:collectivisation,Soviet policy of grouping together and modernising farms

Soviet policy of grouping together and modernising farms

Correct Answer:industrialisation,process of building up a country's manufacturing abilities

process of building up a country's manufacturing abilities

Correct Answer:revolution,a period of sudden and significant change in a society

a period of sudden and significant change in a society

Q2.
Write the missing word. Karl Marx was responsible for developing the set of political ideas known as ...

Correct Answer: communism, Communism

Q3.
Write the missing word. In 1922, the Communist Party renamed Russia the Union.

Correct Answer: Soviet, soviet

Q4.
Who led the USSR after 1924?

Lenin
Provisional Government
Correct answer: Stalin
Tsar Nicholas II

Q5.
Which example best demonstrates the lack of modernisation in Russian agriculture by 1927?

majority of the population lived in rural areas
Correct answer: relatively few tractors were used for farming
many factories were staffed by unskilled workers

Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

1 - Russia ruled by Tsar Nicholas II
2 - February Revolution
3 - Russia led by the Provisional Government
4 - October Revolution
5 - Russia led by Lenin's Bolshevik Party

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing keyword. Members of the most powerful group in a society can be described as ...

Correct Answer: elites, Elites

Q2.
Match up each of the social groups in Tsarist Russia with its correct description.

Correct Answer:aristocracy,counted for just 1% of the population but owned 25% of land

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

Correct Answer:middle classes,included wealthy bankers, traders and factory owners

included wealthy bankers, traders and factory owners

Correct Answer:industrial workers,made up just 3% of the population and many lived in poverty

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

Correct Answer:peasants,made up the majority of the population but lived hard lives

made up the majority of the population but lived hard lives

Q3.
What name was used to describe Stalin's use of the secret police to remove potential opponents?

collectivisation
Red Terror
Correct answer: the purges

Q4.
Which two statements are accurate?

collectivistion aimed to improve Soviet industry
Correct answer: 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
Correct answer: collectivisation led to a famine which killed millions

Q5.
Identify the valid similarity between Tsarist Russia and Soviet Russia by 1939.

Russia's industry was much smaller than that of the leading European powers
there was significant wealth inequality between different social groups
Correct answer: the secret police were used to remove political opposition
leaders of the government believed in Karl Marx's Communist theories

Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

1 - Bolsheviks seize power
2 - Reds win the Russian Civil War
3 - Lenin dies
4 - Stalin begins collectivisation and the Five Year Plans
5 - the purges take place

Lesson appears in

UnitHistory / The Russian Revolution: did communism completely transform Russian society? 

History

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