After February 1917 – Q&A (Short, Crisp, Full • They actively challenged industrialists’

Sentences) authority.
Q1. Who were influential in the Provisional
Government? Before February 1917
• Army officials, landowners, and industrialists
were influential. • Petrograd faced severe cold, frost, and
• Liberals and socialists worked for an elected heavy snow.
government. • Food shortages were severe, especially in
• Restrictions on public meetings and workers’ quarters.
associations were removed. • Workers lived on the right bank; rich and
Q2. What were Soviets and how did they function? government areas were on the left.
• Soviets, like the Petrograd Soviet, were set up • The Tsar wanted to dissolve the Duma;
everywhere. parliament opposed him.
• They represented workers and soldiers. • Workers had little political power or say in
• They coordinated strikes and protests.
factories.
• Strikes and protests were just beginning
• No uniform election system was followed.
and not coordinated.
Q3. What were Lenin’s April Theses?
• Women led early protests on International
• He opposed the war and wanted it to end.
Women’s Day (23 Feb).
• He demanded land be given to peasants.
• He demanded banks be nationalised.
After February 1917
• He proposed renaming the Bolsheviks as the
Communist Party.
• Provisional Government was formed with
Q4. How did the workers’ movement spread in army officials, landowners, industrialists,
summer 1917? liberals, and socialists.
• Factory committees were formed in industrial • Restrictions on public meetings and
areas. associations were removed.
• Trade unions increased in number. • Soviets were set up everywhere to
• Soldiers’ committees were formed in the represent workers and soldiers.
army. • Workers became politically aware and
• About 500 Soviets sent representatives to the confident.
All Russian Congress of Soviets in June. • Factory committees and trade unions grew
Q5. How did the Provisional Government respond to and challenged industrialists.
unrest? • Soldiers formed committees and joined
• It resisted workers running factories. workers in protests.
• Leaders were arrested. • Lenin returned and announced the April
• Bolshevik demonstrations in July (July Days) Theses demanding peace, land
were suppressed. redistribution, and nationalisation of
• Many Bolshevik leaders went into hiding or
banks.
• Popular demonstrations spread, though the
fled.
government tried to suppress them.
Q6. What changes occurred in the countryside?
• Peasants seized land in the countryside
• Peasants demanded land redistribution.
between July and September 1917.
• Land committees were formed to manage
land.
February Revolution (1917)
• Between July and September 1917, peasants
seized land.
1. Reasons / Causes:
Q7. How did the mood of workers change after
February 1917? • Severe winter with extreme cold, frost, and
• Workers became more confident and heavy snow.
politically aware. • Acute food shortages, especially in
• They trusted Soviets and Bolsheviks more. workers’ quarters.
• They demanded land, wages, and better • Social divisions: workers on right bank,
working conditions. rich and government on left bank.
 • Tsar’s attempt to dissolve the Duma • • They formed the Petrograd Soviet,
angered parliamentarians. representing the political voice of workers
• Poor working conditions, low wages, and and soldiers.
long hours for workers.
• Influence of socialist ideas and growing Q1. Why did Lenin plan an uprising against
political awareness among workers. the Provisional Government?

2. Course / Events: • Lenin feared the Provisional Government

would become a dictatorship.
• 22 Feb: Lockout at a factory on the right • He believed soviets should take power to
bank. establish a socialist government.
• 23 Feb (International Women’s Day): • He wanted to end the war, redistribute
Women led strikes in many factories. land, and nationalise banks.
• 24 Feb: Workers from 50 factories joined
in sympathy strikes. Q2. How did the Bolsheviks prepare for the
• Workers marched to central streets like October Revolution?
Nevskii Prospekt, surrounding rich areas
and official buildings. • Bolshevik supporters in the army, Soviets,
• Government imposed curfew and called and factories were organised.
cavalry and police, but strikes continued • Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and
on 24–25 Feb. Bolshevik Party to approve a seizure of
• 25 Feb: Duma suspended; protests power on 16 October.
intensified on 26–27 Feb. • A Military Revolutionary Committee
• Police HQ ransacked; slogans raised for under Leon Trotskii was formed.
bread, wages, working hours, and • The date of the uprising was kept secret to
democracy. avoid government action.
• Cavalry refused to fire on demonstrators;
soldiers mutinied and joined workers. Q3. Who was in charge of organising the
• Workers and soldiers formed the Petrograd seizure of power during the October
Soviet in the Duma building. Revolution?

3. Results / Consequences: • The Military Revolutionary Committee

was in charge.
• Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on 2 March • Leon Trotskii led the committee.
1917 after advice from military • It coordinated Bolshevik supporters in
commanders. Petrograd.
• Provisional Government formed by Soviet
and Duma leaders. Q4. What role did the ship Aurora play in the
• Plans made for a constituent assembly October Revolution?
elected through universal adult suffrage.
• Petrograd led the revolution that ended the • The ship Aurora shelled the Winter
monarchy in Russia. Palace.
• Workers and soldiers gained political • It signalled the start of the final assault on
power through Soviets. the Provisional Government.
• • Other vessels along the Neva also took
• • Workers and soldiers protested in control of military points.
Petrograd demanding bread, wages, and
better working hours. Q5. Describe the events of 24 October 1917 in
• • The government called cavalry and Petrograd.
police, but soldiers refused to fire on
demonstrators. • Prime Minister Kerenskii left the city to
• • An officer was shot, and three regiments summon troops.
mutinied to join the workers. • Government troops seized two Bolshevik
• • Workers and soldiers gathered in the newspaper buildings and key offices.
Duma building to coordinate their actions.
 • Bolshevik supporters seized government Q1. What steps did the Bolsheviks take
offices and arrested ministers. regarding private property after October
• By nightfall, the city was under Bolshevik 1917?
control, and ministers surrendered.
• The Bolsheviks opposed private property.
Q6. How did the All Russian Congress of • Most industries and banks were
Soviets respond to the Bolshevik action? nationalised in November 1917.
• Land was declared social property and
• The Congress approved the Bolshevik peasants seized land from the nobility.
seizure of power.
• It legitimised the Bolshevik control over Q2. How did the Bolsheviks bring change in
Petrograd. urban life?

Q7. What was the result of the October • Large houses were partitioned according to
Revolution in Petrograd and other cities? family needs.
• Old aristocratic titles were banned.
• The Provisional Government was • New uniforms were introduced for the
overthrown. army and officials, including the Soviet hat
• Bolsheviks gained control of Petrograd (budeonovka).
and surrounding areas.
• Uprisings occurred in other cities, with Q3. What political changes took place under
heavy fighting in Moscow. the Bolsheviks?
• By December 1917, Bolsheviks controlled
the Moscow–Petrograd area. • The Bolshevik Party was renamed the
Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik).
Q8. Explain the significance of the October • The Constituent Assembly was dismissed
Revolution in Russian history. by Lenin in January 1918.
• Russia became a one-party state with the
• It ended the Provisional Government’s All Russian Congress of Soviets as the
rule. Parliament.
• It established the first socialist government
in Russia. Q4. How did the Bolsheviks maintain control?
• It paved the way for radical social,
political, and economic changes. • Trade unions were kept under party
control.
Q9. How did the Bolsheviks gain control of • Secret police (Cheka, later OGPU and
Moscow–Petrograd by December 1917? NKVD) punished critics of the Bolsheviks.

• Through coordinated uprisings in multiple Q5. What impact did the October Revolution
cities. have on culture and society?
• Support from soldiers, Soviets, and factory
workers. • Many young writers and artists initially
• Suppression of opposition and takeover of supported the Party for socialism and
strategic military and government points. change.
• It led to experiments in art and
Q10. Analyse the role of soldiers, Soviets, and architecture.
factory workers in the October Revolution. • Later, many became disillusioned due to
censorship.
• Soldiers refused to follow the Provisional
Government’s orders and joined Before October 1917
Bolsheviks.
• Soviets coordinated protests, strikes, and • Russia was ruled by the Provisional
the seizure of power. Government.
• Factory workers helped control the city • Soviets existed but had limited power.
and supported the Bolshevik takeover.
 • Industries and banks were privately • Industries and banks nationalised, land
owned. given to peasants.
• Land remained with landlords and • Russia withdrew from World War I
nobility. through Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918).
• Russia continued to fight in World War I. • One-party state established under
• Elections for the Constituent Assembly Bolsheviks.
were planned. • Trade unions and Soviets controlled by the
• Multi-party politics existed. Party.
• Secret police created to suppress
After October 1917 opposition.

• Bolsheviks came to power. Q1. Why did the Russian Civil War break
• Industries and banks were nationalised. out after October 1917?
• Land was declared social property;
peasants seized land. • The Bolsheviks ordered land
• Large houses were redistributed as per redistribution, causing the army to break
family needs. up.
• Russia made peace with Germany (Treaty • Non-Bolshevik socialists, liberals, and
of Brest-Litovsk, 1918). pro-Tsarists opposed Bolshevik rule.
• Constituent Assembly dismissed, one- • Foreign powers feared the spread of
party rule established. socialism and supported anti-Bolshevik
• Trade unions and Soviets brought under forces.
Bolshevik control.
• Secret police punished critics. Q2. Who were the ‘Reds’, ‘Whites’, and
• Arts and culture initially flourished but
‘Greens’ in the Civil War?
later faced censorship.
October Revolution: Reason, Course, Result • Reds → Bolsheviks.
• Whites → Pro-Tsarists and supporters of
Reason private property.
• Greens → Socialist Revolutionaries,
• Failure of the Provisional Government to mainly peasants.
solve food shortages.
• Continued participation in World War I. Q3. Which foreign powers intervened in
• Delay in redistributing land to peasants. the Civil War and why?
• Growing influence of Soviets among
workers and soldiers. • Britain, France, America, and Japan
• Bolshevik slogan: “Peace, Land, and intervened.
Bread” attracted masses. • They supported the ‘whites’ because they
feared socialism spreading across the
Course world.
• On 24–25 October 1917, Bolshevik Red
Q4. Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil
Guards took control of key government
offices, banks, and telegraph offices in War?
Petrograd.
• The Winter Palace, headquarters of the • They had better organisation and unity
Provisional Government, was captured. under leaders like Lenin and Trotsky.
• Provisional Government was removed; • They gained peasant support as the whites
power passed to the Bolsheviks. punished land-seizing peasants.
• They cooperated with some non-Russian
Result nationalities.
• By 1920, they controlled most of the
• Bolsheviks seized power and established former Russian empire.
Soviet rule.
Q5. What happened in December 1922 Q3. Why were the Bolsheviks successful
after the Civil War? in the Civil War?

• The Bolsheviks created the USSR (Union Answer:

of Soviet Socialist Republics).
• Non-Russian nationalities were given 1. The Reds had unity and clear leadership
political autonomy, but policies like under Lenin and Trotsky.
discouraging nomadism limited support. 2. The Whites lacked unity and were
unpopular due to their harsh treatment of
Q1. Explain the causes of the Russian peasants.
Civil War. 3. The Bolsheviks promised land and peace,
which gained peasant support.
Answer: 4. They cooperated with some non-Russian
The Russian Civil War broke out after the October nationalities and Muslim groups.
Revolution due to many reasons: 5. They controlled key cities like Moscow
and Petrograd, ensuring supply of
1. The Bolsheviks ordered land resources.
redistribution, and soldiers (mostly
peasants) deserted the army to claim land. Q4. What was the result of the Russian
2. Non-Bolshevik socialists, liberals, and Civil War?
pro-Tsarists opposed the Bolshevik
uprising. Answer:
3. The ‘whites’ (pro-Tsarists and supporters
of private property) and ‘greens’ (Socialist 1. By January 1920, the Bolsheviks
Revolutionaries) challenged Bolshevik controlled most of the Russian empire.
power. 2. In December 1922, the USSR (Union of
4. Foreign powers like Britain, France, Soviet Socialist Republics) was created.
America, and Japan intervened, fearing the 3. Non-Russian nationalities were given
spread of socialism. political autonomy, but Bolshevik policies
5. Conflicts over land, food shortages, and limited their freedom.
banditry further deepened unrest. 4. Private property supporters lost power, and
socialism was strengthened.
Q2. Describe the course of the Civil War 5. Despite victory, famine, looting, and
between 1918–1920. censorship continued, creating mixed
reactions among people.
Answer:
Q1. Explain the economic measures taken
1. In 1918–1919, the ‘greens’ and ‘whites’ by the Bolsheviks during the Civil War.
controlled large parts of the Russian
empire. Answer:
2. Foreign troops supported the anti-
Bolshevik forces. 1. Industries and banks were nationalised.
3. The Bolsheviks (Reds) organised the army 2. Peasants were allowed to cultivate
under Trotsky and defended their socialised land.
strongholds. 3. Confiscated land was used for
4. The Whites took harsh steps against demonstrating collective farming.
peasants who seized land, which reduced 4. Centralised planning was introduced with
their popularity. Five-Year Plans.
5. By January 1920, the Bolsheviks defeated 5. Prices were fixed to promote industrial
their rivals and controlled most of the growth.
former Russian empire.
6. In Central Asia, Bolshevik colonists Q2. What were the achievements of the
brutally crushed nationalist movements. Five-Year Plans (1927–1938)?
Answer: 5. Many innocent professionals were
executed after false confessions.
1. Industrial production grew rapidly.
2. Between 1929–1933, oil, coal, and steel Q2. How did the Bolshevik Revolution
output increased by 100%. influence the world?
3. New factory cities were built, e.g.,
Magnitogorsk. Answer:
4. Education expanded, allowing workers and
peasants to attend universities. 1. Inspired workers and socialist movements
5. Public health care became cheaper and globally.
more accessible. 2. Communist parties were formed in many
countries (e.g., Britain).
Q3. What problems did workers face 3. Bolsheviks encouraged colonial peoples to
during rapid industrialisation? fight imperialism.
4. International bodies like the Comintern
Answer: and the Conference of the Peoples of the
East (1920) spread socialism.
1. Harsh working conditions in new factories. 5. USSR gave socialism a global stature
2. At Magnitogorsk, workers lived in poor before WWII.
housing.
3. 550 strikes and stoppages occurred in the Q3. What were the achievements of the
first year. USSR by the 1950s?
4. Living quarters lacked basic facilities like
toilets in winter. Answer:
5. Uneven distribution of government
resources made life difficult. 1. A backward country became a great
power.
Q4. What social measures were 2. Industries and agriculture developed.
introduced for workers and peasants? 3. Poor people got food and education.
4. Socialism gained global respect.
Answer: 5. USSR became a model for developing
nations.
1. Extended schooling system for education.
2. Factory workers and peasants were Q4. What were the limitations of the
admitted to universities. USSR’s model of socialism?
3. Crèches were established for children of
women workers. Answer:
4. Cheap public health care was provided.
5. Model living quarters were created for 1. Denied essential freedoms to citizens.
workers. 2. Repressive policies were used to control
people.
Q1. Why was Stalin criticised within the 3. False trials, torture, and executions were
Party? common.
4. People feared speaking against the Party.
Answer: 5. Decline of USSR’s international reputation
by the 20th century.
1. Industrial production under Planned
Economy was confused. Q5. What was the global status of
2. Collectivisation caused disaster and socialism by the end of the 20th century?
famine.
3. Harsh repression silenced critics. Answer:
4. By 1939, over 2 million people were in
prisons or labour camps. 1. USSR’s reputation as a socialist country
declined.
 2. Socialism was respected but rethought in Q5. How did the Soviet government support
different forms worldwide. workers and peasants socially?
3. Many nations adopted modified socialist Ans.
ideas.
4. People admired equality but criticised • Arrangements were made for them to join
repression. universities.
5. Global socialism became diverse in • Crèches were established for children of
practice. women workers.
• Cheap public health care and model living
Q1. What steps did the Bolsheviks take to quarters were provided.
improve agriculture during the Civil War?
Ans.

• They permitted peasants to cultivate the

land that had been socialised.
• Confiscated land was used to demonstrate
collective farming.
• These steps aimed to ensure food supply
and promote socialist ideals in agriculture.

Q2. What was the purpose of introducing the

Five-Year Plans in the Soviet Union?
Ans.

• To assess and plan the economy in a

centralised manner.
• To set targets for production and industrial
growth over a fixed five-year period.
• To fix prices and encourage rapid
industrialisation.

Q3. Mention any three achievements of the Five-

Year Plans.
Ans.

• Industrial production increased (oil, coal,

and steel production doubled between
1929–1933).
• New factory cities came up, like
Magnitogorsk.
• Education and health care facilities were
expanded, with crèches and model living
quarters for workers.

Q4. What hardships did workers face during rapid

industrialisation?
Ans.

• Poor and unsafe working conditions with

frequent stoppages.
• Hard living conditions, such as lack of
basic sanitation and toilets.
• Extreme weather hardships in factory
cities like Magnitogorsk.