1. society
2. unrest and war

Let’s make stronger Industrial Power of the Soviet Union,
1932 Propaganda Poster
AS Grade:
A2 ALPS target:
Personal target:
Based on your AS performance: SKILL TARGET:
what is your most important
skills and study targets for
studying this essay based topic STUDY TARGET:
next year.
Russia Skills
AO1a: I can use a wide range of
accurate and relevant evidence.
AO1a: I can accurately and
confidently use appropriate
historical terminology.
AO1a: I can create clearly
structured and coherent answers
to questions.
AO1a: I can communicate
accurately and legibly.
AO1b: I understand how to
analyse key concepts (continuity/
change/ causation/ significance)
within their historical context.
AO1b: I can produce excellent
synthesis (drawing links between
different rulers across a time
period).
AO1b: I can produce a thorough
synoptic assessment (a judgement
over a whole time period).
AO1b: I understand different
interrelationships across different
areas and can support these
connections.
Study skills: I can take
responsibility for my own
learning, seek information and
clarification independently and
know when to ask for help.
Study skills: I can keep up to date
with deadlines and stay organised.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither
Agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
New Work
Discipline
Proletariat
Break Bulk
Government
Bonds
Monopoly
Concessions
Peasant Land
Bank
Medele’ev Tariff
‘Great Spurt’
Gold Standard
Expansionist
Foreign Policy
GNP per capita
Payment in Kind
War Communism
New Economic
Policy
Grain
Requisitioning
Nepman
Five Year Plans
Economic
autarky
Gosplan
Consumer
Industries
capital
entrepreneurs
serf economy
bureaucracy
Learning Objectives
To be able to explain changes to industry under Alexander II and the significance of any changes that
they made to Russian economy and society. 
Success Criteria
1.
2.
3.
4.
To be able to apply general ideas about industrialisation to Russia (Ao1a) .
To be able to describe how Alexander II tried to industrialise (Ao1a) .
To be able to explain the problems that Alexander II had with industrialising Russia (Ao1a) .
To be able to explain the effects that industrialisation had on Russia (Ao1b; continuity,
change and significance) .
Task 1: What are the features of Industrialisation?
Create a spider diagram around this key word about what the key features of industrialisation are?
This might include economic features, but also how society might change and adapt as a result. Use
these images to help you.
Industrialisation
How does this link to the nature of government?
Task 2: Russia’s situation before Alexander II
a) Use these sources to comment on the industrial situation of Russia before Alexander II
Figure 2
Figure 1
b) Use these sources to comment on what may have changed during the three Tsars we have looked
at. What reasons could you give for these changes?
Figure 3
c) True or False? Use the Heinemann Russia and Its Rulers 1855-1964 textbook, page 101-102
to identify whether the following statements are true or false. Remember to correct the
statements if false, add detail and explain why these things were necessary for
industrialisation. *Underlined words highlight a key term. Make sure you have a meaning for it.
Statement
Russia had lots of readily
available capital from
developed overseas trade and a
strong and improving
agriculture that grew crops for a
growing market.
Russia, unlike Britain, did not
have coal readily available at
various sources throughout the
country for power.
The Russian people had the
freedom to develop industrial
enterprises with weak guild
control and government
interference.
Taxes were low and credit
available.
Russia did not have a developed
middle class out of which
entrepreneurs emerged and
who provided investors and
markets.
There was a growing interest in
science and engineering among
an element of the elite which
could provide support for
industrial growth.
There was a sympathetic
attitude towards industrial
entrepreneurs from the state.
The economy was based on a
serf economy with a top heavy
bureaucracy.
Russia was an easy country to
get around and its geography
leant itself well to transport
development.
During the Free Trade Era (circa
1840s-1870s) there was a good
deal of foreign investment.
There were excellent harvests
throughout the entire period.
True or
False?
Correction (if necessary) or
extra details.
Why was this necessary for
industrialisation?
Task 3: What needed to be in place for Russia to Industrialise?
Imagine that you are Alexander II in 1855. What would be the top five things you would need to
change in order to industrialise Russia? How easy might that be to achieve?
1:____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Why have you chosen to change those things?
2: ____________________________________________
______________________________________________
3: ____________________________________________
______________________________________________
4:____________________________________________
______________________________________________
What difficulties might you have changing those
things?
5:____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Task 4: Why did Russia need to industrialise?
This section links quite closely with the impact of war and revolution.
Complete this diagram to note all of the external and internal pressures on Russia to
industrialise. Use page 103-104 of the Heinemann Russia and Its Rulers 1855-1964 book.
External Pressures to Industrialise
Internal Pressures to
Industrialise
Task 5: Alexander II and the proto-management of the economy
a) Why did Alexander II decide to industrialise? Use Access to History, Russia and its Rulers
(page 103). * answer must include the phrase ‘a new work discipline’.
b) Which features of Industrialisation does Alexander II (and his Minister of Finance, Mikhail
Reutern) decide to work on? Why?
c) Read page 104 and construct the railway line with the factors that helped to cause
industrialisation.
Agricultural Russia
Industrial Russia
Key words to include: break bulk, government bonds, taxation exemptions, monopoly concessions.
d) On lined paper, list:
i.
ii.
The effects of industrialisation on Russia
The significance of these changes. To what extent was Russia’s industry transformed under
Alexander II?
Learning Objectives
To be able to explain change and continuity in economic policy between 1881 and 1914.
Success Criteria
1. To be able to describe the features of Witte’s Great Spurt (Ao1a, recalling, selecting and
deploying relevant knowledge) .
2. To be able to explain both the positive and negative impact of Witte’s economic reform
(Ao1b, significance within an historical context) .
3. To be able to link Witte’s reforms with reforms under Alexander II .
Task 1: To what extent did the economy improve, 1890-1913?
Interpret the following statistics to explain to what extent the economy improved under
Alexander II and Nicholas II. Key term Pud: Russian unit of measurement, about 16.58 kilograms
Economic Growth Indicator
Pig iron production million puds
Coal million puds
Raw cotton million puds
Railway building 000 km
Imports 000 roubles
Exports
1913 Production
Pig iron 000 tonnes
Steel
Cotton spindles
World machines (%)
1890
56.6
367.2
8.3
30.6
406.650
692.240
Russia
4635
4841
8,990
3.5
France
5311
4687
7,400
1.9
1895
88.7
555.5
12.3
37.0
526.147
689.082
UK
10 425
7787
55,633
11.8
1900
179.1
986.3
16.0
61.1
636.087
716.217
1913
283
2,200
25
70
1374.0
1520.1
Germany
19 312
18329
11,186
20.7
Austria
2435
2685
4,090
3.4
Note any conclusions down in this box.
Task 3: 1881, New Finance Minister Nikolay Bunge (1882-6)
Use page 105 of Access to History, Russia and its Rulers to complete these boxes with notes
on Bunge’s reforms.
Fiscal Amendments
Why did Bunge make these reforms?
Peasant Land Bank
Railways
What happened to Bunge?
Who was Bunge replaced with and what did they do?
Effect of their policies.
Task 3: Witte’s Great Spurt
a) On lined paper, make well spaced out notes on the features of Witte’s Great Spurt from 105106.
Take one colour- underline anything different from previous Russian
government policy.
Take another colour- underline anything that fits in with previous
Russian government policy (make sure that you add the policy that it is
similar to).
Extra Reading: check pages 106-107 of Heinemann, Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964. Add any
other information (such as influences on Witte, and other issues that may have affected either
Russian industry or Russian people as a result of Russian industry).
There is also an article about Witte available in your extra reading folder, from History Today,
Sergei Witte: The Last Statesman of Imperial Russia by Lional Kochan.
b) The Positive and Negative Impacts of Witte’s Economic Reform.
Read the following from Michael Lynch’s Access to History, Reaction and Revolution: Russia 1881-1924 and highlight positive and negative impacts of
Witte’s economic reform.
c) What was the impact of Witte’s policies on the Russian people?
Read the Heinemann, Russia and its Rulers, 1855-1964 pages 108-112 and add notes explaining the impact of
large scale economic development on the different groups/ people. Include some way of showing positives
and negatives.
Impact on the Russian
Proletariat
Impact on the Russian
Peasants
Impact on Russian Industries
Impact on Russian culture
Impact on Russian nobility
Learning Objectives
To be able to assess the extent to which the First World War affected the industrialisation of Russia.
Success Criteria
1. To be able to explain how suitable the Russian economy was for fighting a war  and to describe
what was done to improve it (Ao1a, knowledge and recall).
2. To be able to explain the impact the First World War had on the Russian economy (Ao1b, assessment
of consequence and significance within an historical context).
3. To be able to assess the reasons for Russian industrialisation across all three Tsars (Ao1b, synthesis
across the period).
4. To be able to create a synoptic judgement about who deserves the title Industrial Tsar of Imperial
Russia (Ao1b, synoptic judgement).
5. Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) . (Note: try and do this over ALL tasks)
Quite a lot of this section links with the Nature of Government (Opposition). Try to show
where!
Task 1: The Fall of Witte and a War Economy
a. Why did Witte fall? Use page 107 of Access to History, Russia and its Rulers to find out, if you can’t
remember.
b. What features of industrialisation does a war economy require? What other features does a war economy
require? (Success Criteria 1: remember, this will help you judge the readiness of Russia for war).
c. How suitable was the Russian economy to fighting a war? (Come back to this task after your Fact Finding
Mission)
Task 2: Fact Finding Mission. The Impact of the First World War on Russian Industry (Success Criteria 2)
Instructions: Read Pages 107-106 of Access to History: Russia and its Rulers (left hand side of this page), 112-113 of the Heinemann Russia
and its Rulers (right hand side of the page) and the reading (after this page) to complete the spider diagrams below.
The Other Effects of war on Russian Industry
Other Banner
Problems that
war caused
Russian Industry
Problematic
Cylinder
Solutions to the
problems that
war caused
Russian Industry
Solution
Pentagon
Don’t forget your links to
opposition (NoG)
Task 2: To what extent was the First World War a catalyst for industrialising Russia? (Bridging the gap
between success criteria 1 and 2)
(This question can reference the words of Trotsky- to what extent was war the locomotive of change- what do
you think this means?)
Answer this question considering the consequences of the First World War on Russian Industry. Plan out what
you might say in this box (just bullet points will do)
What does creating a synoptic judgement demand? Underline or highlight your bullet point (HINT: Crimea/
Russo Japanese- what else can you think of?)
Task 3: Synopticity Task (success criteria 3)
During the Tsarist regimes, several factors can be said to have affected the continuity and change of Russian
Industry, both causing change and affecting continuity). Explain how, with reference to all 3 Tsars.
War
Desire to preserve autocracy
Other factors?
Government Policies
Examples of other countries
Foreign Help/ Support
Available resources
Plan your answer on A3 paper.
Task 4: Synoptic Judgement (success criteria 4)
Decide which of the three Tsars (Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II) deserve the title of
Industrialisation Tsar.
Write your justification in the box below.
Learning Objectives
To be able to assess how the Bolshevik’s initially controlled the economy and assess the impact that it had on
the people of Russia.
Success Criteria
1. To be able to explain how the Bolsheviks initially controlled the economy  (Ao1a, knowledge and
recall).
2. To be able to explain and identify change and continuity between Bolsheviks and Tsars (Ao1b,
assessment of change and continuity/ synthesis across the period).
3. To be able to assess the impact of Bolshevik actions on the economy (Ao1b, assessment of
consequence and significance within an historical context).
4. Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) . (Note: try and do this over ALL tasks)
There are many links between this section and the end of the First World War.
Task 1: The Problems Inherited from the First World War (Success Criteria 1 and 2)
Create a bar chart using what you already know about the Russian economy/ Bolshevik ideology to assess the
economic problems that Lenin would have to solve.
*Note: you may wish to include an explanation as to what these problems are.
Very
significant
More
significant
Column2
Column3
Column4
Insignificant
The Land
Question
(who should
own it)
Food
Shortages
Lack of
technical
expertise
Inflation
Crippling of
transport
industry
Private
Enterprise
(clash of
ideology)
This is a hard problem- what
do you know of Bolshevik
ideas to help you explain it?
Witte’s
policies
sometimes said to have been successful if
*Which problems
are
new toare
Lenin?
not interrupted by WWI. Do you think that this is true?
*Hint: Look at page 107 of your Access to History, Russia and its Rulers for some clues.
Task 2: Bolshevik Solutions to War Problems (Success Criteria 3)
Here are the solutions to the problems caused by the war. Explain how they were intended to solve the
problems that Russia had and how successful they were. You can use 108 of your Access to History, Russia and
its Rulers to help you and the reading that follows. Remember: key words that you must have defined are
underlined in the text.
The Bolshevik’s Solutions
How was it supposed to
Did it successfully solve
What was the impact of
(give a few details so that
solve problems with the the problems?
this policy on the Russian
you know what they are!)
economy and industry?
people?
State Capitalism
Decree on Land
Decree on Workers’
Control
Formation of the Supreme
Economic Council/
Supreme Council of the
National Economy
(Vesenkha)
The Treaty of Brest Litovsk
How does this link to opposition? What effect does this opposition have on Lenin’s policies?
Learning Objectives
To be able to explain what War Communism and the NEP were and to assess how they compared to Tsarist
industrial policies.
Success Criteria
1. To explain the reasons for the introduction of War Communism and the NEP  (Ao1a, knowledge and
recall).
2. To have made synoptic links between a) Tsarist industrial policies and b) opposition to regimes (Ao1b,
synoptic judgement and synthesis across the period).
3. To have drawn conclusions regarding the success of War Communism and the NEP, and to explain the
effect that they had on the lives of the Russian people (Ao1b, assessment of consequence and
significance within an historical context).
4. Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) . (Note: try and do this over ALL tasks)
Task 1: The Russian Civil War and its impact on the Economy (Success Criteria 1)
Read the following text and highlight:
 The factors that caused problems to the economy that were to do with the Russian Civil War.
 The factors that caused problems to the economy that were not to do with the Russian Civil War.
*Note, this text is from the SHP textbook, Communist Russia under Lenin and Stalin
While Trotsky managed the Civil War, Lenin concentrated on building and consolidating the Bolshevik state...
Lenin took charge of the day-to-day business of the Sovnakom and the problems he faced were formidable.
Chief amongst was these was the rapid deterioration of the economy in the spring of 1918.
To ensure their survival in the first months after the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks had handed over
control of the land to the peasants and control of the factories to the workers’ committees. The pressure from
peasants and workers had been irresistible. But it was not long before the shortcomings of both policies
became apparent.
Industry fell apart as workers’ committees proved incapable of running the factories (although the economic
collapse was underway well before the workers took over, so they cannot be blamed entirely). This was
compounded by acute shortages of raw materials created by the Civil War. Industrial output, particularly
consumer goods, shrank in the Bolshevik-held central area. The shortage of goods led to soaring price
inflation and the value of the rouble collapsed. Peasants would not supply food to the cities if there were no
goods for which food could be exchanged and paper money was worthless. Moreover, the rich wheat areas of
the Ukraine were outside Bolshevik control. So the food shortages got worse and as early as February 1918,
the bread ration in Petrograd had reached an all-time low of only 50 grams per person per day. There were
food riots in many cities in early 1918. Workers started to flee from the cities, leaving factories short of
workers. The situation was desperate. Lenin was faced with two main problems:

keeping the workers in the cities to produce munitions, essential war supplies and other desperately
needed goods.

feeding the workers.
It was not only economic problems that Lenin faced in the summer of 1918; he was also confronted by the
full onslaught of the Civil War. From this point onwards, the Bolsheviks were fighting for their lives. As a
result, the whole economy of the Red-held part of Russia was geared towards the needs of the army. The
name given to the policies Lenin adopted from 1918-1921 is War Communism.
The Problem of Food Supply
Getting food into the cities had been a problem since 1915 and had contributed significantly to the February
and October Revolutions. For some time the peasants had been uncooperative. During 1917, they had been
interested only in getting the land and once they had it they wanted to be left alone to farm it. Their main
wish was to run their lives without outside interference. They were not really concerned about the problems
in the cities, which had little to offer them in return for their grain. Added to this, large peasant households
had split themselves into several smaller households to increase their claim for land and consequently the
land had been broken up into small parcels. This encouraged a return to subsistence farming rather than
productions for the market. Yet Lenin had promised to give the workers ‘bread’ and this was a promise he
could not afford to renege on.
Task 2: Analysing War Communism (Success Criteria 2 and 3)
Read the main features of War Communism and then complete the analysis questions below.
Grain requisitioning
The Bolsheviks had been sending units of Red guards and soldiers out into the countryside to find grain for the
hard-pressed cities. In May 1918 a Food-Supplies Dictatorship was set up to establish the forcible
requisitioning of grain as the standard policy. Unsurprisingly, the peasants resisted bitterly.
What was the impact of grain requisitioning on the peasants?
Is this change or
continuity?
Banning of private trade
All private trade and manufacture were banned. However, the state trading organisation was extremely
chaotic and industry was simply not producing enough consumer goods. So an enormous black market
developed, without which most people could not have survived.
What does this demonstrate to you about the success of communist principles in the economy?
Nationalisation of industry
All industry was brought under state control and administered by the Supreme Council of National Economy
(Vesenkha). Workers' committees were replaced by single managers reporting to central authorities. These
were often the old bourgeois managers now called 'specialists'. This was the only way to stop the chaos
caused by the factory workers' committees who had voted themselves huge pay rises, intimidated
management and stolen materials for illegal goods. Not all workers were against nationalisation: many, faced
with the closure of their factory, urged that it be nationalised and kept open. They were desperate to keep
their jobs.
What does this demonstrate to you about the success of communist principles in the economy?
Labour discipline
Discipline was brought back to the work place. There were fines for lateness and absenteeism. Internal
passports were introduced to stop people fleeing to the countryside. Piece -work rates were brought back,
along with bonuses and a work book that was needed to get rations.
Why do you think passports were necessary?
Is there change or continuity between Tsarist industrial
policy?
Rationing
A class-based system of rationing was introduced. The labour force was given priority along with Red Army
soldiers. Smaller rations were given to civil servants and professional people such as doctors. The smallest
rations, barely enough to live on, were given to the burzhui or middle classes - or as they were now called,
'the former people'.
The Red Terror
Another crucial element of War Communism was the systematic use of terror to back up the new measures
and deal with opposition. The Bolsheviks faced increased opposition inside the cities from:
 workers who were angry at their economic plight, low food rations and state violence. There were
calls for a new Soviet elections, a free press, the restoration of the Constituent Assembly and the
overthrow of the Sovnakom. Signs appeared on city walls saying “Down with Lenin and horsemeat!
Give us the Tsar and pork!”
 left wing Socialist Revolutionaries who were protesting about the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. They turned
to terrorism, shooting the German ambassador in July 1918 to try to wreck the Russian relationship
with the Germans. They captured the head of the Cheka in May and managed to shoot Lenin in
August 1918. Two other Bolshevik Party leaders were murdered.
An assassination attempt on Lenin's life in August 1918 prompted the Cheka to launch the Red Terror. Arrests,
executions etc. increased in intensity.
What was the impact of War Communism on the Russian people?
For more information on the impact of War Communism on the Russian people, read the pages on “What
was life like in Bolshevik cities under War Communism?”
Task 3: The New Economic Policy (Success Criteria 1)
Read page 109 of Access to History, Russia and its Rulers and explain what the differences are
between the NEP and War Communism.
Why do you think that Lenin took this step?
Read and highlight the reading on the following pages. Were you correct?
 What reasons were based on the need to improve the economy?
 What reasons were based on opposition?
Task 4: The Nepman and other Effects of the NEP (Success Criteria 3)
Read page 109-110 of Access to History: Russia and its Rulers, and the following reading and
complete the following tasks.
Create a cartoon image of a Nepman
Explain what the Scissors Crisis was
On lined paper, create a summary of the positive and negative impacts of the NEP. Was it better, or
worse than War Communism for the Russian people?
Learning Objectives
To be able to explain what it was and why Stalin made his Great Turn
Success Criteria
1. To explain the reasons for Stalin’s Great Turn  (Ao1a, knowledge and recall).
2. To have drawn conclusions about the intended effects of the Great Turn on the Russian economy
(Ao1b, assessment of consequence and significance within an historical context) .
3. To have drawn synoptic links across the period (Ao1b)
4. Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) . (Note: try and do this over ALL tasks)
Task 1: What was Stalin’s Great Turn?
Look at page 156 in your handout (from SHP textbook) and highlight the changes that demonstrate that Stalin
had a “Great Turn”. Write a summary in the boxes below.
Changes from the NEP that indicate Stalin began a “Great Turn”
Questions that you need to
ask about the “Great Turn”
Task 2: The Reasons for Stalin’s Great Turn
a) Look at the source on page 116 of the Heinemann Russia and its Rulers book and note
down the reasons given by Stalin for the Great Turn.
b) Look at page 152-153 of your SHP handout and read the reasons for
the Great Turn. Draw a little crown to indicate where a reason links
to Tsarist motives for industrialisation (and write an example). Draw
a little Bolshevik symbol to indicate where a reason links to Lenin’s
work with the economy (and write an example).
c) Look at page 154 and 155 of your SHP handout and highlight where the failure of the NEP made a
change in economic policy necessary.
d) How different was the motives for Stalin’s Great Turn from previous governments’ policies? Why was
there continuity in the different needs to industrialise Russia?
Learning Objectives
To be able to assess the successes and failures of the Five Year Plans .
Success Criteria
1. To explain what the aims of the FYPs were  (Ao1a, knowledge and recall).
2. To have explained the different methods of the FYPs and assessed their success (Ao1b, assessment of
consequence and significance within an historical context).
3. To have drawn synoptic links across the period (Ao1b) .
4. Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) . (Note: try and do this over ALL tasks)
Task 1: Soviet Economy Posters
*All posters are taken from the International Institute of Social History, which can be found at this URL http://www.iisg.nl/exhibitions/chairman/sovintro.php #top .
Look at the following posters on the Soviet Economy and see what information you can work out from them
about the industrialisation that took place under the Five Year Plans.
“Help build
the
gigantic
factories”,
1929. This
poster is
advertising
a state loan
to build
large
factories.
“Full speed
ahead for
the fourth
and final
year of the
Five Year
Plan!”,
1931
“With shock labour we will
ensure prompt delivery of
the giants of the Five Year
Plan”, 1931
“Giants of the Five Year Plan”, 1933
“Under Lenin's banner for
the second Five Year
Plan!”, 1931
We do like Stachanov! 1936 Azerbaijan cotton
workers (Azerbaijan being a Soviet satellite state).
Task 2: The Five Year Plans
Use the Access to History Stalin and Industrialisation readings (from Stalin and Khrushchev, 1924-26) to
complete the notes on the Five Year Plans.
Key terms to
Define
Gosplan
Homo Sovieticus
Gigantomania
Stakhanovite
Propaganda and the FYPs. Skim read the reading to find all the information that you can on how
propaganda was used during the FYPs. Create a propaganda poster that covers ALL of these methods: the
plan itself, Homo Sovieticus, Magnitogorsk, the collective will, saboteurs, use of terror, media control,
Stakahnovite.
Task 3: Successes and Failures of the Five Year Plans
*Note, this will also include industrialisation under Khrushchev, who came to power (eventually) after
Stalin’s death in 1953.
Create a method of recording the successes and failures of the Five Year Plans. You need to include (tick the
box when you have completed:
What needs to be included
Details of the plans themselves: what the included (1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Five Year Plans)
Success of those plans
Other factors affecting the plans (e.g. war, shortages, unrest...)
Failures of the plans
Ao1b: Significance of things that happened with the plans (e.g. impact on Russian industrial growth or
development, impact on the Russian people).
Ao1b: Evaluation of change and continuity across the other Russian leaders (Alexander II, Alexander
III, Nicholas II, Lenin) SYNTHESIS
Ao1b: Synoptic Judgement

Methods include: mind map, revision cards, revision poster, mixture of pictures and texts, notes that you
highlight and annotate, reports... anything you can think of, as long as you can explain it to the group.
Use these resources:




Access to History, Russia and its Rulers pages 112-114
Heinemann, Russia and its Rulers pages 116-118
You will also need Access to History Stalin and Industrialisation readings (from Stalin and Khrushchev,
1924-26) that you used in the previous task and the next section “The Economy in Wartime”. You will
also need the information on Khrushchev from the same text.
You can use any other resources that you might find.
Task 4: The Five Year Plans were the best industrialising Russia ever had. Write your judgement in the box
below.
Learning Objectives
To be prepared for planning and writing industrialisation synoptic essays.
Personalised Learning Objectives (to be set by your teacher and based on your previous performance):
Success Criteria
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ao1a; knowledge and recall of supporting contextual evidence to develop an argument .
Ao1b; assessment of consequence and significance within an historical context .
To have drawn synoptic links across the period .
Target grades B+: Ao1a- wide range of evidence, accurately and relevantly deployed to create
judgements. Ao1b- excellent, well supported synoptic judgements  may be unexpected but
substantiated claims made across the period) .
Task 1: Essays on the Industrialisation of Russia
Confidence Chart: Decide the level of confidence that you have with each of these industrialisation essays by
completing the chart below.
Essay Title
Confident Okay
Not confident
Essay 1: Explain why the pace and extent of industrialisation were
much greater under the communists than the tsars.
Essay 2: How different socially and economically was Tsarist Russia
(1855-1917) from Communist Russia? (1918-1964)
Essay 3: ‘All Russia’s rulers tried to modernise Russia’. How far do you
agree with this view of the period from 1855-1964?
Essay 4: Assess the view that economic change in Russia was more
successful under Stalin than any other rule in the period from 18551964.
*Bear in mind that industry will come into essays on the other themes, but these are ones that are focused on
industrialisation overall.
Task 2: The Essay of Least Confidence
Pick the essay that you are least confident on to work on in today’s lesson, because this will then mean that
you can get help on it. Ideally, you will (as part of your revision) write (or at least plan) all of these essays.
Pick apart your essay and state what it is asking you to do using the following boxes. Look at the example,
on this question from another theme: ‘The communist rulers were effective autocrats; the Tsars were not’.
How far do you agree with this view of Russian government in the period from 1855-1964?
Essay Picked: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 .
What does it want me to Is the essay built around Is there a key term that needs What is the time
compare/ assess?
a particular ruler/ idea? defining?
period?
1855-1964
Nature of governmentcontrol rulers had over
people.
Level of autocracy of
Russian state over the
period.
Effective: control over people/
media, lack of opposition,
ability to do whatever.
1855-1964
Task 3: The Mark Scheme
a) Look at the mark scheme in this handout.
b) Look at your target grade. What criteria do you need to get to meet your target grade? Write it inyour
own words so we can see what you actually need to do.
c) Write your target grade criteria in the boxes below.
Target Grade:
Ao1a Use of Evidence
Ao1a Use of Key Historical
Terminology
Ao1a Structure
Ao1a (Literacy) Written
Communication
Ao1b Understanding of Key
Concepts
Ao1b Analysis of Key Concepts
Ao1b Links between the periods
Ao1b Developed Explanations
Ao1b Balanced and Supported
Judgements (synoptic)
Ao1b Focus and Relevance
Ao1b Synthesis (rulers compared
and contrasted)
Task 4: The Knowledge Required: Use a page of A3 paper to create a plan for your essay. You may plan your
essay in any way you wish BUT your plan must include- the rulers you will pair/ group together as doing
similar things, the rulers you will contrast with each other (knowledge/ synthesis), your assessment of change
and continuity, your assessment of significance of changes and continuities, and the specific historical
knowledge that you might use, and crucially how you will meet the target criteria for your essay.
Task 5: Write your essay!
Timed conditions: 1 hour.
Lined Paper
Submit for marking.