Syllabus questions
Section 1: Reform and reaction 1855-1881
- Why did Alexander II decide to reform Russian society?
- How did Alexander II's reforms impact Russian society
- To what extent did Alexander II react against his reforms in the 1870's?
- How significant was the growth of opposition to the Tsarist regime?
Need to assess the significance of reformers and revolutionaries
- To what extent had Alexander II strengthened autocracy 1855-1881?
Section 2: Political reaction: Social and economic change, 1881-1904
- To what extent did Alexander III react against his father's regime?
- How did Vyshnegradsky and Witte stimulate rapid industrial growth?
- To what extent did rapid industrial growth of the 1890's enable Russia to develop into a modern economy?
- Why did Liberal and revolutionary opposition emerge after 1891?
- To what extent had Alexander III strengthened autocracy?
- How did the personality of Nicholas impact Russian society?
Section 3: Russia in Revolution 1904-1906
- What were the causes of the 1905 revolution?
- To what extent were the events of 1905 triggered by the political opposition?
- How did Nicholas regain social control by 1906? (Reform and repression)
Section 4: The Tsarist regime 1906-1914
- How important was the Duma in the period 1906-1914?
- To what extent did Stolypin strengthen the autocratic system?
- To what extent was Russia a modern industrial state by 1914?
- How stable was Russian autocracy by 1914?
Section 5: The First World War and the Revolutions of 1917
- To what extent was the February revolution triggered by the First World War?
- To what extent were the Provisional Government undermined by the First World War?
- Why were the Bolsheviks able to seize power in October 1917?