AS History Tsarist Russia May' 14 Exam Predictions

As the exam is next week I want to focus my last minute revision on certain topics. Has anyone heard what teacher think will come up in this years exam?

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Exam board is AQA.

Original post by CharlieJH

Exam board is AQA.

Hello

I reckon emancipation will come up as it hasn't come up for a year or so; I also think that the Provisional Government will be one of the 24s: like 'How far was ..... responsible for the fall of the Provisional Government?'
Good luck revising! :smile:

Reply 3

Sabzi97

I'm just making vague plans for these questions so I won't be thrown off too much in the exam:

Section 1
1)why did Alexander II introduce reform/ Emancipation
2) How successful were reforms in transforming Russia
3) How successful was Alexander in overcoming opposition

Section 2:
1) Why was Alexander III a reactionary?
2) How successfully did Witte and Vyshnegradsky modernise Russia?
3) To what extent was Russian autocracy stable by 1894?

Section 3:
1) What were the causes of the 1905 revolution?
2) Why did Russian Autcoracy survive after the 1905 revolution?

Section 4:
1) How important were the Duma's 1906-1914
2) How important were Stolypin's reforms in restoring stability/ modernising Russia
3) How stable was Russian autocracy by 1914

Section 5:
1) Why did Tsar Nicholas II abdicate/ what caused the February revolution
2) To what extent was the provisional government responsible for the October Revolution?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4

username877577

I'm doing this too! Predictions anybody?

Reply 5

Alltimesarah

Will there be a section for each part of the course? like beginning, middle and end?

Reply 6

Sabzi97

Original post by Olympiad

I'm doing this too! Predictions anybody?

Like ZeniB said, most likely something about Emanciaption or Alexander II's reforms for Question 1, and something about the failure of the Provisional Government for Question 3.

I'm just hoping question 2 will be something about Stolypin's reforms or Nicholas II, I don't like the topics about Alexander III or Witte and Vyshnegradsky too much :tongue:

But how's everyone's revision going so far?

Reply 7

username877577

Original post by Sabzi97

But how's everyone's revision going so far?

So is there a q on each section? Mine is terrible! I'm thinking of leaving a few topics out of revision but not sure! Running out of time ahhh

How's yours?

Reply 8

Sabzi97

Original post by Alltimesarah

Will there be a section for each part of the course? like beginning, middle and end?

There seems to be some sort of general trend like that:
Question 1 almost always talks about Alexander II
Question 3 almost always talks about the October revolution

Question 2 is the random, almost unpredictable one because sometimes it's about Alexander III, sometimes only about Witte and Vyshnegradsky and sometimes about Nicholas II...

Reply 9

Sabzi97

Original post by Olympiad

So is there a q on each section? Mine is terrible! I'm thinking of leaving a few topics out of revision but not sure! Running out of time ahhh

How's yours?

Let's just say not too good, I've left it way too late BUT I think I don't have too much to do seeing as I've understood most of the course :colondollar:

(not to mention memorised small and unnecessary facts) I'm just hoping the exam isn't a killer...

Reply 10

Alltimesarah

What factors would you put for this question?
"How far did Nicholas 11 in the years 1906 to 1914, fulfill the promises he made in the October Manifesto of 1905?" (24)

Reply 11

username877577

Original post by Sabzi97

Why these questions, do they cover the entire course? If I plan all of them do you think I'll be okay in the exam?

Reply 12

Sabzi97

Original post by Olympiad

Why these questions, do they cover the entire course? If I plan all of them do you think I'll be okay in the exam?

I have a whole list of syllabus questions, if you want I can post them all on here.
I've written these questions because the exam will most likely have questions similar to these- they just about cover the syllabus and I think if you can learn these then you should do okay in the exam...

Reply 13

username877577

Original post by Sabzi97

Yes please!
I'm aiming for an A but don't know where to start :frown:

Reply 14

Sabzi97

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?

Reply 15

username877577

Original post by Sabzi97

Omg thanks! Does this cover syllabus?

Reply 16

Sabzi97

Original post by Alltimesarah

What factors would you put for this question?
"How far did Nicholas 11 in the years 1906 to 1914, fulfill the promises he made in the October Manifesto of 1905?" (24)

The two sides of the argument are:
1) he followed through with the manifesto- 2 paragraphs
2) he undermined the promises he made (it's important to note he did not abolish or reverse the concessions)- 2 paragraphs

Things he promised in the October Manifesto:
-Universal suffrage
-A state Duma, and no law would be made without consent of Duma
-Civil liberties, so freedom of speech, press and assembly for all

Limitations of the Manifesto:
- Indirect elections were established with separate elections for peasants, landowners and towns.
-Laws still required Nicholas's assent and the Duma's weren't actually allowed to pass legislation

Fundamental Laws 1906:
-Nicholas had control of Army and used this to crush revolutionaries and radical idealists.
-Nicholas was supreme Autocrat and had the ability to dissolve the Duma's whenever he wanted

So your structure could be something like:
Paragraph 1: He did follow through with the Duma and it had it's first meeting in 1906.
Paragraph 2: How Russia was developing economically with Stolypin's reforms addressing the peasants, appeasing moderate opinion.
Paragraph 3: The limitations of the Duma frustrated liberals and the manipulation of the Duma membership to stop liberal prepositions being put forward.
Paragraph 4: The regime used military force to stop revolutionary and radical ideas, directly violating the "freedom of speech" in the Manifesto.

Personally, I would choose to do the other 2 questions rather than this one because I wouldn't know what to write in the conclusion

Reply 17

Sabzi97

Original post by Olympiad

Omg thanks! Does this cover syllabus?

Yep, it covers the entire syllabus :smile:

Reply 18

username877577

Original post by Sabzi97

Yep, it covers the entire syllabus :smile:

Trying to do the "How did Alex II's reforms impact Russian society" q but in stuck.

Could you possibly help me please?

Reply 19

Sabzi97

Original post by Olympiad

Trying to do the "How did Alex II's reforms impact Russian society" q but in stuck.

Could you possibly help me please?

Positive Impacts:
-The Russian military was getting stronger, meaning it was more likely to win a war and better competing with the western powers Britain, France and Germany
-Serfdom was abolished, emergence of a richer peasant class called Kulaks that could possibly buy land and stimulate the economy
-Economic reforms meant Russia was expanding- creation of a banking system and beginning of plans for a Trans-Siberian railway
-Russian society was improving- abolishing serfdom meant people were citizens and no longer subjects
-People were given more freedom and representation like people in western countries, so Russia was modernising politically
-Idea of equality because of Legal and local government reforms
- Educational reforms meant peasants were educated in how to work machinery and nobles were educated to become entrepreneurs and adapt to their new situation

Negative Impacts:
- Peasants still lived in poverty and had insufficient, poor quality land where they couldn't grow enough grain for exporting as well as making a living
-Nobles still dominated politics, and the army remained prejudiced despite the new regulations promoting the officer class on merit rather than background.
-Peasants resented the redemption dues and conscription, and some were worse off than before emancipation
- Liberals began demanding more reform like the introduction of a National Parliament, potential threat to autocracy
-Pace of indusrtialisation too slow and insufficient
-Russia still remained backward with a feudal society
-Army still weren't equipped with enough modern weaponry
- Education reforms lead to radical students who wanted to scrap away with autocracy

I think there are more, but these are all I can think of at the moment :smile: