Table of Contents

Narrative and Explanation

• Tsarist Russia, 1856-1914
• War and revolution, 1914-21
• Stalin's USSR, 1921-53
• Reform and stagnation, 1953-85

A2 Section:

Analysis and Interpretation Part 1: Tsarist and revolutionary Russia, 1856-1924

• How significant were the reforms of Alexander II?
• To what extent were movements for reform and revolution a threat to the tsarist regimes before 1905?
• How significant was economic and social change in Russia before 1914?
• How stable was the tsarist regime in 1914?
• Why was Russia's performance in the First World War so disastrous?
• Why were there two revolutions in Russia in 1917?
• How and why did Lenin succeed in staying in power between 1917 and 1924?

Part 2: Stalinist Russia, 1924-53

• How did Stalin become leader of the USSR by 1929?
• How fundamentally was the USSR changed by the Stalinist revolution of 1928-41?
• Why did a totalitarian regime develop in the USSR by 1941?
• What impact did the war of 1941-5 have on the USSR?
• What was the overall impact of Stalin on the development of the USSR?

Part 3: Post-Stalinist Russia, 1953-85

• How successful a reformer was Khrushchev?
• What was the extent of destalinisation?
• Why was the period after Khrushchev a time of stagnation?
• Why did the USSR eventually break up?
• To what extent had Russia modernised between 1856 and 1985?