Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41 is the modern depth study that investigates why and how Russia was transformed from the autocratic tsarist government to a communist dictatorship between 1905 and 1941. You will study the role key individuals played in the revolutions, as well as how the communist dictatorship radically changed the lives of ordinary people. You will focus on crucial events during this period, and study the different social, cultural, political, economic and military changes that occurred.

This study enables you to understand the complexities and challenges of a nation undergoing radical change. You will investigate themes such as democracy, revolution, dictatorship, government, propaganda, censorship, economy and society. This course will enable you to develop the historical skills of causation and consequence, and encourage you to analyse and evaluate contemporary sources as well as interpretations of the time period.

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41 is split into 4 key enquiries:

• ❖ Enquiry 1 looks at the revolutions of 1917. You will also study the threats to Tsar Nicholas II's autocratic government, the reasons for the outbreak of both the February and October Revolutions, and the turbulent months between them.
• ❖ Enquiry 2 looks at the Bolsheviks in power between 1917 and 1924. You will investigate how they established and extended their power to create a dictatorship. You will also study the political, economic and social changes Russia underwent between 1917 and 1924.
• ❖ Enquiry 3 looks at Stalin's rise to power and how he created a personal dictatorship between 1924 and 1941. You will study the power struggle between key leaders of the Communist Party, the increasing use of terror, and the role that censorship and propaganda played.
• ❖ Enquiry 4 looks at the economic and social changes in the USSR between 1924 and 1941. You will study the reasons for, and the impact of, industrialisation and collectivisation on the nation. Life for women, children and ethnic minorities will be explored.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Tsar Nicholas II.
• ❖ Tsarina Alexandra.
• ❖ Rasputin.
• ❖ Vladimir Lenin.
• ❖ Joseph Stalin.
• ❖ Leon Trotsky.
• ❖ Alexander Kerensky.
• ❖ Pyotr Stolypin.
• ❖ Lev Kamenev.
• ❖ Sergei Kirov.
• ❖ Nikolai Yezhov.

Some of the key events you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The effect of the First World War on Russia.
• ❖ The consolidation of Bolshevik control.
• ❖ The Russian Civil War.
• ❖ The struggle for power after Lenin's death.
• ❖ The Great Purge.
• ❖ Industrialisation and collectivisation under the Five Year Plans.
• ❖ Policies towards women and the young between 1924 and 1941.

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41 is paper 3 where you have a total of 1 hour 20 minutes to complete. There will be 3 exam questions which will assess what you have learnt. Question 3 will be broken down into a, b, c and d. You have to answer all questions.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 4 marks. This question will require you to make two inferences from a source that answers the question asked. You will need to support each inference with relevant detail from the source. This could be in the form of a quote, detail from a visual source or by paraphrasing what the source states.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 12 marks. This question will require you to explain why an event occurred. You need to identify three reasons, support each one with accurate and relevant information that is precisely selected and then clearly explain how each cause made the event happen.
• ❖ Question 3a is worth 8 marks. This question asks you to explain how useful two sources are for a specific enquiry using the content of the source, the provenance of the source and your own contextual knowledge.
• ❖ Question 3b is worth 4 marks. This question asks you to identify the main difference in the views of two historical interpretations on a specific topic. You have to support the main difference with details from both interpretations.
• ❖ Question 3c is worth 4 marks. This question asks you to suggest one reason why the views of the two historical interpretations might be different. You have to support the main difference with details from both interpretations and you could can use the sources from question 3a to help you answer the question.
• ❖ Question 3d is worth 16 marks and an additional 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. This question asks you to explain how far you agree with one of the interpretations. In your explanation you have to evaluate both interpretations, using your own knowledge of the historical context to come to your conclusion.