The Russian Revolution

Even after the Duma was formed decisive power remained with the Tsar. Exam tip: distinguish reform from real power.

The direct answer is A, because the First World War increased military defeats, food crisis and economic pressure. Russia entered the war with weak transport, limited supplies and deep social inequality. Millions of soldiers were killed, wounded or captured, while cities faced shortages of bread and fuel. Prices rose, industries struggled and confidence in Tsar Nicholas II fell, especially after he took personal command of the army. These pressures turned existing worker, peasant and political grievances into mass protests and helped create the conditions for revolution. B is wrong because the war damaged the Tsar’s popularity. C is wrong because strikes and unrest increased rather than disappearing. D is wrong because the peasant demand for land remained unresolved. A correctly explains the war’s accelerating role; it intensified earlier problems rather than creating every problem from nothing. Exam cue: war defeat plus hunger plus economic breakdown produced revolutionary pressure.

In Petrograd workers soldiers and power centres were close. Exam tip: link the importance of place with social forces.

Women workers' action triggered wider strikes. Exam tip: connect women's role with the beginning.

When soldiers moved away from the Tsar the force of rule collapsed. Exam tip: link army loyalty with stability of power.

After abdication the Tsarist political system ended. Exam tip: link March 1917 with the end of monarchy.

The Provisional Government could not quickly solve people's core demands. Exam tip: treat this failure as background to October.

In dual power centres of command and representation were different. Exam tip: write it as a cause of political instability.

Soviets appeared as the voice of active popular classes. Exam tip: link Soviets with popular representation.

The April Theses turned people's needs into a revolutionary programme. Exam tip: remember its three main points.

This slogan wanted to shift power from old institutions to Soviets. Exam tip: link the slogan with transfer of power.

The peace slogan attracted people tired of war. Exam tip: link Bolshevik popularity with anti-war feeling.

Peasants wanted control over land so this policy influenced them. Exam tip: connect land policy with rural support.

The direct answer is A, because soldiers, Soviets, Bolshevik leadership and a deliberate power strategy all played roles. Workers were important through strikes, demonstrations and support for revolutionary demands, but the October seizure of power was also organised politically. Soldiers weakened the Provisional Government by refusing continued sacrifice and often supported the Bolsheviks. Soviets were councils through which workers and soldiers expressed political power. Bolshevik leaders, especially Lenin and Trotsky, planned and coordinated the takeover of key points in Petrograd. B is wrong because workers clearly participated. C is wrong because the event challenged the Provisional Government, not merely the royal family. D is wrong because foreign armies did not carry it out alone. A is correct because it gives the wider combination of social support, institutions, leadership and strategy. Memory cue: October was mass support plus organised Bolshevik action.

The Winter Palace symbolised the centre of power. Exam tip: connect this event with the decisive moment of October.

Nationalisation was a move towards socialist economic control. Exam tip: link bank policy with control over private capital.

Peace was gained but territorial and political costs were paid. Exam tip: understand it as the cost of peace policy.

The stability of the new regime was at stake in the Civil War. Exam tip: write it as a result of the Revolution.

The Red Army was the military force that defended the Bolshevik government during the Russian Civil War. Its victory over the White forces and other opponents prevented the overthrow of the new revolutionary regime. This was crucial because the Bolsheviks were still consolidating power after the October Revolution and faced armed resistance, foreign intervention, economic disruption, and political opposition. Once the Red Army prevailed, the Bolsheviks could retain control over the central territories and implement their policies. Therefore, option A is correct: the victory saved Bolshevik power and weakened its opponents. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because the victory did not restore the Tsar, transfer full authority to the Duma, or mean that Russia continued fighting alongside Germany.

During the Russian Civil War, the term White forces referred broadly to groups that opposed the Bolsheviks, who were identified with the Reds. The Whites included monarchists, supporters of the former order, liberals, anti-Bolshevik socialists, and other political or military groups with different aims. They were united mainly by their opposition to Bolshevik control and revolutionary policies, not by one completely uniform programme. Thus option A is correct. Option B reverses the relationship because the workers’ movement was associated with the Bolsheviks, while option C wrongly describes the political role of Soviets. Option D is also incorrect because White forces were armed and political opponents, not merely food committees.

Strikes were not only economic demands but pressure on power. Exam tip: study labour movement as a political event.

The land question linked rural people with revolutionary change. Exam tip: treat peasant demand as a social base.

The slogans were simple but expressed people's real needs. Exam tip: connect slogans with causes.

February and October were separate stages of power change. Exam tip: separate both by chronology and result.

The February Revolution of 1917 began on 23 February according to the Julian calendar used in Russia. The same date was 8 March in the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used today. Therefore, it is called the ‘February Revolution’ even though its dates fall in March in the modern calendar. The Revolution of 1905 was a separate event. Exam tip: always note whether Russian Revolution dates are given in the Julian or Gregorian calendar.