Contents:

The end of Tsardom

1.    Tsar Nicholas II

2.    Problems in Nicholas II's Russia

3.    Late Imperial Russia - interpretations

4.    The Revolution of 1905

5.    Why was there a Revolution in February 1917?

6.    The February Revolution - interpretations

Lenin's new society

7.    Provisional Government

8.    October Revolution

9.    Bolshevik State

10.  Civil War

11.  NEP

12.  1894-1924 Cascade

Stalin's USSR

13.  Stalin Takes Power

14.  Stalin's Terror

15.  Collectivisation

16.  5-Year Plans

17.  Impact of WW2

18.  Life in Russia 1914-45

19.  Stalin's Russia - interpretations

20.  1924-1945 Cascade

21.  Self-test

Click the yellow arrow for advice on:

• How to STUDY this topic:
  • 1.   Start by reading some easy sources  in the ‘Going Deeper’ panel on this page – perhaps  one of the Chat GPT summaries (Easier or Harder), or my Basics sheet, or the KS3 History Alive textbook.  Get a grasp of the basic story.

    Make a list of key dates - leave space to add other dates you may discover during your studies. 

    It might be an idea to do this before you study this unit in class.

  • 2.   Work through the study sections above.  You can do this over time as you study the topics in lessons.

            Take advantage of some of the links to explore, more deeply, aspects of the topics which attract your interest.  Try to become ‘an expert’ on some issues.

  • 3.   Study the historiographies, to learn how historians have interpreted: Nicholas's reign, The February Revolution and Stalin , and to consider what YOU think about the debates.
  • 4.   Plunder the Cascade webpages on 1894-1924 and 1924-1945 to help you write any essays you are given.

• How to REVISE this topic:
  • 1.   Skim-read the study pages 1-11 and 13-19 in this unit, to refresh your memory of what you have learned in the lessons.
  • 2.   Go through the topics on the Cascade webpages on 1894-1924 and 1924-1945; for each, use the yellow arrows to think FIRST how you would answer, before checking against my suggestions.
  • 3.   Again using the yellow arrows to check your answers, do and re-do the Self-test until you can get every question ‘right enough’.
  • 4.   Choose the revision factsheet which suits you best from the ‘Going Deeper’ panel, and learn it off by heart; get someone to test you on it.
  • 5.   IF you have time, suss out the Smartass list of specialist terms with which to wow the examiner!  Invite a friend to revise with you and do the Revision Activies together, using them as an opportunity to share all you know.
  • 6.   NB This is just the factual stuff - don’t forget to rehearse how to do the exam-style questions for this unit.