Class 9 Social Science-History Chapter 2: Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

1. Short Notes for Revision

  • Age of Social Change: French Revolution sparked ideas of freedom and equality, influencing Europe and colonies like India (Rammohan Roy, Derozio). Not all wanted radical change; responses varied: conservatives favored gradual shifts respecting past, liberals sought tolerant nations with representative governments but limited voting to propertied men, radicals pushed for majority rule and women’s suffrage.
  • Liberals, Radicals, Conservatives: Liberals: Tolerated religions, opposed dynastic power, wanted parliamentary government and independent judiciary; not democrats, no universal franchise. Radicals: Supported majority-based government, opposed landowner privileges, favored women’s rights. Conservatives: Initially resisted change, post-French Revolution accepted slow evolution.
  • Industrial Society and Social Change: 19th century saw cities grow, railways expand, Industrial Revolution. Factories brought long hours, low wages, unemployment, poor housing. Liberals/radicals (often employers) believed in individual effort, healthy workforce for progress; opposed aristocracy’s birth privileges.
  • Coming of Socialism to Europe: Mid-19th century, socialism gained attention. Socialists opposed private property as root of social ills; believed society-controlled property would prioritize collective welfare. Visions: Cooperatives (Robert Owen’s New Harmony, USA, 1771-1858; Louis Blanc’s government-backed associations, 1813-1882). Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895): Industrial society capitalist; workers produce profit but exploited; need to overthrow capitalism for communist society with social property control.
  • Support for Socialism: By 1870s, ideas spread; Second International coordinated efforts. Workers formed associations in England/Germany for better conditions, funds, voting rights. Parties: Social Democratic Party (SPD, Germany), Labour Party (Britain, 1905), Socialist Party (France). No governments formed pre-1914; influenced legislation but ruled by conservatives/liberals/radicals. Paris Commune (1871): Peoples’ government crushed but inspired socialists; red flag and Marseillaise as symbols.
  • Russian Empire in 1914: Tsar Nicholas II ruled autocratically over vast territory from Finland to Asia. Population 85% peasants, mostly Orthodox Christians; minorities like Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists. Unequal: Nobles, clergy, peasants, workers. Industry in pockets like St Petersburg, Moscow.
  • Economy and Society: 85% agriculture; large estates cultivated by peasants paying high rents. Communal land (mir) redistributed periodically. Industrialization late (1890s); foreign investment in railways/factories. Workers: Harsh conditions, low wages, associations illegal. Society divided: Liberals/radicals wanted constitutional monarchy; socialists influenced by Marx, split into Bolsheviks (majority, led by Lenin) and Mensheviks (minority).
  • Socialism in Russia: All parties illegal pre-1914. Social Democrats and Socialist Revolutionaries worked with peasants/workers. Bolsheviks: Disciplined party for revolution; Mensheviks: Open membership.
  • 1905 Revolution: Economic depression, high prices, low wages sparked strikes. Bloody Sunday (22 Jan 1905): Priest Gapon’s peaceful march fired upon, 100+ killed. Led to strikes, mutinies, soviets formed. Tsar allowed Duma but dismissed it when demanding reforms.
  • First World War and Russian Empire: Russia joined Allies (1914); early enthusiasm faded with defeats (Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes). 7 million casualties by 1917; destroyed crops/industry. Soldiers mutinied; blamed Tsar.
  • February Revolution 1917: Petrograd strikes over food shortages; soldiers joined protesters. 26 Feb: Duma suspended, protesters formed Soviet. Tsar abdicated 2 March; Provisional Government led by liberals, shared power with Soviet.
  • October Revolution 1917: Lenin returned April, demanded peace, land, bank nationalization. July unrest; Lenin fled. Bolsheviks led by Trotsky seized power 24 Oct: Stormed Winter Palace, arrested ministers. All-Russian Congress of Soviets declared control.
  • Changes after October: Banks/industry nationalized, land redistributed, Bolsheviks renamed Communist Party. Russia withdrew from WWI (Brest Litovsk Treaty, March 1918, lost territory).
  • Civil War 1918-1920: Bolsheviks vs Whites (tsarists), Greens (socialists), foreign troops. Red Army (Trotsky) won; non-Russian areas lost. USSR formed 1922.
  • Making a Socialist Society: Central planning via Five Year Plans (1927-1932 onward) for industry/agriculture. Rapid growth but restricted rights; no opposition. Schools, cheap healthcare extended.
  • Stalinism and Collectivization: 1927-1953, Stalin forced collectivization: Peasants to collective farms (kolkhoz); resisted, kulaks eliminated. 1930-33 famine killed millions; critics accused, sent to gulags.
  • Global Influence: Inspired communists worldwide; Comintern fostered parties. Mixed views: Achievements in industrialization/education vs lack of democracy. Influenced anti-colonial movements; USSR broke up 1991 but socialism shaped 20th century.

2. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

  1. Who sought to build a cooperative community called New Harmony? A) Karl Marx B) Robert Owen C) Louis Blanc D) Friedrich Engels
  2. What did liberals oppose in 19th-century Europe? A) Religious tolerance B) Uncontrolled dynastic rulers C) Parliamentary government D) Independent judiciary
  3. The Second International was formed to: A) Coordinate socialist efforts B) Support conservatives C) Promote capitalism D) Oppose women’s suffrage
  4. In the Russian Empire of 1914, what percentage was agricultural? A) 50% B) 85% C) 60% D) 90%
  5. Who led the Bolshevik group? A) Kerenskii B) Lenin C) Stalin D) Trotsky
  6. Bloody Sunday occurred in: A) 1917 B) 1905 C) 1914 D) 1920
  7. The Treaty of Brest Litovsk was signed with: A) Germany B) Britain C) France D) USA
  8. Kulaks were: A) Poor peasants B) Well-to-do peasants C) Workers D) Nobles
  9. The Paris Commune happened in: A) 1789 B) 1871 C) 1905 D) 1917
  10. What did Marx call a society where all property is socially controlled? A) Capitalist B) Communist C) Feudal D) Democratic
  11. The Duma was created after: A) February Revolution B) 1905 Revolution C) October Revolution D) Civil War
  12. Soviets were: A) Peasant councils B) Workers’ and soldiers’ councils C) Noble assemblies D) Tsar’s advisors
  13. Stalin’s collectivization began around: A) 1917 B) 1927 C) 1937 D) 1947
  14. The Civil War in Russia was between: A) Bolsheviks and Mensheviks B) Reds and Whites C) Tsar and Duma D) Peasants and workers
  15. The First Five Year Plan focused on: A) Agriculture only B) Industry and economy C) Military D) Education
  16. Who was the Tsar during the 1917 Revolution? A) Alexander III B) Nicholas II C) Ivan IV D) Peter I
  17. Jadidists were: A) Muslim reformers B) Orthodox priests C) Socialist leaders D) Industrial workers
  18. The April Theses were presented by: A) Stalin B) Lenin C) Kerenskii D) Trotsky
  19. The Red Army was created by: A) Lenin B) Trotsky C) Stalin D) Nicholas II
  20. The USSR was formed in: A) 1917 B) 1922 C) 1927 D) 1991
  21. What symbolized the Paris Commune? A) Tricolour flag B) Workers’ red flag C) White flag D) Green banner
  22. Mensheviks believed in: A) Party discipline B) Open membership C) Immediate revolution D) Tsarist rule
  23. The February Revolution led to: A) Tsar’s abdication B) Bolshevik power C) Civil War D) Collectivization
  24. Gulags were: A) Collective farms B) Labor camps C) Factories D) Schools
  25. Comintern aimed to: A) Promote world communism B) Support capitalism C) Aid tsarists D) Oppose industrialization

Answer Key: 1-B, 2-B, 3-A, 4-B, 5-B, 6-B, 7-A, 8-B, 9-B, 10-B, 11-B, 12-B, 13-B, 14-B, 15-B, 16-B, 17-A, 18-B, 19-B, 20-B, 21-B, 22-B, 23-A, 24-B, 25-A

3. Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSAQs)

  1. Define suffragette movement. Answer: A movement to give women the right to vote.
  2. Who was Robert Owen? Answer: English manufacturer who built cooperative community New Harmony in USA.
  3. What is the Second International? Answer: International body to coordinate socialist efforts in Europe.
  4. Name the Tsar in 1914. Answer: Nicholas II.
  5. What were kulaks? Answer: Well-to-do peasants in Russia.
  6. When was Bloody Sunday? Answer: 22 January 1905.
  7. Who led the Provisional Government? Answer: Prince Georgy Lvov, later Alexander Kerenskii.
  8. What was the mir? Answer: Communal land held by Russian peasants, periodically redistributed.
  9. Name two socialist groups in Russia. Answer: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
  10. What was the Duma? Answer: Elected consultative parliament in Russia.
  11. When was the October Revolution? Answer: 24 October 1917 (7 November new calendar).
  12. What was Cheka? Answer: Bolshevik secret police, later OGPU/NKVD.
  13. When did the Civil War end? Answer: 1920.
  14. What were kolkhoz? Answer: Collective farms under Stalin.
  15. Name a global influence of Russian Revolution. Answer: Formation of communist parties worldwide via Comintern.

4. Short Answer Type Questions (SAQs)

  1. Differentiate between liberals and radicals. Answer: Liberals wanted representative government but limited voting to propertied men, opposing universal franchise. Radicals sought majority rule, supported women’s suffrage, and disliked concentration of property among few.
  2. Explain Marx’s view on capitalism. Answer: Marx saw industrial society as capitalist where owners profited from workers’ labor. He argued workers must overthrow private property for a communist society with collective control.
  3. Describe the Russian Empire’s society in 1914. Answer: Mostly peasants (85%), with nobles and clergy privileged. Diverse religions, but Orthodox dominant; workers in cities faced harsh conditions.
  4. What led to the 1905 Revolution? Answer: High prices, low wages, defeats in Russo-Japanese War sparked strikes. Bloody Sunday massacre intensified unrest, leading to soviets and limited reforms like Duma.
  5. Outline the February Revolution. Answer: Petrograd strikes over food/fuel shortages; soldiers refused to fire, joined protesters. Tsar abdicated; Provisional Government formed, sharing power with Petrograd Soviet.
  6. What changes did Bolsheviks make after October? Answer: Nationalized industry/banks, redistributed land to peasants, withdrew from WWI via Brest Litovsk. Renamed party Communist; made peace with Germany, losing territories.
  7. Explain collectivization under Stalin. Answer: Peasants forced into collective farms (kolkhoz); resisted by destroying livestock. Kulaks eliminated; caused 1930-33 famine, millions died.
  8. How did workers’ associations support socialism? Answer: In England/Germany, they fought for better conditions, reduced hours, voting rights. Worked with parties like SPD, winning parliamentary seats.
  9. What was the Paris Commune’s significance? Answer: 1871 peoples’ government in Paris, crushed but inspired socialists. Associated with red flag and Marseillaise as liberty symbols.
  10. Describe economy during First World War in Russia. Answer: Industries shut, supplies cut; bread/flour scarce in cities. Soldiers faced defeats, high casualties; blame on Tsar led to mutinies.
  11. Differentiate Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Answer: Bolsheviks (Lenin) wanted disciplined party for revolution; Mensheviks favored open membership, gradual change.
  12. What were Five Year Plans? Answer: Centralized economic planning from 1927 for rapid industrialization. Extended schools/healthcare but limited freedoms.
  13. How did Russian Revolution influence the world? Answer: Inspired communist parties globally via Comintern. Seen as model for equality/education, though criticized for lack of democracy.
  14. Explain role of women in Russian Revolution. Answer: Factory women led February strikes; Bolsheviks improved rights post-revolution. Formed Zhenotdel for welfare, though collectivization burdened them.
  15. What was the Civil War’s outcome? Answer: Bolsheviks defeated Whites/Greens/foreign forces by 1920. Led to USSR formation in 1922; non-Russian nationalities incorporated.

5. Long Answer Type Questions (LAQs)

  1. Discuss the political ideologies in 19th-century Europe and their impact. Answer: Post-French Revolution, conservatives accepted gradual change respecting traditions, opposing radical shifts. Liberals pushed for religious tolerance, rights against governments, elected parliaments, but restricted voting to propertied men, excluding women. Radicals demanded majority rule, supported suffragettes, challenged landowner wealth concentration. These clashed during upheavals like 1848 revolutions. Socialists emerged, viewing private property as inequality’s root; visions from cooperatives to Marx’s communism influenced workers’ movements. In Russia, these shaped 1917 events, leading to socialist state. Globally, inspired anti-colonial thinkers like in India.
  2. Explain the causes and events of the 1905 Revolution in Russia. Answer: Causes included autocratic Tsarist rule, peasant poverty, worker exploitation, Russo-Japanese War defeats. Events: Strikes over dismissals; Bloody Sunday (Jan 1905) where Father Gapon’s march was fired upon, killing over 100. Sparked widespread strikes, university closures, mutinies. Workers formed soviets; professionals demanded constitution. Tsar created Duma but limited its power, dismissing reform demands. Though suppressed, it set stage for 1917 by highlighting grievances and introducing limited parliament.
  3. Describe the February and October Revolutions of 1917. Answer: February: Amid WWI shortages, Petrograd women/workers struck 23 Feb; soldiers joined, refusing orders. Duma suspended 27 Feb; protesters formed Soviet, demanded Tsar’s abdication (2 March). Provisional Government formed, promising freedoms. October: Lenin’s April Theses called for soviet power. Bolsheviks gained support; July unrest suppressed but planned seizure. 24 Oct, Red Guards took key sites, arrested ministers. Congress of Soviets approved takeover 25 Oct, starting Bolshevik rule. Marked shift from monarchy to socialism.
  4. Analyze changes after October Revolution and Civil War. Answer: Bolsheviks nationalized industries/banks, declared land peasant property, banned old titles. Withdrew from WWI via Brest Litovsk, losing lands. Civil War (1918-20): Fought Whites, Greens, foreigners; Reds won via centralized army, war communism (grain seizure). Post-war, NEP (1921) allowed small private trade for recovery. USSR formed 1922, incorporating nationalities. Economy centralized; party became one-party system. Transformed Russia from backward agrarian to industrial power, though at human cost.
  5. Evaluate Stalin’s policies and their effects. Answer: Stalin ended NEP 1928, introducing Five Year Plans for rapid industrialization: Built factories, dams; achieved growth but poor quality goods. Collectivization: Forced peasants into kolkhoz; kulaks deported to Siberia. Resistance caused livestock slaughter, 1930-33 famine (4-5 million deaths in Ukraine). Critics imprisoned in gulags. Positive: Education/healthcare expanded, women in workforce. Negative: No democracy, purges killed millions. Shaped USSR as superpower but with repression.
  6. Discuss global influence of Russian Revolution. Answer: Revolution inspired worldwide communist parties through Comintern, aiding anti-imperial struggles. In colonies, reshaped freedom ideas; influenced Indian socialists. USSR model: Rapid industrialization/equality appealed, but dictatorship criticized. Supported anti-colonialism post-WWII. By mid-20th century, many nations adopted socialist elements. Though USSR collapsed 1991, legacy in welfare states, labor rights. Some in India admired, others horrified by violence.
  7. Examine role of workers and peasants in Russian Revolution. Answer: Workers: Formed soviets, led strikes in 1905/1917; Bolshevik support from factory committees. Petrograd strikes sparked February Revolution; Red Guards key in October. Peasants: Suffered land hunger; seized estates 1917, legalized by Bolsheviks. Socialist Revolutionaries advocated land redistribution. During Civil War, many supported Reds for land promises but resisted collectivization later. Their unrest weakened Tsarism; alliance with workers enabled Bolshevik success, though later policies alienated them.
  8. Compare socialist visions in Europe and their realization in Russia. Answer: European socialists like Owen/Blanc focused on cooperatives, government aid; Marx on worker overthrow of capitalism for communism. In Russia, Lenin adapted: Vanguard party led revolution, not spontaneous. Post-1917, nationalization/land reform realized social control but one-party rule deviated from democratic ideals. Stalin’s central planning achieved industrialization but with forced labor, unlike voluntary cooperatives. Global impact: Inspired but showed challenges like economic costs, loss of freedoms. Russia’s version more state-controlled than early visions.

6. Source-Based / Case-Based Assessment Questions

Source Extract: (From the textbook, on socialists’ views) Socialists were against private property, and saw it as the root of all social ills of the time. Individuals owned the property that gave employment but the propertied were concerned only with personal gain and not with the welfare of those who made the property productive. So if society as a whole rather than single individuals controlled property, more attention would be paid to collective social interests.

Questions:

  1. Why were socialists against private property?
  2. What did they propose instead?
  3. How did this view differ from capitalists?
  4. Link this to Marx’s ideas.
  5. Analyze potential benefits.

Answer Key:

  1. Seen as root of social ills, focused on personal gain over welfare.
  2. Society-controlled property for collective interests.
  3. Capitalists accumulated profit; socialists wanted worker benefits.
  4. Marx argued workers produce profit but exploited; need communist society.
  5. Better welfare, equality, but might reduce individual initiative.

Source Extract: (From Fig. 2 – Paris Commune painting) This portrays a scene from the popular uprising in Paris between March and May 1871. The uprising emerged against a background of growing discontent against the policies of the French state. The ‘Paris Commune’ was ultimately crushed by government troops but it was celebrated by Socialists the world over as a prelude to a socialist revolution.

Questions:

  1. When was the Paris Commune?
  2. What was its composition?
  3. Why was it crushed?
  4. What legacies did it leave?
  5. How did it inspire later movements?
  6. Relate to Russian soviets.

Answer Key:

  1. March-May 1871.
  2. Workers, ordinary people, professionals, activists.
  3. By government troops amid discontent.
  4. Workers’ red flag, Marseillaise as liberty symbols.
  5. Seen as prelude to socialist revolution.
  6. Similar to peoples’ councils in 1905/1917 Russia.

Source Extract: (From textbook on 1905) On Sunday, 22 January 1905, the workers led by Father Gapon reached the Winter Palace, it was attacked by police and Cossacks. Over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded. The incident, known as Bloody Sunday, started a series of events that became known as the 1905 Revolution.

Questions:

  1. What triggered Bloody Sunday?
  2. Casualties?
  3. Immediate outcomes?
  4. Broader impact?

Answer Key:

  1. Peaceful march to Winter Palace fired upon.
  2. 100+ killed, 300 wounded.
  3. Strikes, mutinies, soviets formed.
  4. Led to Duma creation, set stage for 1917.

Source Extract: (On Stalinism) From 1929, the Party forced all peasants to cultivate in collective farms (kolkhoz). The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms. Peasants worked on the land, and the kolkhoz profit was shared. Enraged peasants resisted the authorities and destroyed their livestock.

Questions:

  1. What were kolkhoz?
  2. Why did peasants resist?
  3. Consequences?
  4. Link to Five Year Plans.

Answer Key:

  1. Collective farms.
  2. Forced transfer of land/implements.
  3. Livestock destroyed, famine 1930-33.
  4. Part of industrialization, rapid growth but human cost.

7. Solved Exercise-End Questions (NCERT Solutions)

  1. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905? Answer: Social: Divided into privileged nobles/clergy and majority peasants/workers; diverse religions/nationalities. Economic: Mostly agrarian, peasants paid high rents; late industrialization with foreign capital, harsh worker conditions. Political: Autocratic Tsar Nicholas II, no parliament, parties illegal; unrest from defeats in wars.
  2. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917? Answer: Russian workers tied to villages, migrating seasonally unlike permanent urban workers elsewhere. Associations illegal, strikes suppressed; divided by skill. Many retained peasant ties, influencing radicalism. In Europe, workers had legal unions, better organization.
  3. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917? Answer: WWI defeats, high casualties eroded support; shortages caused strikes. Tsarina’s German links, Rasputin scandals discredited royalty. February Revolution: Soldiers joined protesters, refused orders. Duma/Soviet pressure forced abdication; Provisional Government couldn’t address grievances, leading to October takeover.
  4. Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution and the other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet history. Answer: February: Events – Strikes, soldier mutiny, Tsar abdication, Provisional Government. Effects – End monarchy, dual power, freedoms promised. Involved workers, soldiers, liberals; leaders Lvov/Kerenskii. Impact: Set democratic hopes but instability led to Bolshevik rise. October: Events – Bolshevik uprising, Winter Palace storming, Soviet control. Effects – Nationalization, land reform, WWI exit. Involved workers, Red Guards; leader Lenin/Trotsky. Impact: Established socialist state, Civil War, shaped USSR.
  5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution? Answer: Banks/industry nationalized, land peasant-owned, old titles banned. Army rank badges removed, workers controlled factories. Russia left WWI via Brest Litovsk. Party renamed Communist; central soviet elected. Changes aimed at equality but sparked opposition, Civil War.
  6. Write a few lines to show what you know about: (i) kulaks; (ii) the Duma; (iii) women workers between 1900 and 1930; (iv) the Liberals; (v) Stalin’s collectivisation programme. Answer: (i) Kulaks: Wealthy peasants targeted by Stalin, deported/eliminated during collectivization. (ii) Duma: Elected parliament post-1905, limited power, often dismissed by Tsar. (iii) Women workers: 31% factory workforce by 1914, low pay, led February strikes; post-revolution, rights improved but burdened in collectives. (iv) Liberals: Wanted constitutional monarchy, freedoms; led Provisional Government but opposed radical land reform. (v) Stalin’s collectivisation: 1927 onward, forced kolkhoz; caused resistance, famine, millions dead; aimed rapid industrialization.

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