RBSE Class 9 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution
RBSE Class 9 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution
RBSE Class 9 Social Science Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution InText Questions and Answers
Page No. 28
Activity 1
Question 1.
List two differences between the capitalist and socialist ideas of private property.
Answer:
Capitalists Ideas:
- They were owners of the industries because they invested the capital in it.
- They believed that the profit should go to factory’s owners.
Socialists Ideas:
- They believed that all property should be controlled by society as a whole state.
- They believed that the profits are the fruits of the worker’s labour, so they deserve it.
Page No. 33
Activity 2
Question 2.
Why were there revolutionary disturbances in Russia in 1905? What were the demands of revolutionaries?
Answer:
(i) The prices of essential goods rose so steeply that real wages declined by 20%. Workers were dismissed at the Putilov Ironworks. Consequently, the procession of workers led by Father Gapon reached the Winter Palace, where it was attacked by the police. In this, 100 workers were killed and 300 wounded. These were the immediate causes of revolutionary disturbances in Russia
(ii) The Revolutionaries demanded – An eight hour working day, formation of constituent Assembly an increase in wages and improvement in the working conditions.
Page No. 38
Activity 3
Question 3.
Look at Box 2 (Page 38) and find the date of International Women’s Day according to the current calender.
Answer:
According to Julian calendar 23 February in Russia was named International Women’s Day. The current calendar goes ahead of Julian calendar, so 8th March comes 13 days ahead of 23 February. Therefore, according to the current calendar, the date of International Women’s Day is 8th March.
Page No. 47
Activity 4
Question 4.
What did Indians (Shaukat Usmani and Rabindranath Tagore) find impressive about the USSR?
Answer:
Both writers Shaukat Usmani and Rabindranath Tagore visited the USSR and were happy to see the positive results. Equality was provided to people hence inspite of poverty people were satisfied. Tagore said that no gentleman could put the poor under exploitation.
Question 5.
What did the writers fail to notice?
Answer:
Both the writers failed to notice that the way through which the Bolshevik Party captured the power and ruled the state in the name of socialism which was not justified, static and everlasting. That is why, it failed in the last.
RBSE Class 9 Social Science Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Textbook Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?
Answer:
(i) Social condition:
At the begining of 20th century more than 85% of Russian population earned their living from agriculture. Most of the land was controlled by wealthy land owners. Most of the peasants worked in the fields at low wages. The last quarter of 19th century saw the growth and spread of socialist ideas in the countryside among the workers.
(ii) Economic Conditions:
Most of the industries were controlled by private individuals. In craft units & small workshops the working hours were sometimes 15 hours. Workers were working at low wages in poor working conditions. Unemployment and financial hardships were part of their life. In 1904 prices of essential goods increased so the real wages decreases by 20%.
(iii) Political Condition:
- Russia was an Autocracy. Tsar Nicholas II was an inefficient ruler who had no concerned about the welfare of his subject.
- Different types of groups were active in Russia such as Liberals, Radicals, Conservatives, Socialist etc.
- Liberals and Radicals were against dynastic rulers while conservatives were in the favour of dynastic rulers.
- Many workers organisations were formed which affected the political system of Russia.
- The Socialist Revolutionary party was found in 1900 which was divided into two groups-Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
- The Bolsheviks were responsible for 1917 revolution and the major political events occured in Russia.
Question 2.
In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917?
Answer:
Working population of Russia was vastly different from working population of other European countries.
(i) In the beginning of the twentieth century, the vast majority of Russia’s people were agriculturists. About 85% of the Russians empire’s population earned their living from agrilculture. This proportion was much higher than other European countries e.g., in France and in Germany the proportion was between 40% and 50%.
(ii) Unlike Europe, in Russia, industrialisation started late, in the last quarter of the 19th century. Industries were found in pockets. Prominent industrial areas were St. Petersburg and Moscow Craftsmen undertook much of the function, but large factories existed alongside craft workshops.
(iii) In Russia, peasants had no respect for the nobility. Nobles got their power and position through their services to the Tsar, not through local popularity. This was unlike France where, during the French Revolution in Brittany, peasants respected nobles and fought for them. In Russia, peasants wanted the land of the nobles to be given to them. Frequently, they refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords. In 1905, such incidents took place all over Russia.
(iv) Russian peasants were different from other European peasants in another way. They pooled their land together periodically and their commune divided it according to the needs of individual families.
Question 3.
Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?
Answer:
Tsarist autocracy collapsed in 1917 due to various reasons:
(i) Tsar Nicholas II was an inefficient ruler. He believed in autocratic right of the king. Common people were not satisfied with his policies.
(ii) The bureaucrates recruited by Tsar was not efficient. They were recruited on the basis of patronage and privileges, not on merit. This was one of the major reason for the downfall of Tsarist autocracy.
(iii) Russia also took part in world war I, but this participation proved disastrous for it. Initially the war was popular in Russia and people stand in support of Tsar. As the war continued, though, the Tsar refused to consult the main parties in Duma. There was less support. Anti-German sentiments ran high.
(iv) The Tsarina Alexandra’s German origins and poor advisers especially a monk called Rasputin, made the autocracy unpopular.
(v) Russia’s armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916. There were over 7 million casualties by 1917. As they retreated, the Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from being able to live off the land. The destruction of crops and buildings led to over 3 million refugees in Russia. The situation discredited the government and the Tsar.
(vi) The large section of Russia was formed by peasants and workers. But their condition was very miserable. Their condition was also negleted by Tsar. Hence above mentioned factor prepared such a condition in Russia in which Tsarist autocracy could not survive.
Question 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:
(i) Main Events of February Revolution:
(a) In the winter of 1917, conditions in the capital, Petrograd, were grim. The winter was very cold there had been exceptional frost and heavy snow. In Februry 1917, food shortages were deeply felt in workers’ quarters.
(b) On 22 February, a lockout took place at a factory on the right bank. The next day, workers in fifty factories called a strike in sympathy. In many factories, women led the way to strikes. This came to be called as International Women’s Day. Demonstrating workers crossed from the factory quarters to the centre of the capital the Nevskii prospekt. As the fashionable quarters and official buildings were surrounded by Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution workers, the government imposed a curfew. Demonstrators dispersed by the evening, but they came back on the 24th and 25th.
(c) The demonstrators returned in force to the street of the left bank of river Neva on the 26th. On 27th, the police headquarters were ransacked. The streets thronged with people raising slogans about bread, wages, better working hours and democracy.
(ii) Main effects of the February Revolution:
(a) Government suspended Duma. On 27 February, a delegation went to see the Tsar. Military commanders advised him to abdicate.
(b) Russia’s future would be decided by a constituent assembly, elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage.
(iii) Main events of October Revolution:
- The October Revolution was the result of the conflict between the provisional government and the Bolsheviks. Lenin was the leader of Bolsheviks.
- Lenin feared that the provisional government would set up a dictatorships. In September, he began discussions for an uprising against the government.
Question 5.
What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution?
Answer:
The main changes brought by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution are as follows :
- Bolsheviks were totally opposed to private property. Most industry and banks were nationalised. The government took over the ownership and management.
- Land was declared social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
- In cities, Bolsheviks enforced the partition of large houses according to family requirements. They banned the use of old titles of aristocracy.
- New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.
- The Bolshevik party was renamed the Russian communist, Party.
- espite opposition by political allies, Bolsheviks made peace with Germany at Brest litovsk.
- Bolsheviks became the only party to participate in the election to the all Russion Congress of Soviets, which became the parliament of the country.
- Russia became one party state. Trade union were kept under party control.
Question 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) Kulak : It was a name for well-to-do fanners of the Russia. During the period of Stalin to develop modem farms, and to run them along industrial lines with machinery, it was considered necessary to eliminate ‘Kulaks’. Under the collectivisation programme, land of kulaks was taken away and converted into large modem farms.
(ii) Duma: It was an elected consultative Parliament, which was created by the Tsar during the 1905 Revolution in Russia. Its members were changed with the responsibility of making laws. Tsar Nicholas II dissolved the first Duma within 75 day. Tsar Nicholas II changed voting laws and packed the Duma with conservative politicians.
(a) Women workers played important role in history of Russia. Women made up of 31% of the factory labour force by 1914 but they were paid less than men.
(b) In the February revolution the women led the way to strikes on 22nd February, hence 22nd February is also known as International Women’s Day.
(c) They also motivated their male co-workers and women also participated in all the majors strikes in 1905 revolution.
(iii) The Liberals:
(a) One of the groups of people of Europe who looked to change society during eighteenth and nineteenth century were liberals. Liberals wanted a nation which tolerated all religions. At that time European states usually discriminated among religions and were in favour of particular religions.
(b) Liberals also opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers and wanted to safeguard the rights of individuals against governments.
(c) They argued in favour of a representative, elected parliamentary system of government and an indiriary.
(v) Stalin’s collectivisation programme:
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. Those who resisted collectivisation, were severely punished. Stalin’s Government allowed some independent cultivation but treated such cultivators unsympathetically.
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