What does the CCEA Russia 1914 to 1941 option cover?

Russia 1914 to 1941 is a Modern World depth study in Section A of Unit 1. It covers the impact of the First World War and the two revolutions of 1917, the Bolshevik struggle to hold power through the Civil War, War Communism and the New Economic Policy, Stalin's rise to power after Lenin, the Five-Year Plans and collectivisation, and Stalin's control of society through the Great Purges, the Gulag and the cult of personality.

Why did the Tsar fall in 1917?

The First World War broke the monarchy. Defeats and millions of casualties, blamed on Nicholas II after he took command of the army in 1915, combined with food and fuel shortages to cause hardship. In February 1917 strikes and bread protests in Petrograd grew into mass revolt, and when the soldiers refused to fire on the crowds and joined them, the Tsar abdicated.

How did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War?

The Bolshevik Reds won because they were united under one government and Trotsky's disciplined Red Army, and held the central core of Russia with Moscow, Petrograd, the railways and the industry, while the Whites were a divided, scattered coalition of monarchists, liberals and former Tsarists. War Communism kept the army supplied through forced grain requisitioning, though it caused famine and unrest.

How did Stalin transform the Soviet economy?

Stalin drove rapid modernisation. The Five-Year Plans from 1928 set huge targets for heavy industry and built new industrial cities such as Magnitogorsk, raising output dramatically but at the cost of harsh conditions and forced labour. Collectivisation from 1929 combined peasants' farms into state-run collective farms to control food and fund industry, causing resistance and a devastating famine, worst in Ukraine in 1932 to 1933.

How did Stalin control Soviet society?

Through terror and propaganda together. The Great Purges of the 1930s destroyed all possible opposition through arrests, show trials and executions, and the NKVD sent millions to the Gulag labour camps, spreading fear because no one was safe. The cult of personality presented Stalin as a god-like leader through propaganda, while censorship hid the famine and the terror.

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CCEA GCSE History Russia 1914 to 1941: a complete Modern World depth-study overview

A complete overview of CCEA's Modern World depth study, Russia 1914 to 1941. Covers the impact of the First World War and the revolutions of 1917, the Civil War and Bolshevik consolidation, Stalin's rise and the transformation of the Soviet economy, and his control of society through terror and propaganda.

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What this option demands
War and the revolutions of 1917
Civil War and consolidation
Stalin's rise and the economy
Terror and society
Check your knowledge

What this option demands

Russia 1914 to 1941 is a Modern World depth study in Section A of Unit 1, examining the fall of Tsarism, the Bolshevik revolution and the rise of Stalin's dictatorship. A depth study examines a short period in close detail, tested through source and short-answer questions leading to an essay. The exam rewards precise knowledge, source evaluation and balanced judgement. This overview ties the dot-point pages together.

War and the revolutions of 1917

The First World War broke the monarchy through defeats and shortages, and in February 1917 the Tsar fell when the army joined the protests. The weak Provisional Government continued the war, and in October 1917 the Bolsheviks under Lenin and Trotsky seized power.

Civil War and consolidation

The Bolsheviks left the war at Brest-Litovsk, then won the Civil War through unity, Trotsky's Red Army and a central position, using War Communism before retreating to the New Economic Policy in 1921.

Stalin's rise and the economy

After Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin outmanoeuvred Trotsky through his control of the party as General Secretary, then drove the Five-Year Plans for industry and collectivisation of agriculture, achieving rapid modernisation at a terrible human cost, including the famine of 1932 to 1933.

Terror and society

Stalin controlled society through the Great Purges, the show trials, the NKVD and the Gulag, and through the cult of personality and censorship, combining terror with propaganda.

CCEA's Russia depth study runs from the fall of Tsarism to Stalin's dictatorship. The First World War broke the monarchy, and in February 1917 the Tsar fell when the army joined the protests; the weak Provisional Government continued the war, and the Bolsheviks seized power in October 1917 under Lenin and Trotsky. The Bolsheviks left the war at Brest-Litovsk and won the Civil War through unity, the Red Army and a central position, using War Communism before retreating to the New Economic Policy in 1921. After Lenin's death Stalin outmanoeuvred Trotsky through his control of the party, then drove the Five-Year Plans and collectivisation, achieving rapid modernisation but causing a devastating famine. He controlled society through the Great Purges, show trials, the NKVD, the Gulag, the cult of personality and censorship. The option pairs with Nazi Germany, and the key insight is that control rested on terror and persuasion together.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall questions covering the whole option. Attempt them, then check the solutions.

Why was the war blamed on the Tsar after 1915? (1 mark)
What was the decisive moment in the February Revolution? (1 mark)
What were the Bolsheviks' two main slogans in 1917? (2 marks)
Why did the Bolsheviks sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk? (1 mark)
Name two reasons the Reds won the Civil War. (2 marks)
What post gave Stalin his key advantage over Trotsky? (1 mark)
What were the Five-Year Plans and collectivisation for? (2 marks)
What were the Great Purges and the show trials? (2 marks)

Solutions

Q1: Nicholas II took personal command of the army in 1915, so every defeat was blamed on him.
Q2: The soldiers refused to fire on the crowds in Petrograd and joined the protests, so the Tsar abdicated.
Q3: "Peace, Bread, Land" and "All Power to the Soviets".
Q4: To fulfil the promise of peace and get Russia out of the war, though the terms were harsh.
Q5: Any two: Red unity and Trotsky's Red Army, their central position with the cities and railways, and War Communism feeding the army.
Q6: General Secretary of the party, which let him control appointments and pack it with loyal supporters.
Q7: Rapid industrialisation (the plans) and state control of agriculture to feed the cities and fund industry (collectivisation).
Q8: Stalin's campaign to destroy opposition through arrests and executions; the show trials forced leaders to confess to invented crimes.

Sources & how we know this

CCEA GCSE History specification — CCEA (2017)