WEBQUEST

Russian Revolution Webquest Go to: www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/russia.html Locate St. Petersburg, Stalingrad and Moscow on the map of Russia.
St. Petersburg is located south of which famous country triplets?
1. Norway
2. Finland
3. Sweden Moscow is located where in relation to St. Petersburg and Stalingrad?
Moscow is in between St. Petersburg and Stalingrad

Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tsar Read the definition of tsar specifically for Russia and summarize it.
Tsar is a term for a personnel equal to that of a king. Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/autocracy Read the definition of autocracy and summarize it.

A government system where a person holds all power and has no limits to what

that person can or not do.

Go to: www.alexanderpalace.org/hanbury/eande.html Read the account of Nicholas and his wife. Does this change the impression of him that history gives you? Why or why not?
Yes, this article made me feel sympathy with Nicholas and wife more since according to the article Nicholas and his wife truly believed on helping their county become better. For example, “Thus there existed a couple working hand in hand, as they believed and imagined, for the good of their country,.....”(The Alexander Palace
Association).

Go to: http://www.alexanderpalace.org/romalbum/ Open the album and look at some of the pictures. Are the family members cold­hearted imperialists or seemingly loving? Why do you think so?
The family members in these photos appear to be loving because they don't seem to be uncomfortable under the scrutiny of a camera. Also the facial expressions of the subjects of the photos are very natural and light hearted. Go to: www.geographia.com/russia/rushis06.htm Explain what you understand about the causes of the Russian Revolution.
1. Industrialization= caused strain on political system
2. Incompetent Tsar = worsening relations with population
3. Tsar tries to undo reforms = riots broke out
4. Involvement in WWI = Russia suffered severe food shortages and loss many men What is a Duma and what do you think is its political function?
Duma= a legislative branch in the government representing the people

When Nicholas attempted to remove the Duma, the people were upset and became revolutionary. What did Nicholas do to exacerbate the situation?
Nicholas had to accept the reforms the soviet demanded.

What problems did World War I cause in Russia?
● demoralizing defeats
● severe food shortages
● economic collapse

If you were living as a peasant in Russia in 1917, do you think you would have been involved in the Revolution? Why or why not?
Yes, since the tsar during that specific time(Nicholas I) was extremely incompetent and did not make good decisions for his subjects

What was St. Petersburg called in 1917?
1. Petrograd Go to: www.geographia.com/russia/rushis07.htm Under Lenin’s New Economic Policy, what happened to Russia?
1. return to market economy
2. relative prosperity During the Soviet Era, what happened to Art and Literature, Religion and Political Parties?
● Art and literature was restricted
● Opposition within the Soviet Party were squashed
● religion was repressed By the end of the 1930’s life in Russia was:
As good as life under Lenin
As good as life under Nicholas
Better than life under both Lenin and Nicholas
1. Worse than life under both Lenin and Nicholas

Did social and economic conditions after the war improve, worsen or stay the same? ●
●
●
●
●

Soviet Party emerged from the was stronger
Country suffered large amount of casualties of troops
Nation gained more land
Widespread starvation from crop failures
Political freedoms, restricted

When Stalin died in 1953 did social and economic conditions after the war improve, worsen or stay the same?
The social conditions improved because political controls was more relaxed and the economic condition also improved since the cultural life had a short revival.

Use the Internet to research about each of the following individuals:
Alexander Kerensky

19. Who was Alexander Kerensky (3 sentence biographical description)?
Kerensky was a major political leader within a moderate political group called
Trudoviks. He then continued on to become the second prime minister after February
Revolution. However, he was later overthrown and sent to exile by the Bolsheviks. 20. List three ways in which Kerensky was involved in the Russian Revolution & events that followed. ● Gave speeches to soldiers
● Declared Russia a republic
● Formed a five member Directory 21. Who was Vladimir Lenin (3 sentence biographical description)?
Lenin lead the Bolsheviks Revolution against the Kerensky government. He also help create the Soviet Party and started the communist era in Russia. The government that he directed faced many obstacles. 22. List three ways in which Lenin was involved in the Russian Revolution & events that followed.
● encouraged violent confrontation for the revolution
● Persuade socialists across the continent to convert the "imperialist war" into a continent­wide "civil war" with the proletariat against the bourgeoisie and aristocracy ● propose to the Congress a Decree on Peace
Leon Trotsky

23. Who was Leon Trotsky (3 sentence biographical description)?
Trotsky was a Soviet politician and was the founder of the Red Army. He later became one of the first members of Politburo. However, he was expelled from the
Communist Party later on.
24. List three ways in which Trotsky was involved in the Russian Revolution & events that followed.
● refused Council of Chairman position
● was one of the first members of the Politburo
● became a leader within the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Josef Stalin
25. Who was Josef Stalin (3 sentence biographical description)?

Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union. He was also appointed People's

Commissar for Nationalities' Affairs during the Revolution. He was known for his
“Correctional Labour Camps”.
26. List three ways in which Stalin was involved in the Russian Revolution & events that followed.
● imposed military influence over the military
● challenged many of the decisions of Trotsky
● Ordered many killings of many counter­revolutionaries and former Tsarist officers 27. Describe how Russia transformed from the rule of Czar Nicholas II to Josef Stalin becoming ruler of Russia.

First, Russia was under the rule of Czar Nicholas II which meant he had supreme power and had no limits or restrictions on his decisions. Russia suffered famine and
After, the Russian Revolution Krensky took control and made a Provisional
Government. However, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin overthrew Krensky and his five member directory government. Vladimir Lenin introduced the NEP plan for the economy. Then after Lenin’s death, Joseph Stalin rose to power and NEP was abandoned.