History SL & HL Authoritarian States: Russia 1917–53
History SL & HL Authoritarian States: Russia 1917–53
Joe Gauci
This guide is for both Standard Level and Higher Level IBDP History students taking Topic 10: Authoritarian States, which is assessed in Paper 2. It details the emergence and rule of Soviet Russia under Lenin and Stalin (1917–53) as an example that will develop students’ understanding of authoritarian states and ability to write effective essays on the topic.
It will be of help to Higher Level candidates who are studying Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union (1855–1924) and the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia, as part of The History of Europe (Higher Level Option 4, syllabus sections 12 and 16).
The guide charts the emergence of the Soviet state and the leaderships of Lenin and Stalin, the aims and results of their policies, and their consolidation and maintenance of power.
ISBN: 9781913433437
71 pages
Key features of the History SL & HL Authoritarian States: Russia (1917–53) study guide:
- In-depth review of the leaderships of Lenin and Stalin, the aims and results of their policies, and their consolidation of power.
- Advice on how to approach essay questions including helpful examples of the type of information to include when answering prompts.
- Clearly organised key-point summaries and timelines to facilitate understanding of Russian history and identify important historical events to use in your analysis.
- Definitions of need-to-know terms related to Russian history and authoritarian states.
- Critical thinking questions to enhance your analytical skills and draw connections between key historical events.
- Exam-style practice questions for IB History paper 2 with sample answers and commentary.
Contents of the History SL & HL: Authoritarian States – Russia study guide
Advice on Tackling Paper 2
Advice on Tackling Essays
The Emergence of the Authoritarian State in Russia
- Long-term Conditions that Gave Rise to the Soviet State
- Short-term Conditions that Gave Rise to the Soviet State
- Methods Used to Establish an Authoritarian State
Consolidation and Maintenance of Power by Lenin
- Bolshevik Decrees and Measures
- The Civil War (1918–1920)
- The Establishment of Single Party Rule
- The Nature of the Party and the State in the USSR
Aims and Results of Lenin’s Economic Policy
- The New Economic Policy (1921-1928) Stalin’s Rise to Power
- The Politburo (1924–1926)
- The Struggle to Succeed Lenin
- Key Historical Perspectives: Stalin
Aims and Results of Stalin’s Economic Policy
- Collectivisation
- Key Historical Perspectives: Why did Stalin Call a temporary Halt to Collectivisation in 1930?
- Rapid Industrialisation (1928–1941)
- Key Historical Perspectives: Could the USSR Have Closed the Gap Economically with the West Without Stalin’s Methods?
Aims and Results of Lenin and Stalin’s Social Policies
- Communist Party Policy Towards Religion
- Communist Party Policy Towards National Minorities
- Communist Party Policy Towards Education
- Communist Party Policy Towards Women and the Family
Stalin’s Maintenance of Power
- The Role of Force
- The Role of Propaganda and the Cult of Personality
- The Role of Soviet Foreign Policy
The Post-war Period: Stalin’s Last Years (1945–1953)
- The Fourth Five-Year Plan (1946–1951)
- Continuing Repression: ‘Hysterical Isolationism’
- ‘Zhadanovism’ (1946–1948)
- The Leningrad Affair (1948)
- Anti-Semitism and the Doctors’ Plot (1953)
