Between 1800 and 1950, Russia’s government maintained an aspect of continuity but also experienced drastic change. The constant shifts in power and adaptation to new policies never gave Russia the chance to have a strong and structured government. Despite radical changes in the Russian government there were some things that upheld reform and continued to stay constant. Over a period of 150 years Russia transformed in many different ways because of constant change, but the ability to still maintain continuity. From 1800 to 1950, there was much change within the Russian government.
By 1986 the Soviet economy suffered from both hidden inflation and pervasive supply shortages which were aggravated by an increasingly open black market that undermined the official economy. In addition, the USSR spent a lot on the military, they lost over 15,000 soldiers in the war against Afghanistan which had cost them $8 billion per annum. They also overspent in the Reagan years, the defence spending increased by $32.6 billion as they tried to compete with the USA STAR WARS programme but could not compete. Also, the USSR spent $40 billion propping up Communist Governments throughout the world. The USSR was left behind by the new wave of industrialisation as it was based on information technology, they were left desperate for Western technology.
In addition, World War II introduced change through industrialisation, which was key to Russia’s success in the war. These key reforming leaders and other factors of change saw Russia grow from a very deprived country in 1856 to an industrial superpower in 1964. Alexander II became known as ‘Alexander the Great Reformer’ and ‘the Tsar Liberator’ which suggests that his work and reforms changed the nature of Russian government and society to a large extent. The emancipation of the Serfs in 1861 initially appeared to have major benefits for the serfs. As Alexander II said: “We vowed in our hearts to fulfil the mission which is entrusted to Us and to surround with Our affection and Our Imperial solicitude all Our faithful subjects of every rank and condition”2.
In the late 19th century, Russia began its process of industrialization following its defeat at the hands of Western nations in the Crimean War. Russia's Industrial Revolution was further helped along by its growing population and an increasing labor force. As the industrial process continued, it gave new job opportunities such as: in mining, factory work, and railroad construction. This influx of jobs was taken by an influx of people, where it came from the country to work in the cities as cheap laborers, taking up dangerous and low-paying jobs. In spite of all these changing times and circumstances, the tension between the upper and lower classes remained tenser than ever before, building up under the fabric of society.
During the 110-year period from 1855 to 1964, there are a several turning points in the development of Russian government in terms of its ideology, structure and practice of which the most significant events are the abolition of serfdom in 1861 which emancipation was introduced, the Bolshevik’s takeover in October 1917, in which it crushed all possibility that liberal democracy might emerge into Russian to the world’s first Communist state and Stalin’s acquisition of power in 1928. The main ideological turning points of the development of Russian government were the abdication of Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas II, in February 1917, and the Bolshevik’s takeover in Oct 1917, of which the first indicates the end of autocracy while the later indicates the establishment of Communism. Between both, the Bolshevik’s takeover seems to be a more important turning point. In theory, both events are important turning points in the history of the development of the Russian Government, but the February Revolution is not as important is the October Revolution, because the fall of autocracy led to a change to liberal democratic government, which did not last long due to small impact to the country, however the rise of Communism from the fall of liberal democratic government had a massive impact on the development of the government, as the later events, such as the establishment of the One-Day Parliament, Stalin’s acquisition of power occurred based on different views towards the ideology of Communism. The fall of autocratic system is significant in the change of ideology of the Russian government, as it had marked the end of Tsarism, but the October Revolution in 1917 is a more important turning point of the development of the government, as based on Communism, the Russian government had changes in its structure and practices later on.
How far was political change the most the most significant development in Russia in the period 1880-1989? During the period 1880-1989, right from Alexander III’s reign to the collapse of the Soviet Union under Gorbachev political change was very significant in Russia. However despite the importance of the political change that occurred during the period, more significant develops occurred elsewhere which overshadowed this. The importance of political change was significant right throughout the period with the counter reforms of Tsar Alexander III and Tsar Nicholas II fuelling the social unrest in the late 19th and early 20th Century which eventually led to the 1917 Revolution in February and October. The political purges of the Stalinist period eventually led to the attempted raising of living standards and the move away from state terror during de-Stalinisation under Khrushchev.
Powaski argues that “That the Cold War was inevitable. From the Very Beginning of the Russian- American relationship, except for a brief period in 1917, the ideologies of the two nations were fundamentally incompatible. (1) For Powaski to verify his perceptive on the Cold war he provided an insight on American- Soviet relations in 1917. In 1917 Russia was in a revolution and a provisional government was formed and
Explain your answer. (16 marks) You may use the following information to help you with your answer: *The use of propaganda *The purges *The show trials *Control over education OR 3b) Was the Stakhanovite Movement the main reason for the rapid expansion of Soviet industry in the 1930s? Explain your answer. (16 marks) You may use the following information to help you with your answer: *The Stakhanovite Movement *Gosplan *The First Five-Year Plan *Role of
‘The October Revolution was the most significant turning point in the development of Russian government.’ How far do you agree? If a ‘turning point’ can be taken to describe a significant irreversible shift in the course of history, then certainly the October Revolution in 1917 can be described as one. Yet whether it was the most substantial event in determining the course of Russian government in the years after is debateable. To assess whether this is truly the case, the Bolshevik uprising can be compared against other key turning points, such as Khrushchev’s ‘Destalinisation’ and Alexander II’s assassination, in terms of their effects on the ideology of government, whether or not it altered the structure of government in any way, if representation was reformed and if the tools of government changed whatsoever as a result. Arguably Russia’s transformation from an autocratic state to a communist one was the greatest modification in the whole period 1855 to 1964, however, despite differing ideals there was in fact a large amount of continuity between the idealistically different styles of governance.
This influx of government money was wasted, for the economy did not recover. As the United States prepared to enter World War II, the government spent even more money, now on weapons, tanks, aircraft, and the other materials necessary to the war