Assess the effectiveness of the Bolshevik government in creating changes in society in the period 1917-1928. During the years 1917 through to 1928 the Bolshevik government created changes within society, in the areas of social relationships within classes, a result of political and economic changes, education, health, religion and women. In order to assess the extent to which these changes were effective it is important to look at the original aims of the Bolsheviks. The extent to which they achieved these aims determines their overall effectiveness is creating changes within society. A change in society occurred in June of 1918 with the introduction of War Communism.
What factors influenced the extension of the franchise up to 1918? The franchise of democracy was extended to more and more people in Britain from 1867, 1884 and 1918. This happened for many reasons. At the time there was growing public pressure to push new political ideologies of democracy and liberalism and the newfound attitude of the working and middle-class that were the earners of the country, therefore they should get the vote. These factors tie in with the political power plays between the Whigs and Tories, who were playing for an advantage over one another, and the looming threat of socialism.
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.
The economy was used for a variety of reasons by different leaders in order to achieve different objectives in the nation. The Provisional Government in 1917 and Lenin from 1917 to 1924 used the economic developments of the country in order to ensure the survival or their respective regimes. Both Kerensky and
To regain the support from people, he needed to carry out the reforms in the October Manifesto. His improvements included different aspects, such as political, social and economic approaches. However these were expedients rather than real reforms. He also appointed Peter Stolypin as the prime minister to stabilize the country. Nicholas II had tried his best to regain people’s support and stop the revolution tide through the reforms after the 1905 Revolution.
2. New leaders and new parties, especially the Catholic Christian Democrats, emerged in Italy, France, and Germany and provided effective leadership and needed reforms. 3. In many countries, such as Britain, France, and Italy, socialists and communists emerged from the war with considerable power and a strong desire for social reform. 4.
Maria Theresa, like many other enlightened absolutists, decided that reform would be the best plan to improve the current nation. Among other policies like limiting the papacy’s political power and influence and administrative reform, Maria Theresa strongly affected the noble class due to her agricultural reorganizations. She cautiously took the power from tenant lords, in turn freeing the peasants once chained to these tenants. She also revamped the tax system, taxing even the noble’s land, which had never been done before. All in all, Maria Theresa strongly limited the nobility’s influence, both over the peasants and over the government.
A political factor that caused the Russian Revolution was absolutism. As stated in Document 2, absolutism caused strikes, illegal proclamations, underground circles, etc. Document 4 shows the numerous strikes that took place before the Russian Revolution, due to the Bolsheviks’ point of view toward absolutism. Document 3 was stated by a delegate at Samara who talked about absolutism. He believed that the people should own the land.
Explain why Alexander II introduced further reforms after the emancipation edict of 1861 Emancipation opened many opportunities for further reforms and forced a change in the structure of the Russian society. Serfdom was abolished and the nobility could no longer control them which led to light being shed on other problems in society such as the law, industry and also the military. The most important reason for the introduction of further reforms is that they were a reasonable response to the emancipation of the serfs, but only in short term. The emancipation act gave the serfs power to control their own lives instead of being dictated by people of a higher status, such as the nobility. For this, rural councils known as the Zemstvas were set up in 1864 which offered the serfs a representative government; but they were mostly dominated by the nobility and professionals and many of them resented their loss of power over the serfs.
However, after the war and after George Grenville came into office in 1764, things changed. The House of Commons in England decided that they could now use the colonies to help build their economy up. So they passed several acts that included the Sugar Act (1764), Quartering Act (1765), and the Stamp Act (1765). Politically and economically these acts had a major affect on the colonists. The Sugar Act, taxes on all types of sugar, and the Stamp Act, taxes on all paper, were attempts to gain revenue directly from the colonies.