One significant development was how socialism through the revolution in Russia became one of the most significant and powerful ideas to shape society in the 20th century

The Bolshevik slogan was "All Power to the Soviets'' to go home for land redistribution.

In Russia, workers divided on the basis of skill.

The Russian revolution  entails fall of monarchy  (Tsar) in February 1917 and the events of October 1917

Associations formed by workers helped SPD  in Germany in winning  parliamentary seats.

(i) The USSR was against imperialism and independence movements occurring in Asi.
(ii) Immediately after the Revolution the soviet government annulled the unequal treaties which the Tsar and imposed on china.It supported china's efforts at unification under sun-yat-sen.

Before the 18th century:
(i) Society was broadly divided into estates and orders
(ii) The aristocracy and church-controlled economic and social power.

Vladimir Lenin.

Well to do peasants were regarded as 'Kulaks' in Russia.

On the western front armies fought the war from trenches stretched along eastern front. While on the eastern front, armies moved a great deal and fought battles leaving large casualties.

Lenin's New Economic Policy:
(i) Lands of nobles and church were confiscated and given to peasant societies. Land was made state property.
(ii) While major industries were under government control, small businesses and home industries could be privately owned and operated for profit. Private trade was allowed in a limited measure.
(iii) Foreign capital was welcomed for the development of state industries. This helped revive the Russian economy and improvement in the condition of the common people.

(i) conservatives were opposed to radicals and liberals.
(ii) After French Revolution, they opened their minds to the need for change. They had been generally opposed to the idea before the French Revolution.
(iii) By the 19th century, they accepted that some change was inevitable but believed the past had to be respected and change had to be brought about through a gradual process.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 had two stages. They were:
(i) The February Revolution or political stage when Tsar abdicated his throne and the Mensheviks under Kerenskii came to power.
(ii) The October Revolution or economic and social stage, when the Bolsheviks under the leadership[ of Lenin overthrew Kerenskii's government and seized control.

The writers failed to notice the essential freedom denied to the citizens, the repressive policies follwed by the Sate to reach high level of development , in a short span of time. The regimented, monotonous and hard lives and the poor working conditions of the workers. They failed to notice what lay beneath the facade.

(i) In the countryside, peasants and their Socialist Revolutionary leaders pressed for a redistribution of land.
(ii) Land committees were formed.
(iii) Encouraged by the Socialist Revolutionarie, peasants seized land between July and September 1917.

Social and moral values :
(a) Equality , dignity of labour , social welfare , against personal aggrandisement , sharing , caring , compensation for labour, against privileges, recognition and respect for merit , against exploitation.
(b) Helpful to society :
(i)  Lowest social and economic disparities : through cooperative enterprise people who produced goods together , divided the profits done by members
(iii) Equitable society : means of production would be socially  or state controlled. Thereby  end capitalist society where the capital and profits are privately owned.
(iv) Improve condition of workers : Once means of production are socially controlled, workers would enjoy the fruits  of their labours , instead of capitalists who lived off the labour of workers.

The main objective of the Russian Revolutionaries were:
(i) To secure peace and withdrawal of Russia from the First World War.
(ii) Transfer land to the tiller.
(iii) Give control of industry to the workers.
(iv) Nationalise all the banks.
(v) Give equal status to non-Russian nationalities.

The main objective of the Russian Revolutionaries were:
(i) To secure peace and withdrawal of Russia from the First World War.
(ii) Transfer land to the tiller.
(iii) Give control of industry to the workers.
(iv) Nationalise all the banks.
(v) Give equal status to non-Russian nationalities.

In Russia, the war was initially popular and the policies of Tsar Nicholas II were supported by the people. The First World War on the Eastern front differed from that on the Western front. In the West, armies fought from trenches, but in the East, armies moved a good deal and fought battles leaving large casualties. Russia's army lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916. There were over 7 million casual ties by 1917. As the German armies moved forward, the Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from living off the land. The situation discredited the Russian Government and the Tsar. The Russian soldiers did not wish to fight such a war.

The term April Theses relates to the three demands made by Lenin return from exile to Russia in April 1917:
(i) War be brought to a close.
(ii) Land be transferred to the peasants.
(iii) Banks be nationalised.
He wanted the Bolshevik party to rename itself the Communist Party to indicate its radical aims.

1. Kulaks
Kulaks were the wealthy peasants of Russia. In 1927-28, the towns in Soviet Russia were facing the acute problem of grain supplies. Stalin believed that these kulaks were holding stocks in the hope of higher prices. Hence, it was essential to eliminate them. As a result, many kulaks were raided. Their land was taken away in order to establish state-controlled large farms.
2. The Duma
The Duma was the elected Consultative Parliament which was created during the 1905 Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II endowed it with legislative powers. But real authority or power was enjoyed by the Tsar only. He dismissed the first Duma within 75 days and re-elected the second Duma within three months. He did not want any questioning of his authority or any reduction in his power. He changed the voting laws and packed the third Duma with conservative politicians. Even during the First World War, the Tsar did not consult the Duma. Finally, on 25 February 1917, the government suspended the Duma.
3. Women workers between 1900 and 1930
Women workers played an important role in the history of Russia. They made up 31 per cent of the factory labour force by 1914, but they were paid less than men. They proved themselves a great inspiring force for their male co-workers. They could lead strikes. Marfa Vasileva was one such woman worker who worked as a milling machine operator. She almost single-handedly called a successful strike against the rising prices. She got full support from her co-workers especially women workers who gathered around Marfa in support and gradually all the other women ceased working. Their unified struggle continued till the establishment of a socialistic state in Russia.
4. The Liberals
The Liberals in Russia during the early twentieth century were those people who wanted to change society. They wanted a nation that tolerated all religions. It was the time when European states usually discriminated in favour of one religion or the other. Liberals were also not in favour of the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers. They wanted to safeguard the rights of individuals against the government. They argued for a representative, elected parliamentary government, subject to laws interpreted by a well-trained and independent judiciary. But they were not in favour of a universal adult franchise. They also did not want the vote for women.
5. Stalin's Collectivisation Programme
By 1927-28, the towns in Soviet Russia were facing an acute problem of grain supplies. Stalin, the head of the party after Lenin's death, introduced firm emergency measures to curb this situation. He believed that rich peasants and traders in the countryside were holding stocks in hope of higher prices. Hence, kulaks, the well-to-do farmers of Russia, were raided and their land was taken away to establish state-controlled large farms. All peasants were told to cultivate in collective farms called kolkhoz. The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms. Peasants worked on the land and the kolkhoz profit was shared. But peasants were not happy with this system.

(i) while the liberals favoured the idea of privileges, the radicals were opposed to the privileges of landowners and wealthy factory owners.
(ii) The liberals wanted voting rights for propertied classes only, while the radicals wanted a nation in which government was based on the majority of a country's population
(iii) Though both were in favour of private property, the radicals were opposed to concentration of wealth in few hands.
(iv) While liberals were against giving women the right to vote, radicals were for women suffragette.

The main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution were:
(i) Peace: Immediately after coming to power Lenin announced his decision to withdraw from War. He made peace with Germany at, Brest Litovsk and by the adoption of the Decree of Peace, Russia withdrew from World War 1.
(ii) No Private Property: To realize the old socialist ideal, private property as a means of production was abolished. Lands of clergy and nobility were confiscated. Land and other means of production were declared property of the' entire nation. Work was now an essential requirement for everyone as there was no unearned income to live on.
(iii) Nationalisation: All industries, banks, insurance companies, mines, water, transports and railways were nationalized. Control of industries was given to the workers.
(iv) End of Privileges: The use of old titles of the aristocracy was banned. It marked the end of the system of privileges, thus creating a classless society.
(v) Declaration of the Rights of People: Russia unilaterally renounced all the unequal treaties which the Tsar's government had imposed on countries such as China, Iran, and Afghanistan. The right of all peoples to equality and self-determination was proclaimed.
(vi) The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party. Russia became a one-party state. All Russian Congress of Soviets became the Parliament of the country.

The Tsar's autocracy collapsed in 1917 due to the interplay of many factors-social, economic and political.
(i) The Russian state under Tsar Nicholas II was completely unsuited to the needs of modern times. The Tsar still believed in the autocratic absolute rights of the king.
(ii) The bureaucracy that the Tsar recruited was top heavy, inefficient and not flexible. Members were recruited on the basis of privileges and patronage, not on merit.
(iii) The hopes and efforts at gradual changes and democratic constitutional government after the Revolution of 1905 ended in disappointments and failure. The Tsar never cared for the Duma.
(iv) The peasants and workers who formed large section of the population were miserable, deprived and frustrated.
(v) The Tsar had built a vast empire and imposed Russian language and culture on diverse nationalities. The only people who supported the Tsar were the nobility and upper layers of the clergy and bureaucracy. The rest of the population was hostile to the Tsar.
(vi) Russia's participation in World War I exposed the economic bankruptcy of the government and increased liabilities on the already impoverished population.
(vii) The liberal ideas of the west and the growth of socialist ideology led to the formation of many socialist groups. These groups infused the workers and peasants with a revolutionary spirit.
(viii) The autocratic rule of the Tsar, decadence of royalty, demoralising effect of defeats in wars, government's indifference to loss of human lives, condition of soldiers, war's effect on peasants and industry ultimately led to discredit of the government and brought about the end of Tsarist autocracy.

Political Conditions:
Russia at the time of the revolution was under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II who believed in the Divine Right of Kings, a system of governance unsuited to the needs of modern times. The Russian empire was vast and feudal. Th;e bureaucracy was top-heavy, inefficient and recruited from the privileged classes rather than on the basis of merit and ability. The Russian Tsars had built a vast empire by conquest of various nationalities. They were subjected to Russian culture and language. The Tsar showed little concern to their sensitivity.
Social Conditions:
Russia before 1905 was still living in the old world, under the autocratic rule of the Tsar. Russian society was divided into three classes-the clergy, the nobility and the working class.
Serfdom was abolished in 1861, but the peasants continued to live in misery.
(i) For small holdings, peasants had to pay heavy redemption dues.
(ii) Vast estates were owned by the Russian nobility and the church.
(iii) Land hunger of the peasants was a major social factor in Russian Society.
The last quarter of the 19th century saw the growth and spread of socialist ideas and groups in the countryside and among the workers. They played a vital role in the spread of awareness and struggle for workers' and peasants rights. The social scene in Russia bef~re 1905 was riddled with inherent tensions.
Economic Conditions (Poor condition of workers):
Industrialization brought a new class into being the industrial worker. They lived in conditions of misery. Workers had no political rights and no means of gaining even minor reforms. Work hours were long, wages were poor and unemployment common. The middle class and intellectuals were also opposed and united against the exploitative system based on privileges. The state exchequer was bankrupt due to the spendthrift ways of the Tsar, expensive wars, the burden of the bureaucracy and maintaining a large army. The privileged classes, clergy and nobility who could afford were exempted from taxes. While the poor peasantry and working class were burdened with taxes. Industry in Russia developed largely due to foreign investment. Foreign investors were only interested in quick profits at the expense of workers. Russia's defeat in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War brought all the summary discontentment of the people to the fore.

(i) Collectivisation policy was introduced by Stalin in Russia. Under this policy land was taken away from the peasants. Kulaks eliminated and large state controlled farms or collective farms called 'kolkhoz' established.
(ii) After 1917, land had been given to peasants but they were small sized farms that could not be modernized. To develop modem farms and run them along industrial lines using modem techniques and machinery, it was necessary to eliminate Kulaks, take away land from peasants and establish state controlled large farms.
(iii) From 1929, the government forced all peasants to cultivate on collective farms (kolkhoz'). The bulk of the land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms. Peasants worked on the land and kolkhoz' profits were shared.
(iv) Many peasants resisted collectivisation and destroyed their livestock. Between 1929-1931, the number of cattle stock fell to one-third. Those who resisted were severely punished, deported or exiled.
(v) Peasants argued they were not against socialism but did not want to work on collective farms for a variety of reasons. Stalin's government allowed some independent cultivation but treated such cultivators unsympathetically.
(vi) Though collectivisation was introduced with the aim to increase production, it did not immediately lead to increase in production.
(vii) By 1937 almost all cultivable land was brought under collective farms. While initially the peasants were given an option to join or not to join, later it became compulsory. Thousands of wealthy peasants (kulaks) were executed when they tried to withhold their land from collectivisation. Many others were imprisoned or exiled.