Study
Questions & Essay Topics
Always use specific historical examples to support
your arguments.
Study Questions
1. Compare and
contrast the February and October Revolutions.
2. Compare the
collapse of the Russian monarchy with the collapse of the provisional
government. Did the two governments fall apart for the same reasons
or for fundamentally different reasons?
3. Bolshevism
was a rather extreme political movement and did not have widespread
popular support. Discuss the reasons why the October Revolution
nonetheless succeeded and why it faced so little serious opposition.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. How did the Bolsheviks differ
from more moderate socialist groups like the SRs and the Mensheviks?
2. Explain the Bolsheviks’ German
connection and the ways in which it affected them politically.
3. Discuss the decline of the
Romanov dynasty over the century preceding the revolutions of 1917.
What were the sources of discontent with the monarchy, and what
events weakened it over time?
4. Trace the events of the summer
of 1917 and
the struggles among the political forces at the time. Consider the
effects of events including the First Congress of Soviets, the June offensive,
the July Putsch, and the Kornilov affair. How did each of these
events affect each side?
5. Consider the role of the Russian
military in the February and October revolutions as well as in the
events in between. How did the military’s loyalty shift over time?
How did the various sides attempt to gain its loyalty?
