The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson One: The Emancipation Edict
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the course content and form of assessment.
2. To develop essential contextual knowledge and vocabulary.
3. To examine the terms and impact of the Emancipation Edict.
4. To focus on the reaction of the peasantry to such changes in economic policy.
Resources
Course outline
Bibliography
The Emancipation Edict of 1861 information and tasks sheets
Deliverance or Deception? A3 sheet
Russian Serfs: Looking at the Evidence source sheets
Activities
1. Distribute books, course outline sheets and reading lists. The outline and
bibliography should be attached to the front and back covers of books. On the
first 2-3 pages students should then put the title ‘Glossary’. Definitions to new
terms and concepts should be added here as the course progresses. Read
through the course outline together. The content covered in the first
assignment has been highlighted and students should be encouraged to read
ahead of lessons. On the bibliography they can also highlight the books
already available in the school library and history department. Higher scoring
candidates will always demonstrate wider reading in their coursework.
2. Before turning to the issue of emancipation, briefly explain the structure of
the course over the next few weeks. Students will only be taught Russian
history during this period. The first coursework assignment examines the
impact of agricultural policy 1856-1964 upon the Russian peasantry. The
following four weeks will mainly focus on building up their knowledge and
understanding of this period. We will look at key policies such as
emancipation, Stolypin’s land reform, War Communism, NEP, collectivisation
and the Virgin Land Scheme. The coursework is source based and students
will be presented with 6 sources taken from this period and answer the 16
mark question that is on their outline sheet. They will have a week to do this.
3. Read the coursework question together and identify the two main strands to
this assignment.
1. Was land reform a success or failure?
2. How did peasants react to land reform?
On a double page in the back of their books, students draw the following
table:
Name of reform
Details of reform
Success/failure?
Peasant reaction
to reform
Emancipation Edict
(1861)
Students will fill this table in for each type of land reform that is covered in
the course.
4. Distribute the Emancipation Edict information sheets and the A3 sheets.
Students already have background knowledge of this legislation and you may
wish to question them on this before you begin. Read through the information
together. The A3 sheet supplements content and should be referred to during
this initial reading. For example, pause after reading the section on peasant
reaction to emancipation and read through the sections on the A3 grid on
redemption payments and the control of the mir. Students can keep the A3
sheets so should be encouraged to annotate them as appropriate.
5. Before moving onto the note taking tasks, students should add key definitions
to their glossary. Emancipation, serf, mir and redemption are all terms that
should be noted down. Students now work through the tasks that accompany
the emancipation information sheet.
6. Extension/homework:
Using the A3 sheet students should answer question 7 from the first side (How
did the mir restrict the freedom of the newly liberated peasants?) and the two
questions in the box that refer to the picture source of a serf being freed.
Students should also be given the source sheet for next lesson (Russian Serfs:
Looking at the Evidence). They must complete the first task in advance of the
lesson.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Two: Emancipation sourcework
Aims and Objectives
1. To develop existing knowledge of the Emancipation Edict.
2. To interpret and evaluate a collection of sources based on emancipation.
3. To practice the skills required in the first coursework assignment.
Resources
Russian Serfs: Looking at the Evidence source sheets and OHT’s
The pressure for emancipation source sheets and OHT’s
Dictionaries
Activities
1. Begin with a recap on last lesson’s content. When was the Emancipation Edict
passed? Why was it passed? What were the terms? Did it achieve its aims?
How did those affected react to the changes? Once you are satisfied with
student knowledge and understanding, allow them 10 minutes to fill in the
grid at the back of their books. They only need to note down key points.
2. Turn to the source sheet given for homework. This will be the focus of today’s
lesson. Remind students that the assignment we are working towards is
source based so the skills we are refreshing today will be vital to securing a
high coursework grade. Before reading the sources together, give students a
further 10 minutes to use the dictionaries to define words they did not
understand when reading the sources ahead of today’s lesson.
3. Complete tasks 2 and 3 together. Use the OHT’s to highlight key points.
Students can keep their sheets so should be encouraged to annotate them
throughout the discussion. Discuss task 4 allowing students to note down key
points. Then turn to the final task. This is very much like the final question on
paper 2 of the GCSE paper. Agree on a simple writing frame together.
Students should now be given approx. 30 minutes to complete the two tasks.
4. Distribute the next source sheet – The pressure for emancipation. Again, allow
students to annotate the sheets. As before, they should scan the text,
including the questions, for difficult words or phrases. They should then
attempt this source independently.
5. Extension/Homework:
Completion of all source tasks
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Three: Stolypin’s Land Reform
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand agricultural difficulties in the period between 1861 and
1907.
2. To begin to analyse statistical data on economic growth.
3. To assess the impact of Stolypin’s reforms on the Russian economy.
4. To construct opposing arguments regarding the achievements of Stolypin’s
land reforms.
Resources
OHT of Stolypin
Problems in agriculture after 1881 information/task sheet
Stolypin’s Agrarian Reforms: Aims and Impact information/task sheet
Stolypin’s Agrarian Reforms: information taken from Hite
Activities
1. Read through the problems in agriculture sheet. This worksheet is important
as it provides the bridge between 2 key pieces of legislation, emancipation and
Stolypin’s land reform. Focus on the statistics. These reveal the growing divide
that had emerged between the industrial and agricultural sectors of the
economy. Remind students that 80% of the Russian population were peasants.
If agriculture was not running efficiently this was clearly to the detriment of
the whole economy. Students now answer the 8 questions set, the last of
which leads on to Stolypin.
2. Put up Stolypin’s picture on the OHP and briefly recap his work. Then
distribute the aims and impact worksheet and read through together. As
before, key words should be added to the glossary section of exercise books.
3. Provide students with the Hite information sheet when moving on to the final
task. Allow them to write on to this sheet. They could highlight positive aspects
of the reforms in one colour and negative in another. Students should now be
in a position to independently write a positive and negative viewpoint of
Stolypin’s land reform. They must provide specific detail to support each
argument.
4. Extension:
If time allows, listen to the finished arguments. Alternatively, students could
begin to read around War Communism.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Four: War Communism
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand why War Communism was introduced.
2. To examine the key features and the resulting impact of War Communism.
3. To consider the ideological debate surrounding the policy of War Communism.
Resources
The period of War Communism information booklet and task sheet
Activities
1.
Students have now completed two of the four agricultural policies covered
by the coursework sources: emancipation and Stolypin’s land reform. They
should now complete the table in the back of their books for Stolypin agrarian
policy. Remind students of the two focus questions – Was land reform a
success or failure?
How did the peasants react to land
reform?
2.
While neither War Communism nor NEP are covered by assignment 1, it is
important that both policies are taught to provide basic chronology and clear
understanding of economic change during the period. Assignment 2 requires
students to identify key developments and turning points from a 100-year time
period and these two policies were both controversial, shaping the decisions
made by leaders that followed. War Communism begins where the Russia in
Revolution course left off. Remind students of their work on Lenin’s rise to
power. What promises did he make in his April Thesis? What expectations did
the peasantry have upon the Bolshevik seizure of power? Control of the land
was given to the peasants in the immediate aftermath of the October
Revolution but it did not take very long for the Bolsheviks to realise this policy
could not succeed. The pressure of a civil war underlined the need for agrarian
reform and hence War Communism was introduced.
3.
Read through the information together, up to the section on the Red
Terror. Some historians claim Lenin was trying to achieve the transition to a
Communist state through the adoption of this policy. How is it possible to
argue for and against this viewpoint? The tasks that accompany the
information booklet should now be completed. The definition task on the third
section should go in the glossary of exercise books.
4.
Extension/Homework:
Completion of all War Communism tasks.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Five: The New Economic Policy
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand the failings of War Communism and therefore the reasons why
NEP was necessary.
2. To examine the key features of NEP and consider the extent to which it went
against true Communism.
3. To study contemporary observations of the impact of NEP.
Resources
The New Economic Policy information sheets, task sheet and OHT’s
Contemporary observations of NEP source sheets and OHT
Activities
1. Recap on last lesson’s work on War Communism. What were the key features
of this policy? In what sense did it represent ‘true’ Communist ideology? Why
was it ultimately unsuccessful? Students should now complete the third entry
in the table in the back of their books, this time for War Communism.
2. Distribute the NEP information sheets. Focus primarily on the first section, the
need for change, completing tasks 1 and 2. When making the list of problems
facing the Communists in 1921, specific detail from the source should be used
with regard to Cheka reports of uprisings.
3. A separate task sheet covers the remaining sections of the information sheets.
When explaining Lenin’s quotes, students should copy out the quote first and
then provide their own definition. Discuss the recovery task before asking
students to attempt it. The coursework does require them to extract
information from statistics and they must feel confident handling information
presented in this way. Use the OHT of the agricultural and industrial
production figures and agree together on suitable data to include in answers.
Students should not find any of the remaining tasks problematic and should
work through them independently.
4. Move on to the contemporary observations of NEP source. Students can write
on their copy and an OHT is also available. They are to answer the following
questions:
1. What evidence does the source provide to suggest that NEP was a
period of economic recovery?
2. What does the source reveal about the criticisms surrounding NEP?
Read through the source together. Students should highlight and annotate as
appropriate.
5. Extension/Homework
Completion of all NEP tasks.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Six: Stalin and Collectivisation
Aims and Objectives
1. To consider the motives behind the decision to collectivise.
2. To examine the implications of collectivisation for Soviet peasants, particularly
for the ‘Kulaks’.
3. To reach a judgement regarding the success of the policy of collectivisation.
Resources
Stalin and Collectivisation information sheets, task sheets and OHT’s
Collective farm diagrams and OHT
OHT’s of pictorial sources
Activities
1. Begin with a recap of the work covered on NEP. In what ways were
Communist principles sacrificed by the introduction of this economic policy?
Did the peasantry welcome such changes? Who were the Nepmen? Was the
degree of economic recovery sufficient to satisfy the government? At this point
NEP should be added to the summary table at the back of books.
2. Distribute the information sheets on Stalin and collectivisation and read
through the first section on Stalin’s motives together. It is important that
students understand the connection between industrial development and
agricultural efficiency. Students should now answer the first summary
question. It is a good idea to use the OHT to highlight the detail they should
include. Our students tend to answer summary tasks poorly and would much
rather work through pages of comprehension style questions. However,
summary questions ensure they have read the text carefully.
3. Read through the remaining information. Definitions should be added to
glossaries as appropriate. OHT’s should also be utilised to emphasise key
points. For example, the collective farm OHT can be used to explain exactly
how the system operated and the pros and cons of organising peasants and
agriculture in this way. Students should now be given their own copy of a
collective and should stick this in their books. The image of a famine victim
should also be used when reading through the information on the impact of
collectivisation. Take time to explain the pause in collectivisation when Stalin
claimed party officials were ‘dizzy with success’. This illustrates how difficult it
was to have an effective system of central control in Soviet Russia. (This is one
of the focus points of the second coursework assignment). The attack on the
kulaks raged out of control and Stalin was powerless to prevent it. Once all the
information has been read and discussed, summary questions 2-4 should be
answered.
4. Extension/Homework:
1. Using the OHT of two paintings of life in a collective, students answer the
question: ‘How far do the two sources differ in their view of collectivisation’?
2. Prepare to fill in the summary table for collectivisation.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Seven: Khrushchev and agriculture
Aims and Objectives
1. To examine Khrushchev’s agricultural reforms.
2. To assess the pros and cons of the Virgin Lands Scheme.
3. To produce a piece of extended writing on the overall success of Khrushchev’s
agricultural programme.
Resources
Khrushchev and agriculture information sheets, task sheets and OHT’s
Coursework source booklets
Activities
1. Recap on the work covered on the policy of collectivisation. This is the focus of
one of the coursework sources and it is especially important that students
understand the process of dekulakistion. In source 3 of the coursework Stalin
evades questioning on this process, claiming that peasants were attacked by
their own labourers. He is reluctant to use the word ‘Kulak’ in his conversation
with Churchill and students need to appreciate why. They should now complete
the summary table in the back of their books for collectivisation.
2. Move on to look at Khrushchev and agriculture. It is particularly important
that students have a competent understanding of this period of Russian
economic history as 3 of the 6 coursework sources deal with it. After reading
through the information, students should answer the 8 comprehension
questions set.
3. Produce a plan together to aid students in answering the extended question (a
table highlighting pros and cons would be appropriate). Ensure the points that
are mentioned in the coursework sources are highlighted. These would include:
 The poor organisation of Khrushchev’s policies
 The role of the Komsomol in the Virgin Lands Scheme
 The disregard of weather and climate conditions
 The uneven nature of agricultural production during this period
 The failure to meet set targets
4. Complete the last entry of the summary table in the back of books for
Khrushchev and the Virgin Lands Scheme.
5. Extension/Homework:
Distribute the coursework source booklets. Before next lesson students need to
read each of the 6 sources, defining any difficult words or concepts.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lesson Eight- Ten: Introduction to the coursework
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand the marking criteria of the first coursework assignment.
2. To build on prior knowledge through interpretation and evaluation of the
source material.
3. To begin planning for the coursework, focusing on the first two sources.
Resources
Student exercise books
Coursework source booklets
OHTs of sources
A3 coursework planning grids (teacher copies are available)
Activities
1. Students were asked to read through the coursework sources in preparation
for today’s lesson. They will need their source booklets throughout the lesson
and should be encouraged to highlight and annotate the information as whole
group discussion progresses. Begin by reminding students of the coursework
question. (Write this on the board in preparation) Together identify the key
words in the question. Follow this with a brief recap/question and answer
session. Can they identify the major pieces of agrarian reform covered by the
period? Can they identify the different Russian leaders of this period? Why was
agricultural development an issue of such importance for both Tsarist and
Communist regimes? Why were the Russian peasantry so problematic?
Students will have realised that not all the policies covered during the
previous seven lessons are dealt with in the source material and it is
worthwhile highlighting the ones that are. This does not mean that
notes on War Communism and NEP are redundant. Rather, they will
form a key part of the second coursework assignment.
2. Distribute the A3 planning grids and explain how these will function. The key
areas in the question are whether reform failed and whether peasants resisted
or not. They should take key points/quotations from the each source on these
two issues and they will be noted down in the second and third columns of the
table. The fourth column refers to evaluation of the source. Together agree on
the kind of questions to ask when evaluating a source. How useful is it? What
does it tell us? What doesn’t it tell us? Is it reliable? Does the information fit in
with contextual knowledge? Is one source supported by other sources? Stress
that high grade students will need to demonstrate skills such as crossreference of sources. Students will also need to use their exercise books, and
the summary grids in the back of these are particularly important. The
completed A3 grids are a writing frame that students will be able to follow
when completing their first draft answer to the question.
3. Examine Source 1 together (all other sources should be analysed
independently). Use the OHT of the source and highlight and annotate as
appropriate. Student should make relevant notes on their own copies of the
sources. In addition they should highlight information in their books and on
their summary tables. Students now complete their planning grid for this
source. It is a good idea to tell students to use different colours when filling in
their grids. For example, one colour could denote instances of success and
another failure, or different colours could be used to emphasise peasant
support and/or resistance. Their summary tables could be highlighted in a
similar way to avoid having to copy huge chunks of information out again onto
the A3 grid.
4. Extension/homework
1.
1. Students now complete the table for Source 2
2.
2.Completion of A3 table for each source. (You may wish to allow further
lesson time/support for the completion of this exercise although it is
essential not to provide much more input. We do not want identical work
being produced).
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 1
Lessons Nine and Ten: Completion of Coursework
Aims and Objectives
1. To complete the first coursework assignment.
2. To keep to the specified word count
Resources
Student exercise books
Coursework source booklets
Planning grids
Activities
1. Have the whole group together for the beginning of the first lesson and spend
a brief amount of time checking that planning grids have been completed. Go
over their findings but do so very briefly.
2. Students are to be given the next two lessons to complete the coursework.
This is plenty of time as the assignment should not exceed 800 words. The
examination board has begun to penalise over-wordy scripts so it is important
that they stick to this. They should aim to write around 1 side of size 11 Ariel
font. Remind them of the key phrases in the question. Do the sources show
‘peasant resistance’? Discuss the difference between explicit references and
implied comments. Remind students that they must add a brief conclusion
that answers the question set. Was agricultural policy a consistent failure?
3. It now important that the students work independently on their coursework. I
would suggest that you keep their usual teaching room available for the next
two lessons but it is not essential for them to go there. The coursework needs
to be word processed so they may well go to the PC rooms during these
sessions. It is important to be firm on the deadline as this is only a short piece
of coursework and we can not afford to encroach on the time needed to
produce the second assignment which is worth most of the marks.
4. Homework:
Word processed coursework by deadline set.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Eleven: The Tsarist system of government
Aims and Objectives
1. To provide a clear introduction to the second coursework assignment.
2. To build on existing knowledge and understanding of the tsarist system of
government.
3. To begin to consider the limits to the tsar’s power.
Resources
Bibliography and course outline
Short answer tests: Economic Policy (War Communism, NEP and Collectivisation)
‘Tsarist system of government’ information and task sheets
‘Russian Society’ task sheet
OHTs of Imperial Russia
Activities
1. Students will need to bring the exercise book they were working in during the
first coursework assignment. We will continue using this book and will need to
refer to the notes within it at various points in the coming weeks. The key
economic policies studied last term all fall within the time period of this second
assignment. New worksheets will refer to legislation such as war communism,
NEP and collectivisation and the expectation is that students will reread work
already completed on these areas to refresh knowledge and understanding.
They will be given a brief short answer test on each policy as they come up
and should be prepared for this. (These tests can be given out in advance in
today’s lesson) Students also need to bring their Russia in Revolution exercise
books to the first few lessons. The AS course examined the 1905-1917 in
considerable depth and a significant amount of time was also spent on the
reigns of Alexander II and Alexander III. The aim is to cover the 1855-1917
period as quickly as possible through a variety of revision/summary tasks.
Attention can then be given to the Lenin and Stalinist periods, which have yet
to be studied.
2. Refer back to bibliography and course outline sheets. Students already have a
copy of each in their exercise books. OHT’s are available for use in the lesson.
Students need to produce an essay which is worth 44 of the available 60
coursework marks. High scoring essays will need to provide evidence of wider
reading and historical debate. Read the essay question together and break
down the key points contained within it. Students should note these down on
the next clean page in their book. As we study the course content we need to
consider the following:






What were the essential problems of governing over the Russian
Empire/USSR?
How centralised was the Tsarist system of government?
How centralised was the Communist system of government?
How did each regime use central control?
In what ways were the two systems of government similar?
In what ways were the two systems of government different?
3. Distribute the Tsarist system of government information and task sheets.
Read through and then complete tasks. These summarise the way in which
the tsars ruled Russia and highlight key terms such as autocracy and
constitutional monarchy.
4. Distribute the Russian society task sheet. This is a useful piece of revision.
Ask students to explain the meaning of ‘hierarchy’ and how it relates to
Russian society. They could answer the cartoon question posed or explain
whether the cartoonist was a supporter or opponent of the regime. They
should then complete the matching task
5. Follow the written tasks with group discussion. Begin to consider the strengths
and weaknesses of the tsarist system. Pose the following three questions:



Could a true autocracy really exist in Russia?
What were the logistical problems in ruling Russia? (use the maps
at this point)
Was the constitutional monarchy established under Nicholas II
more or less successful?
Key points from the discussion should be noted on the board. Students begin
an independent written response to each question.
6. Extension/Homework:
Complete the three discussion questions.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twelve: Russia’s last Tsars
Aims and Objectives
1. To revise content covered in the AS unit, Russia in Revolution.
2. To show knowledge and understanding of the reigns of Alexander II,
Alexander III and Nicholas II.
3. To complete revision/summary activities on the reigns of the three tsars.
4. To begin to consider the situation facing the Bolsheviks in October 1917.
Resources
Russia’s last tsars cardsort
Russia’s last tsars completed cardsort (consumable)
Alexander II information and tasks
Alexander III information and tasks
Russia in Revolution exercise books
Reigns timelines
OHT’s of each tsar
Activities
1. Begin with brief question and answer session. The last Romanov tsars
believed in autocratic government. Recap the meaning of this. Nicholas II
ended autocracy in Russia in 1906 yet there is much evidence of his continued
devotion to the belief in autocracy. Can they supply examples of him
hindering the development of constitutional monarchy in Russia? Introduce
the cardsort activity. They will be given a collection of cards which describe
the character, key events and policies of Alexander II, Alexander III and
Nicholas II. In pairs, they are to decide which cards refer to which of the three
men.
2. Go through their choices as a whole. Question and answer to determine the
strength of existing knowledge. Use the OHT’s as each tsar is discussed. At
this point distribute information sheets showing completed cardsort. They are
to stick these into their exercise books.
3. Distribute the information sheets on Alexander II and Alexander III, along
with the three timelines. They will also need their Russia in Revolution
exercise books. They are to record the key events of each reign on the
appropriate timeline. Clearly, the cardsort information will also prove useful. It
is down to teacher discretion to decide if the tasks on Alexander II and III
need completing too. If you are not confident that your students will produce
a detailed and accurate timeline I would suggest that they do the additional
work.
4. Extension/ Homework:
Completion of three timelines.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Thirteen: Bolshevik consolidation of power
Aims and Objectives
1. To consider the stability of the Bolshevik regime in the aftermath of the
October Revolution.
2. To examine the steps taken by the party to stabilise their position.
3. To begin to understand why and how the Bolsheviks began to centralise their
power.
Resources
‘How did the Bolsheviks survive the first few months in power?’ information and
task booklet
Short answer tests: Economic Policy
Activities
1. Begin with a brief recap of the manner in which the Bolsheviks seized power in
October 1917. The Bolshevik revolution was swift, confined to the capital and
occurred with remarkably little bloodshed. Having overthrown the Provisional
Government the Bolsheviks were now faced with the difficult task of
consolidating their position and ruling a nation with a complex political, social
and geographical structure.
2. Distribute the worksheet. This deals with the measures taken by the
Bolsheviks to secure their position during those early months in power. There
are difficult concepts to be covered and the tasks have deliberately been
spaced out throughout the text so information can be read and discussed as a
whole group and one set of answers written before moving on. One of key
points to emphasise is covered in the first source. The realities of ruling Russia
forced the Bolsheviks to abandon a number of their traditional beliefs and
promises. This is a point students should make when they complete the essay
as the set question asks them to consider similarities between communist and
tsarist rule.
3. Extension/Homework:
Next lesson’s focus is the Russian Civil War. It is during this period that Lenin
was forced to introduce War Communism. Next lesson students will be given
the War Communism test to revise work already covered at the end of last
academic year. They will therefore need their old notes.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lessons Fourteen and Fifteen: Civil War Years
Aims and Objectives
1. To examine the causes and course of the Civil War.
2. To consider the reasons for Red success and the importance of Trotsky to this
victory.
3. To develop essay writing skills.
4. To understand how and why the experience of civil war led to a greater
centralisation of government.
Resources
Short answer tests: Economic Policy
‘The Civil War (1918-20)’ information and task sheets
‘Why did the Reds win the Civil War?’ information sheet
Civil War sample essay and tasks
Civil War sample essay (consumable)
‘How did the Civil War make the party more centralised and less democratic?’
cloze passage (consumable)
‘Key factors driving the growth of centralisation in 1918’ diagram (consumable)
Activities
1. Students should have prepared for the War Communism short test and should
sit this test at the start of the lesson. It is worthwhile marking the test
immediately. Students should note down any necessary corrections and
anyone that failed to gain 66% will be expected to sit a retest next lesson.
2. Turn to the issue of the Civil War. We saw last lesson the strategies used by
the Bolsheviks to consolidate their position in the early days of power.
However, by 1918, many of their opponents had joined forces against them
and Russia was plunged into Civil War. Ask students to consider which groups
inside and outside Russia might have opposed the Bolsheviks. Distribute the
information sheet and read through. Students now work through the
comprehension style questions.
3. Issue the information sheet listing the reasons for Red victory and White
defeat. Students are to construct a table in their books with the columns
‘Factor’ and ‘Description’. They then summarise each of the key points made.
Be sure to emphasise the importance of Trotsky and the Red Army as this will
be relevant to future lessons.
4. The next activity aims to refresh and develop students’ essay writing skills.
Due to time constraints, students will not be asked to produce their own essay
on the Civil War. Rather, a model answer has already been produced. Before
giving students the essay, brainstorm good essay writing technique as a
whole group. This will provide a focus that will make the next activity much
easier. Students are now to read the essay and comment on its strengths and
weaknesses. They are asked to award the essay a mark out of 25. This refers
to the old A Level mark scheme. Do not be to concerned with exactly how the
marks were awarded in the past. It more important that the students are able
to explain why they didn’t award the essay top marks. In doing so they will be
highlighting the high order skills required when they write their own
coursework essay. Students should be encouraged to annotate the model
answer, highlighting key techniques such as starting paragraphs with
sentences that directly answer the question, use of evidence, discussion of
historical debate etc. Having discussed the model answer at length, students
are now to make the necessary improvements to ensure it gains top marks.
They should be given the second version of the essay which provides boxes in
which additional information can be added.
5. We now turn to the issue of centralisation, essential to the assignment
question. A cloze passage has been produced and students can write directly
onto the sheet. Key points to highlight and discuss are the changes to the
membership of the party and why a more centralised system of government
was needed. The factors diagram can simply be discussed and then stuck into
books. Emphasise that the issues raised will need referring to in their final
assignment.
6. Extension/Homework:
Next lesson students will be given the New Economic Policy test.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Sixteen: The death of Lenin
Aims and Objectives
1. To further develop source based skills
2. To examine the historical debate surrounding Lenin’s achievements and
legacy.
3. To begin to consider the leadership battle that occurred after Lenin’s death.
Resources
Short answer tests: Economic Policy
Document exercise: Views of Lenin
‘What kind of Party ruled Russia in 1924?’ information sheets and diagrams
‘Who did Lenin want to succeed him?’
Activities
1. Students should have prepared for the NEP short test and should sit this test
at the start of the lesson. It is worthwhile marking the test immediately.
Students should note down any necessary corrections and anyone that failed
to gain 66% will be expected to sit a retest next lesson.
2. Distribute the document exercise on Lenin. Not only does this activity raise
the issue of historical debate, something candidates need to show awareness
of in their coursework answers, but it will provide a useful revision of skills
required by those due to retake the Russia in Revolution paper in January. To
ensure high quality answers to the source tasks, read and discuss the tasks
together. Students may annotate the sheets and should underline short,
relevant quotes they wish to include in their answers. In order to answer
question 8 students need to understand how and why historians’ views differ.
Ensure the following points have been raised through class discussion: 


Historians’ views of Lenin’s regime are fundamentally determined by their
sympathy, or lack of it, with Lenin’s aims and motives. Those who share
his aims tend to excuse his methods as being necessary of the difficult
times he faced. Therefore, Christopher Hill, author of Source A and a
Marxist historian, writes in glowing terms of Lenin’s regime. On the other
hand, those who find his methods and aims unacceptable would disagree
with Hill. Pipes (Source B) clearly is of the second view.
The time in which the sources are written is key to understanding the
opinion given. Since the collapse of the Communist system, Russian
historians have been more critical of Lenin. Many western historians hold
him responsible for the creating all the features of the regime, which
brought millions to death, imprisonment and transportation under Stalin.
They argue that under Lenin all the components for later Stalinism were
put in place. For example, Lenin demanded one-party government, Lenin
set up the Cheka, he ended party debate and set in place a centralised
and all-powerful bureaucracy. It was Lenin who promoted Stalin to all his
posts.
A further reason for the extent of historical debate surrounding Lenin is
the fact that so many of Lenin’s own statements and policies seem
contradictory. The ‘strategic retreat’ he made following War Communism is
just one example. Furthermore, Lenin actually only directed party policy
for a short period of time as his illness had left him completely
incapacitated by the end 1922. The documents he issued after his strokes
tend to conflict the message of his earlier writings.
Students should now attempt all source questions.
3. Before moving on to examine the issue of Lenin’s successor, distribute the
sheets and diagrams on ‘what kind of Party ruled Russia in 1924?’ This
information feeds well into the second coursework assignment as it highlights
how the democratic principles of the Communist Party quickly eroded away
once they were in power. Pipes quote regarding the Bolsheviks being more
like a ruling class than a political party directly addresses the propositions put
forward in the assignment title. Students should stick each of the two
diagrams in their books and, using the information given, explain them in
their own words.
4. The next activity introduces the focus of the following lessons, the struggle for
control of the party following Lenin’s death. Distribute copies of Lenin’s
testament and read through together. A number of the leading contenders are
highlighted in the source, along with Lenin’s assessment of their characters
and abilities. Discuss before allowing students to tackle the tasks
independently.
5. Extension/Homework:
Completion of all source tasks.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lessons Seventeen & Eighteen: The leadership battle
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand how and why Stalin emerged as sole leader of the party by
1929.
2. To develop note-taking skills, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each
of the leadership contenders.
3. To take part in a historical debate, focusing on the two main contenders for
power after 1924: Stalin and Trotsky.
Resources
‘Who would succeed?’ contenders booklet
OHT’s of each of the contenders
Trotsky versus Stalin summary sheets
‘Stalin’s rise to power’ timelines
Selection of textbooks for research purposes
Stalin’s rise to power cardsort
Activities
1. Last lesson students read Lenin’s testament in which he outlined his concerns
regarding the party leadership and gave his views on his possible successors.
Briefly recap on Lenin’s opinion of the leading communists. Who did he feel
was best qualified and deserving of the post? Distribute the booklets and read
through the first page together. Students now attempt the stage 1 task
independently. Ask for immediate feedback and collectively discuss the
qualities the group feel the next leader would require.
2. Students are now to assess each of the main contenders. You may wish to do
the first together, which is Stalin. For each man, students should draw up a
table summarising their strengths and weaknesses as a potential leader. Once
this has been completed for each of the seven contenders, discuss them in
turn. Ask students to then rank the men in order of suitability for the position
and to consider if they would now change the criteria they chose in stage 1 of
the task.
3. Students should have identified Stalin and Trotsky as the two main contenders
for power. Now introduce the debate task. Half the students are to produce an
argument that Stalin should be Lenin’s successor and the other half are to
argue the same for Trotsky. Stress the need for further research on their
candidate and evidence to back up any points made. As well as producing a
convincing argument on the attributes of their candidate, they must also carry
out a character assassination on his opponent. Allow students time in lesson
to carry out research and prepare their arguments. A selection of textbooks
will be made available in class. Students should also use the school and city
libraries and the internet. Stronger arguments will include the views of
historians on the issue. Agree a time for the debate to take place.
4. Carry out the debate. Make sure debating skills/strategies have been
discussed before hand. Each member of the team should speak and notes
should be made during their opponents’ arguments so that their points can be
challenged later. It is a good idea to rearrange the room during the debate so
the two sides are directly facing one another. At the end a decision needs to
be made regarding the most convincing argument.
5. One the debate has ended, distribute the Trotsky V Stalin sheets and read
through together. Students may keep these sheets. They should also be given
the Stalin’s rise to power timeline sheets. This highlights the extent of Stalin’s
political manoeuvring against the right and left of the party.
NOTE: There are several ways to carry out the debate. If time allows, encourage
students to produce power point presentations as the necessary equipment is
now available in teaching rooms. Rather than splitting each group in half we may
also be able to have one group against the other.
6. Extension Activity:
A cardsort is available that provides students with 21 statements that offer an
explanation as to why Stalin, and not Trotsky, emerged as the next leader of the
USSR. Students should work in groups of 3 or 4 and need to firstly identify the
five cards that are the main points/paragraph headings. The remaining cards are
the points that support each main idea and students should now place these
under the appropriate paragraph heading. There are not an identical number of
points for each main idea.
Having done this, students now select the 9 cards they think are the most
important in explaining Stalin’s success and Trotsky’s failure. They should arrange
these in the shape of a diamond with the most important at the top, the two next
important on the next line, and so on. Discuss choices as a whole class group.
You may wish them to go away and produce an answer to the essay question
‘Why did Stalin rather than Trotsky emerge as leader of the USSR in 1929?’
Alternatively, the discussion that generates from the cardsort activities is useful
on its own in making students consider the structure of an A Level standard
answer to such a question.
7. Homework:
Prepare to answer the Collectivisation short answer test
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Nineteen: The Stalinist State
Aims and Objectives
1. To examine the evidence for a personal dictatorship by Stalin
2. To understand the limits on Stalin’s power.
3. To begin to make comparisons between the Tsars and Communists in their
methods of control.
4. To extend vocabulary
5. To produce extended writing on the key issues raised.
Resources
‘How did Stalin exercise political control?’ information booklet
Highlighters/coloured pencils
Activities
1. Difficult, but highly relevant, terms and concepts will be addressed in this
lesson. The second coursework assignment requires students to consider the
similarities between the Tsarist and Communist states and make direct
comparisons between Stalin and the Tsars. The work completed today raises
the issue of Stalin’s personal dictatorship. Begin by reading the first paragraph
together and ensure students understand that the Bolsheviks had initially
promised that government and state machinery would fade out but in fact the
opposite happened and the USSR became less democratic and increasing
dictatorial as time progressed.
2. Introduce students to the two questions they will answer. Each should be at
least one side in their A4 books. The questions are:
a. How did Stalin exercise political control?
b. What were the limits on Stalin’s power?
and
3. Students are not to begin writing their answers until they have read,
highlighted and planned. They should read the work individually highlighting
difficult words and concepts. Rather than reading through the whole booklet
with them, then go over the vocabulary they have raised. They now highlight
the sections that refer to how Stalin exercised control. They will therefore be
considering his control over the party, the 1936 Constitution and the use of
force and terror. Once complete, they highlight the ways in which Stalin’s
power was restricted.
4. A brief bullet pointed plan should now be produced for each question. You
may wish to do this on the board with the group or use power point. Students
are now in a position to answer the two focus questions.
5. Extension/Homework
Completion of both questions
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty: Stalin and the Soviet Economy
Aims and Objectives
1. To gain a full understanding of Stalin’s attempts to industrialise the USSR.
2. To consider the implications, social and economic, of USSR becoming a
planned economy.
3. To reach an independent judgement about the success of Stalin’s Five-Year
Plans for industry.
4. To analyse, interpret and extract information from a range of A Level standard
resources and use this information to produce a set of structured notes.
Resources
Short Answer Tests: Collectivisation
‘Life in Stalin’s Russia’ consumable sheet for Magnitogorsk video
‘The Five Year Plans’ introduction information and task sheet
‘How did the Five Year Plans affect the Soviet People?’ information and task
sheet.
‘Stalin and the Soviet Economy’ information booklet (taken from textbook)
‘The achievements and weaknesses of the Five Year Plans in the 1930’s’
information/statistics
‘The results of the Plans’ Evidence work
Activities
1. As collectivisation was taught when covering the first assignment content,
Stalin’s agricultural policy can be reviewed through the short answer test. It
worth reminding students that Stalin’s prime objective was to industrialise the
USSR and he saw the improvement of agriculture as a means to achieve this
goal.
2. Move on to show the students the Magnitogorsk video. This provides a strong
introduction to the Five Year Plans and also the implications that this policy
had for the lives of soviet citizens. Students are to write directly on to the
sheet as they watch the video and should then stick this into their books.
3. Distribute the introduction sheets on the Five Year Plans and the affect they
had on the Soviet people. Students should first answer questions 1-5 on the
Five Year Plan sheet, then leave task 6 and move on to the 3 questions on the
next sheet.
4. Introduce the note-taking task that was left. Distribute the detailed
information and statistic sheets. Using all this information, students are to
produce a detailed set of notes on each of the three Five Year Plans. They
should consider the way they present the information carefully. For example, a
table may be most appropriate. They can keep all the information sheets so
can annotate or colour them in any way to aid them with their note taking.
(e.g. highlight positive aspects on the Plans in one colour, and negative
aspects in another) Students will need a reasonable amount of time to
complete this task to a high standard.
5. Extension/Homework:
Students are to answer the evidence tasks on the results of the Plans
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty-one: Stalin Terror
Aims and Objectives
1. To highlight the similarities and differences in the way that Stalin and the
former leaders used terror to maintain control.
2. To consider the reasons for the Terror and the impact it had on the USSR.
3. To produce a structured set of notes on the purges.
Resources
‘Stalin’s Terror’ information and task sheets
‘Rewriting History’: photographs from the Stalinist period
Activities
1. If the Five Year Plan evidence work was set as homework, go over students’
responses to the tasks before moving on to the issue of the Terror. The use of
terror was one strategy used by Stalin to consolidate his position in the 1930’s
and maintain control. Emphasise that the use of terror was nothing new and
had been widely employed by the tsars and later governments. However, the
scale with which Stalin used the terror and the victims of the purges did differ
to earlier victims.
2. The information sheet is self explanatory and students should be given an
allocated amount of time to complete all comprehension questions.
3. Move on to examine the photographs. These can be found in the Unit 5 folder
under A2 and KS5 in the History folder on the staff drive. Use the interactive
white boards and pens to annotate the photographs and zoom in and out. The
photographs are an effective way of demonstrating how Stalin established his
position and the manner in why he ruled. He had opponents erased from
history as they were purged. Hence, the later versions of the photographs are
missing a number of key Communists that were executed in the 1930’s. The
first photograph is very famous (it even appears on our Y10 worksheet ‘Russia
out: USA in’!) and shows Lenin addressing troops with Trotsky and Zinoviev
looking on. In the second version of the photograph both men have been
taken out. The other photograph is even more startling as only 4 of the
original 9 men remain. It was first taken in 1925 and later published in 1939.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty-two: Preparing Russia for War: 1917-1941
Aims and Objectives
1. To understand the aims and undertakings of Russian foreign policy, 19171941
2. To examine the changing relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union
between 1939 and 1941.
3. To further develop evidence-based skills.
Resources
‘Preparing for War: 1917-1941’ information/task booklet
‘Reactions to the Munich Conference’ source exercise
Activities
1. We are now nearing the end of the course content, and shall soon turn to the
assignment question itself. Remind students that the essay question asks
them to consider similarities and differences between the tsars and the
Communists. One shared experience of Nicholas II and Stalin was a world
war. Nicholas directed the disastrous Russian campaign during the First World
War, whilst Stalin oversaw the Soviet Union’s involvement in World War II.
Today’s lesson focuses on foreign policy under the Communists, beginning in
1917 and ending with ‘Operation Barbarossa’. The key emphasis is on the
period of appeasement and the changing nature of Nazi-Soviet relations.
Students should already have basic background knowledge of many of the
events covered in the handout from the GCSE course. That being the case,
you may wish to test them on key developments such as the invasion of the
Sudetenland, the Munich Conference and Nazi-Soviet Pact. An alternative
starting point would be to give them the key events covered in the booklet
muddled up and ask them to arrange them in chronological order and attempt
to place dates to each event.
(e.g.)
October Revolution (1917)
Russian Civil War (1917-20)
Hitler comes to power (1933)
USSR joins the League of Nations (1934)
Spanish Civil War (1936-9)
Anschluss (1938)
Sudetenland Crisis (1938)
Munich Agreement (1938)
Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)
Invasion of Poland (1939)
Nazi invasion of USSR (1941)
2. At this point, issue students with the information booklet. The questions are
distributed in six stages throughout the text. This being the case, students
can either work through all the questions independently or each section can
be read and discussed as a group, before questions are attempted in timed
conditions.
3. Extension/Homework:
Students attempt the Munich Conference source questions. A GCSE Paper 2
mark scheme can be applied when marking students’ work. Question 1 would
therefore be allocated 6 marks and question 2 would be marked out of 8.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty-three: Soviet experience of war
Aims and Objectives
1. To investigate the key events of the war from a Soviet perspective.
2. To understand why Hitler failed to conquer the USSR.
3. To examine the beginnings of the Cold War and Soviet domination of eastern
Europe during the latter stages of Stalin’s rule.
4. To examine the measures adopted to reconstruct the Soviet economy.
5. To further develop concise note-taking skills.
Resources
‘Operation Barbarossa’ information and task sheet.
‘Operation Barbarossa’ video clip
‘Soviet Victory’ information/task sheets
‘Post-war Reconstruction’ information/task sheet
Activities
1. Last lesson we saw how Hitler turned his attention from Britain to the invasion
of the USSR in 1941. Briefly recap on the reasons why Hitler would want to
attack the Soviet Union. Remind students that most historians would agree
that the Soviet Union was where Hitler lost the war, Discuss why the Nazi war
machine would have difficulty conquering the USSR when a more modern
nation such as France fell relatively easily under their control. Show the video
clip of operation Barbarossa. This highlights the essential problems the Nazis
faced: the huge numbers of Soviet soldiers, the severe climate and poor
terrain. Now distribute the accompanying worksheets. The tasks are a
combination of comprehension and evidence questions.
2. Students work through the tasks on Soviet victory. There are only five
questions but a reasonable amount of detail is required. Again, students may
already be familiar with some of the events, such as the wartime conferences.
3. Students now answer the questions on post-war reconstruction. This sheet
introduces the fourth Five-Year Plan and the ‘Iron Curtain’.
4. Extension/Homework:
Completion of all note-taking tasks.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty-four: Life under Stalin
Aims and Objectives
1. To examine the impact of Stalinist rule on the lives of Soviet citizens
2. To focus on areas such as family, education and religion when considering life
under Stalin.
3. To consider the extent to which Stalin exercised complete control over the
Soviet Union
4. To further consider the similarities between tsarist and Communist rule.
Resources
‘Life under Stalin’ information booklet and task sheet
Activities
1. Another fairly straightforward lesson. Students are to use the information
booklet on life under Stalin to make notes on how he controlled religion,
education and family life. These aspects could be referred to in the
coursework assignment as they are further examples of Communist control.
The booklet also discusses the Cult of Stalin. When this section is read in
class, ask students to consider the similarities between the way Stalin was
viewed by Soviet citizens and the way the tsars had been perceived by their
subjects. The two regimes adopted a very different approach to religion and
again this should be emphasised when reading through this particular section
in the booklet. Under the tsars the Church was a crucial tool in ensuring
loyalty. Because of this, the Communists set out to destroy it. However, the
Cult of Stalin/Personality operated in many ways like a religion.
2. Students should now answer the questions that accompany the information
booklet. These are simple comprehension tasks so be strict with the time
allowed for this activity.
3. Extension/Homework:
Completion of all tasks.
The Making of Modern Russia: 1856-1964
Coursework Assignment 2
Lesson Twenty-five: Stalin’s death and legacy
Aims and Objectives
1. To examine the final years of Stalin’s rule.
2. To examine the way Stalin was viewed by contemporaries by the end of his
rule.
3. To consider the historical debate surrounding the issue of Stalin’s rule and
legacy.
Resources
‘Stalin’s Death’ information and task sheet
‘Stalin’s Legacy’ information/task sheet
Activities
1. Read through the worksheet entitled ‘Stalin’s Death’. The paranoia displayed
by Stalin towards the end of his life and the jokes directed at him and his
regime are strikingly similar to those directed and experienced by Hitler and
the Nazis. Both men attempted to establish totalitarian regimes although with
clear differing success. Read through the Yevtushenko extract together as
reveals much about true feelings Soviet people had for Stalin. Students now
answer all questions.
2. Turn to the issue of Stalin’s legacy. The tasks require students to look back
over previous lessons’ work. Encourage them to work independently or in
pairs initially. After an agreed amount of time, discuss the final question
together.
3. Extension/Homework:
Answering of task 6. Set a work limit for this (e.g.) approx. one side in their
A4 exercise books.