MP Board Class 9 History Chapter 2 – Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

What is socialism?
Answer: Socialism is a political ideology advocating equal distribution of wealth, state ownership of property, and welfare of all, aiming to remove class inequalities in society.

What conditions led to the Russian Revolution?
Answer: Poor working conditions, autocratic Tsarist rule, losses in World War I, economic crisis, and food shortages led to rising unrest and ultimately the Russian Revolution.

Who were the Bolsheviks?
Answer: The Bolsheviks were a radical socialist group led by Vladimir Lenin. They believed in immediate revolution, armed struggle, and establishing a communist state.

What role did Lenin play in the revolution?
Answer: Lenin led the Bolshevik Party, criticized the Provisional Government, and led the October Revolution, promising peace, land, and bread to gain mass support.

What was the October Revolution?
Answer: In October 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power from the Provisional Government in Petrograd, marking the start of communist rule in Russia.

Who was Karl Marx and what were his ideas?
Answer: Karl Marx was a philosopher who believed in class struggle, predicted a workers’ revolution, and wanted to build a classless, communist society.

What was the Duma?
Answer: The Duma was a parliament established after the 1905 revolution but had limited power as the Tsar retained absolute authority.

What triggered the 1905 Revolution?
Answer: The 1905 Revolution was triggered by the Bloody Sunday massacre, economic hardship, and public anger against the Tsar’s oppressive regime.

What was Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP)?
Answer: The NEP was introduced in 1921 to revive the economy by allowing private trade, encouraging small industries, and reducing state control temporarily.

What was the Civil War in Russia?
Answer: From 1918–1921, the Red Army (Bolsheviks) fought against the White Army (anti-communists) in a bitter civil war for control over Russia.

What is meant by a communist state?
Answer: A communist state is governed by a single party, where private property is abolished, and the state controls the economy and resources.

How was land redistributed after the revolution?
Answer: After the revolution, land owned by the nobles and church was confiscated and redistributed to peasants, promoting equality and support for the regime.

What changes did the Bolsheviks bring?
Answer: The Bolsheviks withdrew from World War I, nationalized industries, abolished private property, and transformed Russia into a one-party communist state.

What is War Communism?
Answer: War Communism was a policy during the civil war, where the state took control of food production, requisitioned grain, and suppressed private trade.

Why did many oppose Bolshevik rule?
Answer: Many opposed Bolshevik rule due to loss of freedoms, violent policies, land confiscation, and suppression of political opponents and religious institutions.

What were Soviets?
Answer: Soviets were councils of workers and soldiers that emerged during the revolution, initially as grassroots movements but later dominated by the Bolsheviks.

What was the Comintern?
Answer: The Comintern (Communist International) was formed to promote global communism and support revolutions in other countries from Moscow.

What was collectivization?
Answer: Under Stalin, collectivization merged small farms into large collective farms, aiming to increase agriculture production but caused famine and resistance.

What happened to the Romanov family?
Answer: The Romanov royal family, including Tsar Nicholas II, was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918 to prevent the return of monarchy.

What was Lenin’s slogan?
Answer: Lenin’s slogan, “Peace, Land, and Bread,” symbolized the end of war, land redistribution, and food supply—gaining mass support.

How did the revolution affect peasants?
Answer: Peasants gained land, but were later forced into collectivization under Stalin, leading to loss of autonomy and famine.

What was the role of women in the revolution?
Answer: Women participated in protests, strikes, and later gained rights like voting, education, and equal pay under Soviet policies.

How did Russia become the USSR?
Answer: After the October Revolution, Russia was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922 under communist rule.

What was the Red Army?
Answer: The Red Army was the military force of the Bolsheviks, organized by Leon Trotsky, and fought during the Russian Civil War.

How did the Russian Revolution impact the world?
Answer: It inspired global communist movements, worried capitalist powers, and led to the spread of Marxist ideology across Asia and Europe.