Welcome to A2 History

A2 ContentTwo units:

• One examined unit (unit 3) on

The Making of Modern Britain, 1951- 2007 (30%)

and

• One coursework unit (unit 4), with a taught introduction then independent research to produce an extended essay of c. 3500 words with a c. 500 word evaluation and bibliography (20%)

Coursework Topic:

Russia

c.1900-2000

Russian leaders card sort

Cut out the leaders’ pictures and put them in chronological order.

Then name them using this list:

Lenin, Andropov, Gorbachev,

Nicholas II, Khrushchev, Stalin, Chernenko, Yeltsin, Brezhnev,

Russian leaders card sort

The People of Russia

Hello, I am Alexander. We are going to

compare the peoples.

% of Russian population in 1900 (based on the 1897 census)

ClergyNobilityOthersCossacksUrbanitesMerchants & honoured cit-izensPeasants

% of Russian population in 1900 (based on the 1897 census)

ClergyNobilityOthersCossacksUrbanitesMerchants & honoured cit-izensPeasants

The Peasantry c.1900In pairs write 5 words which describe a peasant’s life

The Urban Workers c.1985In pairs write 5 words which describe a worker’s life

The Aristocracy c.1900In pairs write 5 words which describe an aristocrat’s life

The ‘Oligarchs’ c.2000In pairs write 5 words which describe an oligarch’s life

Do you like my yacht people?

Chose one type of person and write

a Facebook profile for

them

About me:

I am a Russian peasant called Yuri. I mostly drink vodka and shout at my goat.

I work on common land owned by the mir growing potatoes, growing wheat and growing old.

The Peasantry c.1900Context

Context: The Peasantry• The peasants of Russia worked under a feudal system.

• They slogged all day on their own land then had to work on the land owned by the nobility.

• Most were poor, illiterate and uneducated.

• Some peasants, however, were quite well off.

Context: The Peasantry• Peasants lived a hand-to-mouth existence.

• If the harvest was good then life was ok.

• However, if the harvest was bad starvation would soon follow.

• In 1891 400,000 peasants died of starvation.

Context: The Peasantry

• Disease was common especially diphtheria, typhus and syphilis.

• Many peasants lived in squalor and a state of drunkenness.

• High levels of debt were common.

Context: The Aristocracy

Context: The Aristocracy

• The aristocracy in Russia made up just 1% of the population but owned 25% of the land.

• Few of the aristocracy spent much time on their estates.

• Instead they lived it up in St. Petersburg or Moscow.

Context: The Aristocracy

• Many aristocrats had important jobs in government.

• But their appointment was based on status rather than talent.

• This led to a lot of useless idiots running the country.

The aristocracy enjoyed plush homes filled with tat like this. Estimated value: £ 9 million

The Winter Palace

Ur

a l s

What problems governing Russia might the Tsar have?

Pretty nippy, -40°C

No sea route

Single track railway

Russia compared to the USSR

In the USSR all power belongs to the working people of town and country as represented by the Soviets of Working People's Deputies

The Emperor of all the Russias is an autocratic and unlimited monarch: God himself ordains that all must bow to his supreme power, not only out of fear but also out of conscience

Your task

• Put the Russian leaders in chronological order,

• Identify 3 similarities in the nature of Russian government across the period

• Identify 3 changes in the nature of Russian government across the period

• Which two leaders are the most similar?

• Which two leaders are the most different?

• What patterns or themes in Russian history can you see from these biographies?

Similarities & Differences Similarities Differences