How to use this book

AS Section:

Narrative and Explanation 1 Tsarist Russia, 1856-1914 2 War and revolution, 1914-21 3 Stalin's USSR, 1921-53 4 Reform and stagnation, 1953-85

A2 Section:

Analysis and Interpretation Part 1: Tsarist and revolutionary Russia, 1856-1924 1 How significant were the reforms of Alexander II? 2 To what extent were movements for reform and revolution a threat to the tsarist regimes before 1905? 3 How significant was economic and social change in Russia before 1914? 4 How stable was the tsarist regime in 1914? 5 Why was Russia's performance in the First World War so disastrous? 6 Why were there two revolutions in Russia in 1917? 7 How and why did Lenin succeed in staying in power between 1917 and 1924?

Part 2: Stalinist Russia, 1924-53 1 How did Stalin become leader of the USSR by 1929? 2 How fundamentally was the USSR changed by the Stalinist revolution of 1928-41? 3 Why did a totalitarian regime develop in the USSR by 1941? 4 What impact did the war of 1941-5 have on the USSR? 5 What was the overall impact of Stalin on the development of the USSR?

Part 3: Post-Stalinist Russia, 1953-85 1 How successful a reformer was Khrushchev? 2 What was the extent of destalinisation? 3 Why was the period after Khrushchev a time of stagnation? 4 Why did the USSR eventually break up? 5 To what extent had Russia modernised btween 1856 and 1985?

A2 Assessment Select bibliography Index