From week 2 to week 4 in term 1, Grade 11 History students will learn about “communisim in Rusia 1900 -1940. The learning here is strictly centered around the main question, which is “how was communism applied in Russia under Lenin and Stalin?” If you can answer this question, you should know that you can write and answer any essay type of question around this topic.
According to the Annual Teaching Plan for History Grade 11 CAPS subject, under Communism in Russia (1900–1940), the following are the main learning objectives for Term 1:
- What is Communism? – as an introduction
- The writings of Karl Marx – background only
- February and October 1917 Revolutions – for concept and background (source-based)
- The Civil War and War Communism – in detail
- Lenin seizes control – in detail
- Marxism-Leninism and the NEP – in detail
- Death of Lenin and the power struggle – background (essay)
- Stalin’s interpretation of Marxism-Leninism – in detail
- Collectivisation and industrialisation
- The effect of Stalin’s policies on the Soviet people
- Women under Stalin
- Political terror – purges
- The coming of World War II – background
Essay Guide
Now, below, you will find the most important elements under each topic to help you ace any essay type of question about communism in Rusia 1900 -1940.
But, let’s look at how you should write this type of essay, looking at past essay question:
Essay Question Example:
Explain to what extent Stalin’s Five-Year Plans transformed the Soviet Union from a backward country to a superpower by the end of 1939. Use relevant historical evidence to support your argument. (50 Marks)
Answer:
[Using analytical and interpretative skills, plan and construct an original argument based on relevant evidence.]
SYNOPSIS
In writing this essay, candidates should be able to say to what extent Stalin was successful, through the Five-Year Plans to transform Russia from a backward country to a superpower.
MAIN ASPECTS
Candidates should include the following aspects in their responses:
Introduction
Candidates should contextualise the question and establish a clear line of argument.
Elaboration
- Aims: all forms of private ownership/capitalism abolished.
- Economy placed under state control.
- Economy developed by a series of Five-Year Plans.
- Illiteracy eradicated.
- Agriculture mechanised and collectivised.
- The rapid industrialisation of Russia.
- A state planning commission, the Gosplan, was empowered to direct the economic activities of the country.
- Farms collectivised and mechanised.
- Two types of farms:
- State farms (labourers paid a state salary).
- Collective farms – Peasants became state workers.
- Kulaks resisted collectivisation by − killing stock and refusing to sow.
- Stalin killed them / deported them to Siberia.
- Approximately 4 million peasants were killed / sent to Siberia.
- He used violence to enforce communism.
- By 1928, production levels increased.
- Peasant and wealthy farmers who refused to sell their extra products were heavily taxed.
- Mechanisation and scientific farming were introduced on a large scale.
- Profits were divided three ways among the state, workers, and a reserve operation fund to support community services such as schools, recreation centres and hospitals.
- Agriculture began to prosper.
- All private ownership abolished.
- Factories produced according to state quotas.
- Emphasis on the development of heavy industries – iron and steel.
- Propaganda was used to inspire workers and to stress the significance of working together for a better future.
- Coal – to melt iron and steel.
- 1 500 new factories built.
- Workers worked long hours.
- Dnieper Dam hydroelectric power station constructed.
- Huge towns and industrial centres were built.
- Compulsory education created a skilled workforce.
- All children between 3 and 16 received compulsory education.
- This indoctrinated the youth with communist beliefs.
- Flats were built to solve the housing shortage.
- Cars were built in Moscow.
- Oil discovered at Baku.
- Thousands of new schools were built to provide basic education for all children.
- Education was made compulsory.
- Adult literacy classes, which were also emphasised, reduced the rate of illiteracy rate from 50% in 1924 to 20% in 1939.
- Education was structured around mechanical and engineering lessons.
- New railway lines were built, and the old ones were upgraded to help move raw materials, manufactured products, and agricultural produce.
- The building of networks of hard-surface roads, and canal systems to link rivers for practical navigation became essential.
- Importance was placed on the improvement of efficiency and techniques in industry.
- Light factories were built to provide more consumer goods in order to raise the standard of living of the Russian population.
- Consumption increased dramatically, but growth and development of heavy industries remained the government’s priority.
- The most important successes were achieved in the machine-making industry.
- Russian people made huge sacrifices by working long hours.
- Stalin used encouragement, discipline and terror to achieve his aims.
- By 1940, Russia was the world’s second-largest industrial power.
- The Third Five-Year Plan of 1939 to 1942 was interrupted by the Second World War.
- Any other relevant response.
Conclusion
Candidates should tie up their argument with a relevant conclusion.
What is Communism?
For your tests and exams, you should know what “communism” is.
- Communism is the belief that wealth should be distributed more or less evenly among people.

Main Points for Easy Cramming
Communism
- Belief in equal wealth distribution.
- Aims to eliminate the gap between rich and poor.
- Promotes social peace and harmony by reducing societal conflict.
Achieving Communism
- The state must organise and control society.
- Wealth is used for the good of all citizens.
- Everyone receives a fair share.
Socialism
- An intermediate system before achieving communism.
- The state manages wealth distribution.
- Goal: A society with no need for government.
Communist Society
- Equal wealth for all citizens.
- No government is necessary.
- A peaceful and harmonious society.
The 1905 Revolution
Below are the main key points to remember under The 1905 Revolution:
- In the late 19th century, Russia was still an autocracy, with the Tsar ruling.
- The vast majority of the Russian population were peasants or small farmers.
- In the towns, there lived a new class – the rising industrial proletariat.
- From about 1890, Russia began industrialising rapidly.
- Russia went to war against Japan in February 1904 over imperial rivalries in the Far East.
- Russia soon suffered significant defeats.
- In January 1905, thousands of workers were attacked by troops in a peaceful demonstration outside the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, and many were killed. This event, which became known as ‘Bloody Sunday,’ marked the start of the 1905 Revolution.
- In October 1905, Tsar Nicholas II signed the October Manifesto.
- In April 1906, the government issued the Fundamental Laws (or constitution).
- When the first two Dumas proved uncooperative, the Tsar simply dissolved them.
- He also changed the electoral system in such a way as to ensure that some classes would lose their votes.
The February and October Revolutions of 1917
- From July 1906, Peter Stolypin acted as the Tsar’s Prime Minister and instituted several important reforms.
- Peasants were encouraged to leave the communes and set up independent farms.
- In August 1914, World War One broke out, and Russia was immediately involved, siding with Britain and France against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
- Ordinary people suffered greatly during the war due to inflation, food, and fuel shortages.
- In late February 1917, many workers protested in Petrograd, and after a few days, the army supported them, leading to the Tsar’s abdication.
- Two bodies now claimed power: the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.
- The Provisional Government introduced sweeping liberal reforms.
- In April 1917, Lenin returned to Russia, calling for ‘Land, Peace, and Bread’ and the overthrow of the Provisional Government.
- Lenin returned to Petrograd in October and argued for the Bolsheviks’ immediate seizure of power.
- On the night of 26 October, Lenin announced the formation of a new government of Bolshevik ministers, as the Bolsheviks had seized power by a coup d’état.
Lenin Seizes Control of the State
- Lenin believed in a one-party totalitarian State, maintaining rigid control by dictatorial and ruthless means.
- In December 1917, a secret police, the Cheka, was set up to deal with political threats.
- In March 1918, the Bolshevik government signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, resulting in a significant loss of territory and resources.
- Soon after, a Civil War broke out between the Reds (Communists) and the Whites (supporters of the old order).
- By the end of 1920, the Reds had won the Civil War.
- During the Civil War, the government implemented War Communism, including forcible grain requisitioning, nationalisation of industry, and a ban on private trade.
- These policies caused civil discontent, leading to the 1921 Kronstadt rebellion, which was ruthlessly crushed by the Red Army.
The New Economic Policy
- Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP), replacing grain requisitioning with a grain tax, allowing surplus grain to be sold on the open market.
- Small-scale private businesses and industries were also permitted.
- The economy gradually recovered, but a new middle class emerged.
Women and the Russian Revolution
- Traditionally, women in Russia played a subservient role.
- Under the Bolsheviks, women were given certain rights and an improved status.
The Death of Lenin and the Power Struggle
- Lenin died in January 1924.
- Lenin adapted Marxist theory to make the Bolshevik Revolution possible.
- Lenin’s adoption of the NEP in 1921 saved the Bolshevik regime but postponed how a socialist economy would be achieved.
- Lenin’s legacy included concentration camps, one-party government, the secret police, a ban on internal party debate, and centralised state authority.
- After Lenin’s death, a power struggle ensued between Stalin and Trotsky. By 1928, Stalin had outmanoeuvred his rivals and gained control of the party and state.
Stalin’s Interpretation of Marxism-Leninism
- Stalin believed socialism in Russia required rapid industrial and agricultural development.
- Collectivisation combined millions of small farms into large state-controlled farms.
- The policy included suppressing resisting kulaks.
- A famine struck between 1932-1934, causing 4-5 million deaths.
- The First Five Year Plan (1928) focused on heavy industry.
- The Second Five Year Plan (1933-1937) prioritised heavy industry and communication links.
- The Third Five Year Plan (1938-1941) was interrupted by World War Two.
- Millions paid a heavy price for the rapid industrial advance.
Political Terror Under Stalin
- In the 1930s, the Communist Party carried out industrial trials, accusing engineers and technicians of sabotage.
- In December 1934, Kirov was assassinated, prompting Stalin to issue an emergency decree empowering the secret police.
- From 1936, ‘show trials’ executed prominent Party members for crimes against the state.
- The Great Purge (1937) arrested, imprisoned, and shot thousands, particularly targeting army leaders.
- About three million people endured hard conditions in gulags.
Effects of Stalin’s Policies on the Soviet People
- Between 1927 and 1940, millions were urbanised, religion was discouraged, and illiteracy reduced.
- Propaganda dominated everyday life.
- Industrialisation created job opportunities, but workers’ real wages declined.
- Domestic overcrowding affected most families.
- Life remained tough for ordinary people.
Women in Stalin’s Soviet Union
- Stalin’s regime worsened family life.
- Many children were sent to state orphanages.
- A 1936 law made abortion illegal and divorce harder.
- Women continued to face workplace discrimination.
Essay Questions
Explain to what extent Stalin’s Five-Year Plans transformed the Soviet Union from a backward country to a superpower by the end of 1939. Use relevant historical evidence to support your argument.
Source-Based Questions and Answers
Below are some source-based questions and answers for Communism in Russia 1900 – 1940 Essay:
1.1 Refer to Source 1A

1.1 Refer to Source 1A
1.1.1 Define the concept War Communism. (1 x 2) (2)
- State control over the economy during the Civil War.
- Any other relevant response.
1.1.2 List FOUR pieces of evidence indicating that War Communism was a disaster for Russia. (4 x 1) (4)
- The economic strength of Russia in all areas fell below 1914.
- Malnutrition and disease were common.
- Industrial cities were starved of food.
- Workers moved to the countryside to grow their own food.
- Famine caused 3–10 million deaths.
1.1.3 Why did Lenin introduce War Communism? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- To starve the White Army of food and ammunition.
- To defeat the Whites.
- To ensure Bolshevik rule in Russia.
- To safeguard communist rule in Russia.
1.1.4 What was the impact of the Kronstadt Rebellion on communist rule? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- Lenin lost the strongest supporters of communist rule.
- The Kronstadt rebellion showed that even communist supporters were unhappy.
- It forced Lenin to rethink and change his policy.
1.2 Refer to Source 1B
1.2.1 What was introduced to support the NEP? (1 x 2) (2)
- The introduction of tax-in-kind.
1.2.2 Define denationalisation in the context of the NEP. (Any 1 x 2) (2)
- The privatisation of businesses/agriculture to improve economic output in Russia after War Communism.
1.2.3 Provide TWO pieces of evidence from Source 1B about the NEP’s effects. (2 x 1) (2)
- Denationalisation of small-scale industry and services.
- The establishment of trusts for supplying, financing, and marketing the products of large-scale industry.
- The stabilisation of the currency.
- Re-emergence of a ‘capitalist’ class (kulaks and Nepmen).
1.2.4 Why did Stalin abandon the NEP by 1929? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- Stalin was against capitalism.
- He perceived the NEP as a move away from communist principles.
- The NEP led to exploitation by the middle class.
- The NEP created classes that opposed communist ideals.
1.3 Refer to Source 1C
1.3.1 List THREE pieces of evidence from the source showing that the NEP was capitalist. (Any 3 x 1) (3)
- Shops, cafes, and restaurants were opened everywhere.
- Peasants sold fruit, vegetables, and produce.
- Jobs were created that paid money.
- The NEP meant opportunity and better days.
1.3.2 How did the NEP benefit traders? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- Traders were allowed to set up their own small businesses.
- They could sell products and make profits.
- The state stopped controlling small-scale businesses.
- Many traders became rich.
1.3.3 Evaluate the reliability of Source 1C. (Any 1 x 2) (2)
- The source is reliable as it provides first-hand information.
- Walker Duranty was an active participant living in Moscow.
- The date corresponds with the NEP timeline.
1.4 Refer to Source 1D
1.4.1 How much grain was harvested in 1927? (1 x 1) (1)
- 73.3 million tons.
1.4.2 Why was agricultural production high under the NEP? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- Forced state requisitions were stopped.
- Farmers were allowed to sell their surplus on open markets.
- Profit incentives were reinstated.
1.4.3 What impact did War Communism have on industries? (Any 2 x 2) (4)
- War Communism placed all industries under state control, leading to low production levels.
- Private trade was banned, decreasing trade and production.
- War Communism caused high inflation and food shortages.
- Workers were paid low salaries and became unproductive.
1.5 Compare Sources 1A and 1D
How do the sources support each other regarding War Communism? (Any 1 x 2) (2)
- Source 1A states that production strength dropped, and Source 1D shows the low production level in 1922.
- Source 1A describes the disasters of War Communism, and Source 1D highlights low production levels.
1.6 Paragraph: Impact of the NEP
- War Communism was a disaster for Russia (Source 1A).
- Farmers produced only for themselves, leading to famine and 3–10 million deaths (Source 1A).
- Rebellions like the Kronstadt Rebellion forced Lenin to introduce the NEP (Source 1A).
- The NEP allowed private trade, boosting agricultural and industrial production (Source 1B).
- Shops, cafes, and restaurants reopened, creating jobs (Source 1C).
- Workers were paid in cash, and entrepreneurs profited (Source 1C).
- Agricultural output, including grain, cattle, and pigs, increased significantly (Source 1D).