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Senior: 11 & 12: Unit 1: The Russian Revolution (IA3)

Possible Topics

  • The role of the Tsar, Nicholas II, (and Tsarina Alexandra?)
  • A critique of Tsarist Russia – in general – leading to the Revolutions
  • The roles of prominent characters associated with the Revolution:
    • Lenin
    • Trotsky
    • Kerensky
    • Rasputin
  • The 1905 Revolution
  • The effect of Russia’s involvement in WWI
  • The dynamic/power struggle between the Provisional Govt. and the Petrograd Soviet during 1917
  • The Russian Civil War (Reds v Whites)
  • The ultimate Bolshevik victory – why did it occur?

The above is not a finite list - if you have another request then pass it by your teacher for approval.

Useful Websites

Key Figures

Primary Sources

 
Eurodocs: A Collection of Primary Sources
 
Alpha History: Russian Revolution Documents
This is a solid collection of primary documents from 1917 as well as a detailed chronology of events.
 
Seton Hall University: Documents in Russian History
 

Online repository of historical images, cartoons and posters.

Seventeen Moments in Soviet History
This is a collection of primary and multi-media materials relating to 17 key moments in the history of the Soviet Union from 1917-1991. Each section contains an introductory essay plus access to digitised government documents, photographs and multi-media clips. Links are also provided to related web sites.​​

​The Deepening of the Russian Revolution 1917
This is a good source for both online and print primary documents about the 1917 Revolution. One of the most engaging aspects of this site for student is the interactive parallel timelines for workers, peasants, soldiers and activists.

Eyewitness Accounts: Visitors to Soviet Russia 1917-1928
A series of reports, photographs and other documents of eye witness accounts of the early years of the Soviet Union by foreign visitors.

Time Magazine: The Bolshevik October Revolution in Pictures
Time magazine’s compelling photo essay allows students to see the events of 1917 through the lens of gorgeous black and white photos taken during the Revolution.

Sources of Evidence
An online teaching module on 1917 with a great section of primary sources including revolutionary songs, pictures and maps.

PEEL Template for Writing

Useful Planning

KEY QUESTION: To what extent was Tsar Nicholas responsible for his own downfall?
HYPOTHESIS: While much of the responsibility for the downfall of Tsar Nicholas can be attributed to his own weaknesses and failures, the growth of grievances by broad groups of citizens, and the impact on Russia of major events of the time were also very important contributors. 

  • How was the Tsar's rule autocratic?
    • Personal style
    • Failure to implement reforms from 1905
    • Rasputin influence
  • What were the political, social and economic grievances of many groups?
    • Peasants
    • Industrial workers
    • Socialists / Marxists
    • Nobility
  • What was the influence of major events?
    • 1905 Revolution
    • WWI

KEY QUESTION: What were the consequences of the Tsar's involvement of Russia in WWI?
HYPOTHESIS: The disastrous consequences of the Tsar Nicholas's involvement of Russia in WWI directly contributed to the collapse of the Tsarist regime. 

KEY QUESTION: What caused the October Revolution?
HYPOTHESIS: The October Revolution succeeded because the weakness the Provisional Government, continuing economic and social problems, and the growing unrest of the Russian people created an environment which the Soviets were able to exploit for their own purposes.

  • What were the weaknesses and mistakes of the Provisional Government?

  • What were the economic and social problems that affected Russia under the Provisional Government?

  • What roles did Trotsky and Lenin play?

BBC Library Catalogue - Oliver

The Oliver library catalogue is your go-to spot for searching library resources (books, eBooks, websites, DVDs). You do not need to login to search; however, if you do, you have extra functions available such as the ability to reserve books and reborrow items.

OneSearch Database Articles

The ENTIRE collection of resources provided by the BBC Library can now be searched on ONE single, powerful search platform, which retrieves print books, eBooks, database articles and websites. Click HERE for assistance.

QUT C.R.A.A.P. Test for Evaluating Websites

Check the quality of your websites using these criteria (adapted from QUT Library):

Currency: Timeliness of the information

  • When was the information published, posted or last updated?
  • Is the information current for your topic and field of study? How recent does it have to be? Can older sources work just as well?
Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs
  • Is the information appropriate for a senior secondary course?
  • Is this an adequately in-depth examination or a quick summary of the topic?
  • Who's the intended audience? Is it the general public, a student, a researcher or industry?
  • Is the level of information too basic or too advanced for your needs?

Authority: Source of the information

  • Is the author/authoring body (individual person, or institution, or organisation) established and reputable?
  • Are their qualifications, credentials, expertise, experience, educational background and previous work (if any) relevant and do they add credibility to the source?
  • Has the piece been published by a well-known and respected publisher or organisation?
  • Do references to other sources support the writing ie is a Bibliography or Reference List provided?

Accuracy: Reliability and correctness of the information

  • Where does the information come from, and is it supported by evidence?
  • Does it have a Reference List or Bibliography so you can easily find and verify the sources used?
  • Are there any spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: Reason the information exists

  • What is the purpose of the information? Why was it written?
  • Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial?
  • Is the viewpoint of the author's affiliation/ sponsors reflected in the message or content?
  • Does the author acknowledge alternative versions of the issues or facts?

How to Write In-Text References for Humanities

Examples of In-Text Referencing

Useful Ebooks from the Library Catalogue

Advanced Web Searching Tips

1. Use 'Ctrl F' (Control + Find) to search for particular terms easily in a long document, whether from a website or a database article.

2.  Use the Boolean command to put double inverted commas around phrases to limit and improve your results eg "energy drinks problems".

2. Use a Google command to limit results to a CERTAIN DOMAIN

  • 'edu'  - for educational sites from universities and schools:
    eg  biodiesel site:edu
     
  • 'gov' - for government sites:

             eg ethanol site:gov

3.  To check the authority of a website when it is not clear who the author / authority is, go to the end of the URL in the Google search box, cut back to the first forward slash (/) and hit 'Enter'. This will take you to the Home Page of the website, and you can see the full name of the source.

4. Use a Google command to limit results to the MOST RECENT: After you get your results, choose the Google Menu Bar, and choose 'Tools'. Then on the far left, at the drop-down menu next to 'Any Time', you can choose 'Within the last year' (or less, if you prefer), but generally, you can choose 'Custom Range' at the bottom, as often the last 3 years would be sufficient for a recent search.

Useful Google Searching

Google Books can be very frustrating because often much of the book is missing and you are expected to purchase it to read the full content. So after you put in your search term you are interested in (eg biodiesel), and get some results up,  you should then go immediately to the search box (on the left - above 'About this box') undefined and type in a particular word or term you are interested in (eg CO2 emissions) you should get a number of pages pop up. Choose one that looks useful - you should get some good results this way!