Question 1

Which of the following describes the difference between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks prior to the Russian Revolution?
A)The Bolsheviks were much less structured.
B)The Mensheviks rejected the teachings of Lenin.
C)The leadership of the Mensheviks was more open.
D)The Bolsheviks represented a very small minority.
E)The Mensheviks wanted to reinstate the Czar.

Accepted Answer

One of the key differences between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks was the structure of their leadership, with the Mensheviks being far more open and responsive to membership input. Therefore, the Mensheviks resembled the Communists of Western Europe. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, attracted the party hardliners, who wanted power concentrated in the hands of the few. The Bolsheviks would come to dominate and set the tone for Russian communism.

Question 2

The New Economic Policy developed in the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1927 had what net effect on the economy?
A)It was a period of unprecedented growth.
B)There was no discernible change from the war-era economy.
C)It resolved some issues from the war but failed to make significant progress.
D)It became the model for Soviet economics throughout the 20th century.
E)It required too much foreign capital to be successful.

Accepted Answer

The New Economic Policy addressed some of the issues of the war but failed to make significant progress. This economic restructuring was designed to address the trade imbalance between rural and urban areas by allowing farmers to trade their crops more freely. Because it favored large farms, or kulaks, much of the peasantry became day laborers. Thus, it mitigated some of the issues but brought production only as far as pre-war levels, indicating no significant progress.

Question 3

In the Civil War that followed the Russian Revolution, the White Russians were comprised of which of the following groups?
A)Traditional Marxist Communists
B)Followers of Trotsky
C)Rural peasants
D)Industrialists who had lost property
E)The disillusioned working class

Accepted Answer

The White Russians were comprised of industrialists who lost property under nationalization, as well as other middle-class Russians who were worse off after Communism. The White Russians received support from international anti-Communist groups, including the United States. In the end, however, their efforts proved inadequate to stop the spread of Communism in Russia.

Question 4

After the Russian Revolution, the government decided to deal with the problem of ethnic nationalism through which of the following means?
A)Generating unprecedented propaganda campaigns focused on Russia
B)Ceasing all printing and eliminating schools to slow the spread of nationalism
C)Using violent means to eliminate any signs of dissent
D)Creating autonomous republics within the federated Soviet Republic
E)Promoting the development of independent nations

Accepted Answer

The Communist government decided to deal with the issue of nationalism by creating autonomous republics within the federated Soviet Republic. Previously, they had paid little attention to growing nationalist movements. Lenin believed that if minority groups were given some recognition, nationalist goals would be minimized. At this point, Russia and neighboring states became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR.

Question 5

Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne on March 17, 1917, after which of the following?
A)He was put on trial for crimes against Russia.
B)He fled the country after the palace was stormed.
C)The Provisional Government demanded it.
D)A popular election voted to remove him from office.
E)Germany, his wife's native land, offered him safe passage.

Accepted Answer

The Provisional Government voted to remove the Czar Nicholas II from office. When Nicholas tried to return to his palace from the Eastern Front of World War I, it quickly became apparent that the military had thrown its lot in with the revolutionaries. This made abdication his only option, and when his brother declined the throne, Russia became a republic.

Question 6

Which of the following explains why Hitler wanted to conquer Russia?
A)As a defensive move against Russian invasion
B)To claim all of continental Europe and acquire Lebensraum
C)To restore the German territory lost in World War I
D)He did not, but Stalin forced his hand
E)Once Russia fell, Japan would be accessible

Accepted Answer

Hitler wanted to claim continental Europe in the manner of Napoleon and open the east for colonization by Germany, thereby creating Lebensraum, or living space, for ethnic Germans. Hitler also deeply opposed Communism; therefore, the possibility of eradicating it provided additional motivation. The Russian campaign was costly and ultimately contributed to Hitler's defeat, given the exhaustive nature of it.

Question 7

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 for which of the following reasons?
A)To end the raids by NATO troops in East Berlin
B)To secure a Soviet presence in East Germany
C)In response to the Berlin Airlift
D)To prevent refugees from leaving East Germany
E)To commemorate the anniversary of the Soviet takeover

Accepted Answer

The Berlin Wall was put in place in 1961 to prevent East Germans from escaping to West Berlin. After World War II, the Soviet Union seized East Germany, creating a new nation under its control. Berlin, which had been partitioned among the victors of World War II, remained free-with the exception of the Soviet quarter-providing a gateway to the West. Stalin had sensed the vulnerability this created and attempted to capture the Western portion of the city but was thwarted by the Berlin Airlift in 1948-1949. The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1991 would become one of the most powerful visual symbols of the fall of Communism.

Question 8

Which of the following is a tactic that Stalin employed against the Germans?
A)Submarine warfare
B)Concentration camps
C)Scorched-earth policy
D)Aerial strikes
E)Laying siege to key German cities

Accepted Answer

Stalin's scorched-earth policy was used against the Germans. To prevent the German army from living off the land, Stalin burned the occupied countryside to the ground. Although this was devastating to Soviet civilians, who had already suffered tremendously under Stalin's economic reforms and purges, it did weaken the German army and strain supplies.

Question 9

Which the following describes Russia on the eve of the Russian revolution?
A)Overwhelmingly agricultural
B)Predominantly industrial
C)Evenly split between industry and agriculture
D)More similar to feudal society than Western democracy
E)Modernized and compatible with Western Europe

Accepted Answer

In spite of several attempts to modernize Russia, the country was still nearly 80% agricultural in the era of the Revolution. While it was becoming Westernized in some aspects- for example, the creation of a middleclass and a rising intelligentsia-the nation was still overwhelmingly composed of rural peasants.

Question 10

De-Stalinization under Khrushchev consisted of which of the following?
A)Requiring that government records of Stalin's rule be opened
B)Abandoning Stalin's foreign policy
C)Limiting nuclear development to stall the arms race
D)Beginning to address the atrocities Stalin committed
E)Allowing more self-rule in Eastern Bloc nations

Accepted Answer

De-Stalinization under Khrushchev began to challenge Stalin's mythic status and address some of the atrocities committed under his rule. In 1961, he took the first steps to remove Stalin's highly visible presence in public culture by changing the name of Stalingrad to Volgograd and relocating Stalin's corpse from its place next to Lenin to a discrete grave among other Russian revolutionaries. Khrushchev did essentially maintain Stalin's foreign policy, and the Cold War reached its height under his rule with the Cuban Missile Crisis and the building of Berlin Wall.

Question 11

Which of the following explains why the Germans and Russians signed the Treaty of Rapello in 1922?
A)They both had Communist tendencies.
B)Soviet expansionism had begun.
C)They shared a common heritage and culture.
D)Russia was not part of the Treaty of Versailles.
E)Germany was banned from making treaties with Western Europe.

Accepted Answer

Russia and Germany were unlikely allies; however, the fact that Russia had no role in the punitive Treaty of Versailles brought the two nations together. Both had been scorned by Western Europe, so Russia was willing to support the German army despite the limitations put on it by the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was also willing to purchase industrial goods from Russia, which ensured that the German army was far more developed than the Allied forces suspected.

Question 12

After they came to power, the Bolshevik failure to adequately resolve which of the following issues resulted in the creation of anti-Bolshevik factions?
A)The dissatisfied Mensheviks
B)Ending serfdom
C)World War I
D)Food shortages
E)German expansionism

Accepted Answer

The Bolsheviks initially had great difficulty effectively handling the food shortages that plagued the country. Their solution was to take food from the large farmers and redistribute it in deprived rural areas and cities. This immediately alienated the farmers, who feared their farms were being nationalized. In addition, the lack of food turned many of the peasants and city dwellers against the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks had come to power on the promise to end World War I, which they did successfully, albeit on unfavorable terms.

Question 13

Which of the following describes the "November Revolution"? of 1917?
A)The removal of the Czar from power
B)The Bolshevik takeover of the government
C)The peasants burning the farms of the wealthy
D)The events that brought Kerensky to power
E)The week the Russian army refused to fight in World War I

Accepted Answer

The "November Revolution," which occurred on the night of November 6-7, 1917, marks the Bolshevik takeover of the Russian government. The Czar had been removed in the spring, and Alexander Kerensky had become head of the emerging government. However, Kerensky had very little popular support, and World War I had exhausted the nation. Thus, when Lenin and the Bolsheviks decided to claim the government for themselves, they found little opposition and easily seized control of the government.

Question 14

The Stalinist purges were distinct from other mass persecutions of the 20th century because of which of the following?
A)There were legitimate trials before sentencing.
B)They occurred only in urban areas.
C)Members of the military were immune.
D)They were motivated by class rather than race.
E)Virtually anyone in the Soviet Union could be a target.

Accepted Answer

The Stalinist purges were among the most indiscriminate mass killings in the 20th century. Unlike Hitler, who targeted defined groups, the purges cut through all realms of society. Party members were not immune, and Stalin's paranoia ensured that even members of the military were frequently caught up in sweeps. Stalin built loyalty by creating a culture of fear so intense that even unsubstantiated accusations were death sentences. The fact that high-ranking officials and party members were suspect illustrates his willingness to dispose of anyone he perceived as a threat.

Question 15

Pyotr Stolypin attempted to stave off the Russian Revolution of 1917 with which of the following measures?
A)Allowing peasants to sell land and leave their communal villages
B)Building a strong trade union movement
C)Significantly decreasing the powers of the Czar
D)Restructuring taxation to ease the burden on the peasants
E)Building schools to increase literacy

Accepted Answer

The Stolypin Reforms ended the restrictions on the peasant class by allowing them to sell land and move freely. These measures also expanded the powers of local leaders. The result was an increasingly mobile agricultural workforce. The reforms also moved Russia decidedly in the direction of individual property ownership and independent farming. Although meeting with some success, these reforms failed to adequately address the rural poverty in Russia. Therefore, the revolutionary forces were far from appeased. Despite the "too little, too late" reforms, Stolypin was not a benevolent figure. So many leftists were executed under his authority that the gallows became known as "Stolypin's necktie."

Question 16

There was little public outcry within Russia over the massive deaths in the countryside due to Stalinist policy, for which of the following reasons?
A)The consensus was that the demands of rural residents were unreasonable.
B)Few modern forms of communication existed in the Soviet Union.
C)Few were aware of what was going on.
D)Agricultural workers were so devalued that their deaths did not raise concern.
E)Stalin's ministers hid events in the countryside from him.

Accepted Answer

There was little public outcry over the disastrous effects of Stalin's policy in the countryside because few in Russia were aware of the level of violence. Stalin banned all freedom of the press, and those who publicly criticized Stalin were killed. Therefore, the devastation under his rule was largely unrecognized, even among some of his highest government officials. During Stalin's reign, millions of Russian citizens died, both from famine, the draconian nature of his policies, and because they were rounded up and slaughtered. By 1939, 96% of the agricultural land in Russia had been collectivized. Some agricultural laborers chose death over abandoning their land. In order to maintain the pretense that his five-year plans were working, Stalin required that the allocation of food to the cities and for export continue-even if those in the country were starving to death.

Question 17

After World War II, reconstruction of Europe was greatly facilitated by which of the following?
A)The Treaty of Ghent
B)The SALT talks
C)The Marshall Plan
D)The Warsaw pact
E)The Truman Doctrine

Accepted Answer

The Marshall Plan greatly facilitated the rebuilding of Europe. After World War I, the failure to constructively rebuild Europe led to international economic depression and wide spread political disruption. To avoid this, the United States offered all nations in Europe funds for rebuilding. This offer was extended to the Soviet Union as well as Germany, making it far more inclusive than previous post-war policy and a significant departure from the punitive peace of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 18

Which of the following resulted from the Russian Revolution in 1905?
A)Communist rule
B)A constitutional monarchy
C)A return to absolutism
D)Stronger labor unions
E)Widespread industrial advancements

Accepted Answer

The Russian Revolution of 1905 created a constitutional monarchy by creating the Dumas, a representative Parliamentary body. The revolution broke out after Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and signified the general discontent of the Russian lower classes. Russia was well behind the other European nations, though the liberalism that characterized the era emerged in Russia through this revolt. The goals were to give individuals a voice in government and improve conditions for workers. Its success would encourage some revolutionaries to advance the more ambitious program of the second Russian Revolution in 1917.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
A)It was never enacted.
B)Poland joined the Allies.
C)Russia lost significant territory.
D)The Turks agreed to end persecution of the Armenians.
E)Germany promised to stop sinking American ships.

Accepted Answer

In the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia lost significant territory. In this Treaty, which constituted a separate peace with Germany, Russia was in a poor position to bargain. The Russian Revolution had erupted, and the burden of fighting both a world war and civil war eroded Russian resources. Given that Germany's military objective was to neutralize Russia, Germany required that Russia cede Poland, the Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces. This substantially weakened Russia's presence and was one of the first stages in the creation of an independent Eastern Europe.

Question 20

The Crimean War illustrated which of the following about Russia's foreign policy under Nicholas I?
A)The Ottoman Empire would be largely irrelevant in the late 19th century.
B)The military prowess of Russia threatened the European balance of power.
C)Russia was not perceived as a world power.
D)Russia's strong relationship with France was intensifying.
E)Nicholas had alienated Russia from the rest of Europe.

Accepted Answer

The Crimean War demonstrated that Russia had alienated the rest of Europe, as Britain, France, and Sardinia rallied to uphold the weakened Ottoman Empire. While the Ottoman Empire was struggling, the threat of Russian expansionism was significant enough for the other European nations to go to war. Maintaining the balance of power meant that the Ottoman Empire would be propped up until World War I.

Quiz 6: Soviet Union

Which of the following describes the difference between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks prior to the Russian Revolution?

The New Economic Policy developed in the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1927 had what net effect on the economy?

In the Civil War that followed the Russian Revolution, the White Russians were comprised of which of the following groups?

After the Russian Revolution, the government decided to deal with the problem of ethnic nationalism through which of the following means?

Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne on March 17, 1917, after which of the following?

Which of the following explains why Hitler wanted to conquer Russia?

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 for which of the following reasons?

Which of the following is a tactic that Stalin employed against the Germans?

Which the following describes Russia on the eve of the Russian revolution?

De-Stalinization under Khrushchev consisted of which of the following?

Which of the following explains why the Germans and Russians signed the Treaty of Rapello in 1922?

After they came to power, the Bolshevik failure to adequately resolve which of the following issues resulted in the creation of anti-Bolshevik factions?

Which of the following describes the "November Revolution"? of 1917?

The Stalinist purges were distinct from other mass persecutions of the 20th century because of which of the following?

Pyotr Stolypin attempted to stave off the Russian Revolution of 1917 with which of the following measures?

There was little public outcry within Russia over the massive deaths in the countryside due to Stalinist policy, for which of the following reasons?

After World War II, reconstruction of Europe was greatly facilitated by which of the following?

Which of the following resulted from the Russian Revolution in 1905?

Which of the following is true of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

The Crimean War illustrated which of the following about Russia's foreign policy under Nicholas I?