Question 1

The credibility of Czarist rule, which declined significantly before the Russian Revolution, was undermined by which of the following figures?
A)Stalin
B)Rasputin
C)Lenin
D)Ivan the Terrible
E)Constantine

Accepted Answer

The fact that Rasputin, a self-proclaimed mystic, held sway over Czarina Alexandra further weakened the people's faith in the royal family. Rasputin made himself the gatekeeper for access to the royal family, alienating them from the Russian people. Compounded with the stress of World War I, this action ensured that the royal family would be out of step with the increasingly restless working and middle classes of Russia.

Question 2

The death of Alexander I of Russia led to which of the following?
A)A prolonged civil war in Russia
B)The end of the Congress system
C)The Treaty of Verona
D)The Decembrist Revolt
E)An invasion by France

Accepted Answer

The death of Alexander I resulted in the Decembrist Revolt. When Alexander died, it raised the question of which of his brothers, Constantine and Nicholas, would inherit the throne. Those in the military preferred Constantine, who had already renounced the throne in favor of his brother, so they revolted in December of 1825. These results had little effect on the succession, although they convinced Nicholas I that despotic policies were required.

Question 3

Which of the following explains Stalin's justification for bringing the "Iron Curtain" down on Eastern Europe?
A)The instability after World War I showed self-rule was not viable.
B)Historically, the land had been part of the Russian empire.
C)The territory compensated for damage done by the Germans in the war.
D)The occupied Eastern European nations had strong Communist movements.
E)The Soviet Union needed a buffer zone in the face of German aggression.

Accepted Answer

Stalin claimed that the Soviet Union needed a buffer zone against German aggression. Germany invaded Russia twice in the first half of the 20th century, and in neither case could Russia count on significant support from the West. The fact that American troops began in North Africa rather than on the beleaguered Eastern Front furthered tensions in the awkward alliance of the Soviet Union and the West. Therefore, Stalin maintained that self-preservation required the creation of a buffer zone under Soviet rule.

Question 4

Which of the following describes the Red Terror?
A)The West's irrational fear of Communism
B)It was a nickname of the Communist army
C)The assassination of Lenin
D)The execution of thousands in the midst of civil war
E)A plague-like disease that swept through the Russian countryside

Accepted Answer

The Red Terror was the mass execution of many middle and working-class Russians believed to oppose Communism during the Civil War that followed the Russian Revolution. This campaign was designed to eliminate support for the White Army, which with the help of international anti-Communist supporters was embattled with the communist Red Army. This tactic was largely successful and, combined with the success of the Red Army, secured Lenin's place in power. Many of the remaining Mensheviks fled the country.

Question 5

What ended the alliance between Hitler and Stalin?
A)The British
B)Hitler's dislike of Communism
C)Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union
D)Stalin's claiming Alsace-Lorraine
E)The Munich Crisis

Accepted Answer

The Nazi-Soviet Pact, the formal alliance between Stalin and Hitler, ended when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. In spite of their ideological differences, the two powers came together and agreed to partition Poland. The Soviet Union then invaded the Baltic States and overran Finland. Germany proceeded in Europe without the burden of a two-front war until Hitler broke the pact, bringing Stalin into the war on the side of Allies.

Question 6

The liberation of the serfs in Russia failed to provide them which of the following?
A)Entrepreneurial opportunities
B)Inheritance rights
C)Collective property
D)Freedom of mobility
E)Land ownership

Accepted Answer

When the serfs were released from serfdom in 1861, they were not given freedom to move. Thus, they were as tied to the land as under serfdom. In some cases, they could inherit land, although farms were often collective, making this kind of direct transfer difficult. The circumstances of the newly freed serfs varied, and some would run profitable farms. However, the release of the serfs failed to produce the mobile workforce that had fostered the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe.

Question 7

A similarity between the Russian Revolution and the French Revolution is
A)They both had representative democracy as a core goal.
B)They both executed monarchs.
C)The peasants were the primary agitators.
D)Revolutionaries were more unified before the old regime's fall than after.
E)Both caused massive European wars.

Accepted Answer

The French Revolution and Russian Revolution both were much more unified before the old regime's fall than after. It was only after the revolution had succeeded that the majority of dissent and splintering among the revolutionary parties occurred. While the French claimed representative democracy as a goal, this was less true of the Russian Revolution. Nicholas II survived the Russian Revolution, unlike Louis XVI, though he was executed the following year. In both cases, revolutionary activity was concentrated in the cities. The French peasants, unless motivated by bread shortages, were far less radical than their Parisian counterparts.

Question 8

Western European powers feared that Germany might turn to Communism as the Soviet Union had because of which event in 1919?
A)The Red Terror
B)The February Revolution
C)The Spartacist Revolt
D)The Iron Curtain
E)The Lanteran Agreement

Accepted Answer

The Spartacist Revolt made it apparent that there was a strong Communist following in Germany. This uprising, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, had the backing of Russian Communists. After the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the immense hardship that Germany endured during World War I, Communism had become a visible movement in the nation. While this revolt was short-lived, it illustrated the extent of sympathy for Communism present in Germany at that time.

Question 9

The alliance between France and Russia in 1894 was motivated by which of the following?
A)Russian ambitions to seize territory in Africa
B)Compatible political histories and values
C)The hope that a joint invitation would entice Britain
D)Concerns over the alliance between Germany, Austria, and Italy
E)A desire to emulate French culture going back to Alexander I

Accepted Answer

The unlikely alliance between France and Russia in 1894 was motivated by fear of Germany and its alliance with Austria and Italy. Russia had initially been part of that alliance; however, when it lapsed, France leapt at the opportunity to align with Russia. Although the two nations were about as far apart philosophically and politically as they could be, the thought of potentially forcing Germany into a two-front war blunted these concerns. This would be a long-standing alliance that would continue into World War I.

Question 10

The goal of the Soviet Union's first Five Year Plan was which of the following?
A)Purging all political dissenters
B)Industrializing the Soviet Union
C)Eliminating all foreign influence
D)Improving the conditions of peasants
E)Using experts from other nations to build infrastructure

Accepted Answer

The goal of the first Five Year Plan was to industrialize the Soviet Union. Stalin hoped that with concentrated efforts the Soviet Union could rival the industrial power of Western Europe. The plan also included agricultural reform, since an increase in the food supply had provided the foundation for England's Industrial Revolution. Consequently, farms were collectivized in an attempt to increase production. This was also part of a larger strategy to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient by ending dependence on foreign trade or loans. The outcome of World War I had isolated the Soviet Union, due to the failure of the European powers to include the Soviet Union in the post-war peace talks, and the invasion by anti-Communist forces during the Civil War that followed the Revolution.

Quiz 6: Soviet Union

The credibility of Czarist rule, which declined significantly before the Russian Revolution, was undermined by which of the following figures?

The death of Alexander I of Russia led to which of the following?

Which of the following explains Stalin's justification for bringing the "Iron Curtain" down on Eastern Europe?

Which of the following describes the Red Terror?

What ended the alliance between Hitler and Stalin?

The liberation of the serfs in Russia failed to provide them which of the following?

A similarity between the Russian Revolution and the French Revolution is

Western European powers feared that Germany might turn to Communism as the Soviet Union had because of which event in 1919?

The alliance between France and Russia in 1894 was motivated by which of the following?

The goal of the Soviet Union's first Five Year Plan was which of the following?