To What Extent Do You Consider That the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 Was the Key Turning Point in the Development of Modern Russia in the Years 1856-1964
To what extent do you consider that the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 was the key turning point in the development of modern Russia in the years 1856-1964
In 1856 Russia was still essentially a feudal society , the vast majority of the population was peasantry who were still serfs at the mercy of their land owners. This ment Russia was severely underdeveloped when compared with its western rivals, in fact it had just come of the back of a defeat in the Crimean war to Britain and France. This is in complete contrast to the situation in 1964, by this stage the USSR had become the second most powerful nation on earth. This had been achieved through massive reforms in social and political structure into a far more developed communist nation. These huge changes were created through a series of turning points throughout the period. A historical turning point is a defining moment which can dramatically change the pathway taken. In Russia’s case these turning points changed the economic, social/cultural and political destiny of the nation. Probably the most noticeable of the turning points was the Bolshevik revolution; this was the point where the fundamental political structure completely transformed as the Bolsheviks reconstructed society in order to fit Marxist dialectic. However there are other key events which shaped the nation before and after the Revolution. The emancipation of the serfs as well as the other reforms brought about by Alexander the 2nd.Post Revolution turning points include WW1 and the rise to power of the supreme leader Joseph Stalin, he was the leader that changed the USSR into a fully fledged super power by the end of ww2.
The Bolshevik Revolution had a radical effect on the economic, social and political structure of Russia. Firstly and most importantly was the vast political reconfiguration that the Bolsheviks engaged in immediately after taking power. They sort about destroying the groups that had previously been powerful, such as the...