NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science History – Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science History - Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution help students to understand how socialist ideas developed in Europe, and how there were large political changes associated with them, culminating in the Russian Revolution of 1917, and how the chapter makes sense of the reasons for the revolution, who led the revolution and the impact of the revolution on the world.

With the help of these NCERT Solutions a student can follow the events, learn about important terms and remember important dates for exams. Using these NCERT Solutions regularly can help students improve their exam preparation and develop a better understanding of history.

1.0Download NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science History : Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution : Free PDF

Get NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution in a convenient PDF file with comprehensive answers. 

2.0Important Concepts in NCERT Solutions Class 9 History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

Chapter 2 of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science History discusses the political, social, and economic developments in Europe and Russia at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, including the rise of socialist ideas and the 1917 Russian Revolution.

• The Age of Social Change – Overview of Europe in the 19th century, industrialisation, and the emergence of liberalism, conservatism, and radicalism.
• The Coming of Socialism to Europe – Early socialist thinkers, the critique of private property, and the development of socialist and communist ideas.
• Support for Socialism – Formation of socialist parties and workers’ associations in different European countries.
• The Russian Empire in 1914 – Social structure, economy, and political system under Tsar Nicholas II.
• The February Revolution in Petrograd – Causes, events, and the end of monarchy in Russia.
• The October Revolution – Role of the Bolsheviks, leadership of Lenin, and the establishment of a socialist government.
• Making a Socialist Society – Changes in land distribution, industry control, and political reforms introduced after 1917.
• The Civil War and the USSR – Challenges faced by the Bolsheviks, foreign interventions, and the eventual creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
• Global Influence of the Russian Revolution – Spread of socialist ideals and the inspiration it provided to anti-colonial movements worldwide.

3.0NCERT Class 9 History Chapter 2: Detailed Solutions

1. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905? Ans. The social, economic and political conditions in Russia, before 1905 was quite backward. Social inequality was very prominent among the working class. Workers were divided on the basis of their occupation. Workers whose jobs needed skill and training considered themselves on a higher plane than the untrained worker. Workers had strong links to the villages they came from and this also caused a social divide among workers. Economically Russia was going through a very difficult period. The population had doubled and the economic conditions turned from bad to worse. The government introduced new programmes of industrialization which created employment. This Industrialization did not help the workers who were exploited and their living condition only worsened. Compared to other European nations, Russia was politically backward, during the thirteenth century. All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914. The Russian peasants formed the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1900, but as they were not a united group they were not considered to be part of a socialist movement.
2. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917? Ans. The working population in European countries were a more united lot than the those in Russia . Workers in England and Germany formed associations and fought for better living and working conditions. Funds were set up by these Associations to help workers in distress. The workers in European countries were united in their demand for reduction of working hours and the right to vote. Workers association also supported political parties and ultimately formed political parties themselves. The Labour Party in Britain and a Socialist Party in France are examples of political parties formed by socialists and trade unionists. In total contrast to the working population in Europe the Russian workers were not united. Workers were divided on the basis of their occupation. Workers whose jobs needed skill and training considered themselves on a higher plane than the untrained workers. Workers had strong links to the villages they came from and this also caused a social divide among workers. Workers' associations rose dramatically in Russia also, as in Europe. They demanded reduced working hours and higher wages. The workers were suppressed by the government.
3. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917? Ans. During the winter of 1917, factory workers faced acute food shortage and extreme cold climate. Dissatisfaction was raging high among the workers. A factory lockout on the right bank of the river Neva, triggered a strike in the month of February, 1917. 50 other factories joined in the strike. In many factories women led the strike. The government tried many measures to contain the strike. Curfew was imposed, the cavalry and police were called out to suppress the workers. The dissatisfied worker could not be contained. On the 27 of February, the Police Head Quarters' were ransacked. The turning point of this revolt was when the government regiments joined the striking workers. They formed the Soviet' or 'Council'. The Tsar was advised to abdicate. Thus the February Revolution brought down the monarchy in 1917.
4. Make two lists: (i) one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution. (ii) Main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet history.
   Ans. February Revolution
   (1) 22 February: Factory lockout on the right bank. (2) 23 February: Sympathy strike by workers in 50 factories. (3) 24 & 25: Strikers stage demonstrations. Police called out to suppress the workers. (4) 25: The government suspends the Duma. (5) 27: Police Head quarters' ransacked by the workers. Regiments support the workers. Striking workers form the Petrograd Soviet. (6) 2 March: The Tsar abdicates. Soviet and Duma leaders form the Provisional Government.
   Effects:
   (i) Army officials, land owners and industrialist became influential. (ii) Restriction on public meetings were removed. (iii)Trade unions grew in number.
   October Revolution
   (i) $16$ October: Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader persuades the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet (ii)24 October:
   The uprising against the Provisional Government begins.
   Military Revolutionary Committee seized Government offices and arrested ministers.
   The Winter Palace was shelled.
   Ministers of the Provisional Government surrendered.
   The Bolsheviks gained control.
   Effects:
   (i) Industries and banks were nationalised. (ii) Russia became an one-party state.
   The single party being the Bolshevik Party
   During the February Revolution, the factory workers and the Government Regiments played an important role. The workers and the regiments joined together. The major impact of the February Revolution was the down fall of the Russian Monarchy and the establishment of the Petrograd Soviet. Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader, played a major role during the October revolution. His Bolshevik Party over threw the Provisional Government and gained power. The Russian Communist Party came into existence.
5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution?
   Ans. Many changes were brought about by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. They were:- (i) Banks and Industries were nationalised. (ii) Land was declared social property. (iii) Peasants seized land from the nobility. (iv) Large houses were partitioned according to family requirements. (v) Use of old titles by aristocrats was banned. (vi) New uniforms were introduced for the army and officials. The famous soviet hat (budeonovka) was introduced.
6. Write a few lines to show what you know about: (a) Kulaks (b) The Duma (c) Women workers between 1900 and 1930 (d) The Liberals (e) Stalin's Collectivisation Programme
   Ans. (a) Kulaks Well-to-do peasants were called ' kulaks' during Stalin's leadership. As food shortage continued Stalin decided to introduce the Collectivisation Programme. Under this programme, 'kulaks' were eliminated. That is, land from these well-to-do peasants was forcibly taken and large state controlled farms were established. This was done to modernize farming and increase production.
   (b) The Duma
   The Duma is an elected consultative Parliament, which was set up during the 1905 Revolution. Though the Duma was accepted by the Tsar, they were constantly dismissed by the Tsar and new ones were set up. After the February Revolution when the Monarchy was over thrown, Duma leaders and Soviet leaders formed a Provisional Government in Russia.
   (c) Women workers between 1900 and 1930
   Women workers made up $31\%$ of the factory labour in the 1900s. They were paid only half or three quarters of the men's wages. During the February Revolution in 1917, many women worker led the strikes. The condition of the women workers continued to be grim until the 1930s. Slowly conditions improved and crèches were set up in factories for the children of women workers.
   (d) The Liberals
   After the French Revolution people wanted a transformation in the society. Many groups were formed with this intention. One such group was the 'Liberals'. The Liberals wanted a nation with religious tolerance and individual rights. Though they wanted an elected parliamentary government, they wanted only men of property to have the right to vote. They were against women voting.
   (e) Stalin's Collectivisation Programme
   By 1927-28 the towns in Soviet Russia were facing an acute problem of grain supplies. Stalin, who was the leader of the party at that time, investigated the causes of this problem and introduced some emergency measures accordingly. Stalin's collectivization programme in 1929 was one of these measures. Under this programme the party forced all farmers to cultivate in collective farms (Kolkhoz). The profit or the produce from a collective farm was shared by the farmers who worked on it. However, those farmers who resisted collectivization were severely punished. They did not want to work in collective farms for a variety of reasons. Stalin's government allowed some independent cultivation, but treated such cultivators unsympathetically. In spite of Stalin's collectivization programme, production did not increase immediately. In fact the bad harvests of 1930-33 led to one of the worst famines in the Soviet History.

Exercise-01

Multiple choice questions

1. Which of these statements is/are correct about Europe after the French Revolution? (1) Suddenly it seemed possible to change the aristocratic society of the 18th century. (2) However not everyone wanted a complete transformation of society. (3) Some wanted gradual shift, while others wanted complete change of society. (4) All the above
2. Tsarist power in Russia collapsed in year (1) 1905 (2) 1916 (3) 1920 (4) 1917
3. Which among the following groups was against any kind of political or social change? (1) Nationalists (2) Conservatives (3) Liberals (4) Radicals
4. Jadidists were ________ within the Russian Empire. (1) Muslim Educationists (2) Parsi Reforms (3) Muslim Reformists (4) German Refugees
5. The people who wanted to put an immediate end to the existing governments in Europe (in 1815) were called: (1) Nationalists (2) Liberals (3) Revolutionaries (4) Radicals
6. Karl Marx wanted workers to overthrow: (1) Capitalism (2) Rule of social property (3) Accumulation of profits by capitalists (4) Radicals
7. To coordinate the efforts of socialists all over Europe, an international body was formed in Europe called the - (1) Second International (2) Commune (3) Labour Party (4) Social Democratic Party
8. The majority religion of Russia was __________ but the empire also included Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Buddhists. (1) Greek Orthodox Church (2) Rome Orthodox Church (3) German Orthodox Church (4) Russian Orthodox Christianity
9. What were the demands made by the workers in St. Petersburg who went on a strike? (1) Reduction of working time to eight hours (2) Increase in wages (3) Improvement in working conditions (4) All the above
10. The procession of workers to the Winter Palace was attacked by the police killing one hundred workers. This incident is called (1) Black Sunday (2) Bloody Sunday (3) Rebellious Sunday (4) Unlucky Sunday
11. What was 'Duma'?
    (1) Parliament (2) Court (3) Trade Union (4) Group of Nobles
12. Why did the Tsar dismiss the first Dumawithin 75 days of its election? (1) Because it was incapable of taking good decisions (2) Because the Tsar did not want anyone to question his authority (3) The term of first Duma was of 75 days only (4) None of the above
13. Which of the following factors made autocracy unpopular in Russia? (1) The German origin of the Tsarina Alexandra (2) Poor advisors like the Monk Rasputin (3) The huge cost of fighting in the World War I (4) Both (1) and (2)
14. The name associated with 'April Theses'is (1) Karl Marx (2) Robert Owen (3) Stalin ..... (4) Lenin
15. When did Lenin return to Russia from hisexile? (1) March 1917 (2) April 1917 (3) August 1917 (4) July 1918
16. Who started 'Collectivisation Programme' in Russia? ..... (1) Lenin (2) Karl Marx (3) Rasputin (4) Stalin
17. In the context of Russia, what was 'KULAK'? (1) A collective Farm (2) A Russian Church (3) Well-to-do Peasants (4) Landless Labourers
18. From 1929, Stalin promoted Kolkhoz.What were Kolkhoz? (1) Large scale industries (2) Small scale industries (3) Collective farms (4) None of the above
19. How many people were killed in thefamines of 1930-33? (1) 2 million
    (2) 3 million (3) 4 million
    (4) 6 million
20. By the time of the outbreak of the ________ the USSR had given socialism a global face and world stature. (1) First World War (2) Second World War (3) Vietnam War (4) None of these

True or false

1. Liberals opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers. They wanted to safeguard the rights of individuals against governments.
2. Liberals and radicals themselves were often peasants and artisans.
3. Socialists were against public property and saw it as the root of all social ills of the time.
4. The majority religion was Russian Orthodox Church, but the empire also included Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Buddhists.
5. During the 1915 Revolution, the Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma. SSO056

Fill in the blanks

1. When the _______ ordered land redistribution, the Russian army began to break up.
2. In _______ a war broke out between two European allies.
3. The fall of monarchy in February 1917 and the events of October are normally called ________.
4. Workers in ______ went on strike demanding a reduction in the working day to 8 hours.
5. By 1905 socialists and trade unions formed a Labour Party in ________ and Socialist Party in _________ .

Match the columns

ANSWER KEY

Multiple choice questions

True or false

• True

• False
• False
• True
• False

Fill in the blanks

• Bolsheviks
• 1914
• Russian revolution
• St. Petersburg
• Britain, France

Match the column

• (A) $\to$ (vi) ; (B) $\to$ (v) ; (C) $\to$ (iv) ; (D) $\to$ (iii) ; (E) $\to$ (ii) ; (F) $\to$ (i)

EXERCISE-02

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What was the basic principle of the Marxist theory?
2. Mention the two stages of the Russian Revolution.
3. Who founded the Bolshevik Party? What was the main aim of the party? SSOO65
4. Mention the main difference between the policies of the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
5. Which event in Russian History is known as Bloody Sunday?
6. Why did Russia withdraw from the First World War?
7. Explain the main demands of 'April Theses'
8. Why was Kerenski's government unpopular?
9. Examine the reasons for the success of socialist economy in post revolution Russia.
10. Explain the February Revolution.

Long Answer Type Questions

11. Who were the Liberals, Radicals and Conservatives?
12. Write short notes on the following (a) Robert Owen (b) Louis Blanc of France (c) Karl Marx
13. Describe the condition of the Russian workers and farmers on the eve of the Russian Revolution in Russia. SSO075
14. Describe the events that were responsible for the 1905 Russian Revolution. Mention two important effects of the Revolution.
15. Describe the autocratic nature of the rule of Tsar Nicholas II which brought Russia on the verge of revolution.
16. What was Stalin's Collectivization Programme?
17. Who was Lenin? Describe his role in the Russian Revolution of 1917.
18. Describe the immediate consequences of the Russian Revolution in Russia. SSO080
19. What measures did the Bolsheviks take to establish a communist state?
20. Describe the Global influence of the Russian Revolution.

4.0Key Features and Benefits of Class 9 History Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution NCERT Solutions

• In-depth Explanations: Thorough coverage of key concepts like socialism, its growth in Europe, the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, etc. Indicate that they will provide comprehensive explanations.
• Follow the NCERT Textbook: The solutions will answer only what is exactly in the NCERT Textbook so that the students only study exactly what will be on the examinations.
• Covers All Types of Questions: The solutions will cover all types of questions, short answer, long answer, source-based questions etc.
• Understanding of Socialism: Helps students understand the significance of socialism and how the Russian Revolution changed world history.