1. Assess the view that Russia’s communist leaders did less than the Tsars to improve the lives of the people in the period from 1855 to 1964.
June 2010

2. For Reference – the Examiner Guidance
Candidates should focus on the living and working conditions of Russia’s industrial and urban working class. Candidates should compare the experience of the working class under the tsars with their experience under the communists.
Candidates may treat Russia’s peasants as part of their discussions as the growing proletariat consisted largely of urbanised peasants, but the main focus should involve a consideration of the experience of Russia’s industrial working class or proletariat and candidates who fail to discuss the industrial and urban workers should not be put into Levels (i) or (ii) or (iii) .

3. And the Examiner’s report
Candidates frequently turned this question into one about the treatment of the Russian peasantry . Others made perfunctory references to the industrial workers, relying on assertions and generalisations.
The best answers examined living and working conditions, personal freedom, civil rights and electoral opportunities, social and cultural changes, especially in health and educational opportunities, how the lives of women improved over the period, and made effective contrasts between the Tsarist and Communist periods. Such answers were often detailed, using good illustrative knowledge about living and working conditions, prices and wages, working hours and practices, trade unions, factories and the demands of the state.

4. If you are suddenly feeling lightweight...
Use Oxley and sheets for examples.
Use the Website
Quote bank
Top up notes
And especially the timeline
But make sure that you have specific examples and data about exploitation and support for proletariat before you go into the exam hall.

5. How not to do it... A chronological approach1
A discussion of workers (peasants) under the Tsars 2
A discussion of workers (peasants) under the Communists. 3
An attempt to compare.

6. How to do it. A themed approach 1 -
Indentify the key terms and demands of the question
Assess the view that Russia’s communist leaders did less than the Tsars to improve the lives of the people in the period from 1855 to 1964

7. This is a comparative essay but what is the key term to attack here ?
Assess the view that Russia’s communist leaders did less than the Tsars to improve the lives of the people in the period from 1855 to 1964
What is the other opening for higher order analysis ?

8. How to do it. 2 - A themed approach
Introduction
Defining terms ?
Why is the question surprising ?
Comparison
How life got worse for the Industrial workers
Tsars V Communists
The problem of the generalisation of the question
Why the Peasants should be considered exploited working classes and judgement
How life got better for Industrial Workers

9. Order ? 2 1 3 4 Introduction Defining terms ?
Why is the question surprising ?
Comparison
How life got worse for the Industrial workers
Tsars V Communists
The problem of the generalisation of the question
Why the Peasants should be considered exploited working classes and judgement
How life got better for Industrial Workers 2 1 3 4

10. What tips students into the highest grades ?
The strength of the conclusion.
The quality of the evidence deployed.
The ability to interact with that evidence.
Confidence – for example in the use of the historical language.