CBSE Class 9 Revision Notes for History Chapter 2 - Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

The Three Political Paradigms

After the French Revolution, there was an emergence of new paradigms that were new to the political sphere of the period at that time. They were:

• Conservatives

• Liberals

• Radicals

The Problems with Industrialisation

Before industrialization in Europe, the people were no longer able to sustain their livelihood using traditional farming and agriculture methods. Growing population, constant wars, monarchy, etc. were causing the living standard of the people in Europe to decline.

People came in lots to work in the industries due to which wages were very less.

Due to urbanization, problems arose due to housing and sanitation.

The liberals and radicals wanted solutions for such issues.

The Emergence of Socialism

The socialists promoted the ownership of properties to communities as they thought the privately owned properties were crony. Some socialists were Robert Owen, Louis Blanc, etc. who supported the formation of cooperatives dismantling the privately owned industries.

Karl Marx noted that the profit that was made by the owners was due to the hard work of the workers. He thought that prevention of accumulation of wealth needs to be done and dreamt of a world where the society was rich as a whole.

Socialist Revolution in Russia

• In the early 20th century, Russia had a monarchical system.

• Tsar Nicholas was the last emperor of the Russian Empire. 

• The industries were only in major cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow.

• Workers were made to suffer by the industry owners.

• Workers were also divided but cake together to protest.

The 1905 Revolution

In 1904, inflation made the wages of the Russian workers effectively meagre.

The Putilov Iron Works fired 4 workers who were a part of the Assembly of Russian Workers.

Hence, approximately 110000 workers went on strike and gathered in St Petersburg. When they reached the Winter Palace, they were fired at and about 100 of them were killed.

Due to protests, the Tsar allowed the formation of the parliament, called the Duma.

The February Revolution

• Due to the Russian involvement in World War, the industries failed to survive and the railways disintegrated.

• The young men were forced to fight the war, the small workshops, and the farming too suffered for the loss of workers.

• The women played an active part in these strikes. The workers surrounded the Winter Palace but the soldiers did not fire at them.

• With the soldiers, the workers formed a Soviet in the parliament.

• In 1917, the Tsar relinquished his authority.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

1. What happened after the February Revolution?

Ans: The February Revolution led to the following changes in Russia:

Public meetings and associations became legal.

The Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin returned in 1917. 

The number of trade unions increased drastically.

The Military Revolutionary Committee fought against the forces of the government.

On 24th October 1917, the Prime Minister left the city to accumulate the forces. 

In December 1917, the Bolsheviks had become victorious.

2. What changes did the Bolsheviks implement after October?

Ans: Bolsheviks implemented the following changes after October Revolution:

The land was declared a social property.

The peasants took over the lands from the aristocrats.

Nationalization took place in all spheres.

Lenin dismissed the assembly after losing the elections.

3. Why did the civil war take place in Russia after the October Revolution?

Ans: The civil war broke out in Russia after the October Revolution due to the following reasons:

• The tyrant acts of the Bolsheviks like censorship, one-party rule, etc. made others dissatisfied.

• Aristocrats were also angry with the Bolsheviks due to their attitude towards land ownership.

4. How did the Bolsheviks transform Russia into a Socialist Society?

Ans: Russia became a socialist society as:

• All the industries and banks were nationalized.

• All the land was socialized.

• The government regulated the prices.

• Healthcare became cheaper.

• Modern education was imparted to all children.

5. How did the Russian Revolution influence the world?

Ans: The Russian revolution saw the formation of a socialist government in Europe for the first time. This instilled a belief in other countries that the socialists could also form governments and led to the emergence of multiple socialist parties in the rest of Europe.

Russian Revolution Notes

The Russian revolution Class 9 notes provide a vast detail about the revolution. The Russian revolution is also called the Russian Revolution of 1917. The bond between the people of Russia and Tsar was broken by 1917. Inefficiency and government corruption were rampant. Reactionary policies of Tsar which included Duma’s dissolution. The dissolution of the Russian government spread dissatisfaction to all the moderate elements. Many ethnic minorities started to become increasingly restless under Russian domination.

Russian Revolution Class 9

The outcomes of the Russian Revolution were:

• The collapse of the Czars and the Russian Empire.

• Nicholas II was forced to leave the throne due to food shortage and chronic civil unrest.

• Bolsheviks were then led by Vladimir.

• The remains of the mutated body of Czar Nicholas II and his family were discovered later in the 1970s.

• War started between the Reds and the Whites which was known as the Civil War.

• Socialism arose in Russia.

• Russia withdrew its name from World War 1

• Independence of Finland, Baltics and Poland.

• Establishment of dictatorship.

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution Short Notes

Social Change in Europe

A lot of changes started taking place in Europe after the French Revolution. People were inspired with the ideals of equality, justice and liberty. They started feeling that the government should work in a different way. The notes of History Class 9 Chapter 2 PDF tells you that while some wanted the monarchical form, some wanted democratic principles.

The three main groups were:

The Liberalists:

• These people wanted a change in their society. They wanted a nation which was tolerant of religion.

• They wanted to safeguard the rights of the citizens and wanted a Parliamentary Government.

• They were not democrats and did not want a universal franchise.

The Radicals:

• Radicals wanted an elected government by the citizens of the country.

• They supported women’s right to vote.

• They were against the factory owners and landowners.

The Conservatives:

• They opposed all the ideologies and views of the radicals and the liberals.

• They wanted the wealthy class to continue enjoying their privileges and facilities.

• They wanted a gradual change in society and respected the past.

Class 9 History Chapter 2 Notes

From the History Class 9 Chapter 2 notes, you will come to know the following:

1. The ideas of socialism had become popular in Europe by the 19th century. It was believed that because of the efforts made by the peasants, the factory workers became wealthy. However, they did not care about the welfare of their workers.

2. Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx wanted the properties to be under society as the profit of the factory was because of the workers.

3. A Socialist Democratic Party in Germany, a Socialist Party in France and a Labour Party in Britain was formed.

Russian Revolution and India

The notes of History Class 9 Chapter 2 tell us about the impact of the Russian Revolution in India as well:

1. India was impacted upon by the Russian Revolution. People from all over India took part in Communist Universities.

2. India formed its Communist party by the mid-1920s.

3. Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru wrote about Soviet Socialism.

4. Various Indian writers wrote about the Russian Revolution.

5. Several prominent leaders from India visited Russia in order to know about the principles of Socialism.

Did You Know?

• The different causes of the Russian Revolution were Czar Nicholas II’s weak leadership, Bloody Sunday, March Revolution and low wages and poor condition of the lower caste.

• The October Revolution was also called the Great October Socialist Revolution because of an official term in the Soviet Union.

• The February Revolution started when the scarcity of food and riots happened in Petrograd.