[Falora]

Hi,

I need to do an essay on why Russia was so hard to rule for Tsar Nicholas II, before the outbreak of WWI. I know that size made communication difficult; geography/climate meant agriculture and industry did not bloom; there were communication problems; the rise of opposition groups; presence of different nationalities and the autocratic political system was out of date. I also know that the feudal social system (peasants, proleteriats, nobles etc) but I don't know why that made Russia hard to rule.

Also, I would like some advice on how to structure my essay. I know you get more marks if you link your causes together - for example, say size made the communication even more difficult - but if I try to link it, it seems as though I'm repeating myself, because the geography, illiteracy and the diversity of nationalities made communication difficult as well. I hope I make sense... basically, I would like advice on how to link my causes together without repeating myself.

If there are websites to help me, that would be most helpful as well.

Thanks in advance!

This post has been edited by Falora: 29 September 2005 - 03:51 PM

[Mrs Faithorn]

It seems to me that you have a pretty good understanding of this question and of how to tackle it already but I do appreciate your desire to structure your essay well and you are quite right that demonstrating your abiltiy to show links between the causes will gain credit.

There are several ways in which you could try structuring this.. One good way would be to group your various factors together under the following headings:Political, Economic, Social and Cultural and to use that framework as a way to structure your essay. Obviously the factors falling under each one of these headings are linked, but you should also be able to explain that there are links between these main categories too. You may find this easier to do if you draw a mind-map and then show the links disgrammatically or you could write each main category on a sheet of paper and all the individual factors separately on small pieces of paper (or post-it notes)You can try moving the individual pieces of paper around on the bigger category sheets until you have an arrangement that is the one that makes it possible to show the links without too much repetition.

A certain amount of repition is inevitable, but you can get round this by saying things like:
(Following a paragraph going into some detail on size and communication problems)
"However, it was not only the vastness of the Russian Empire that made communication and efficient government difficult, but the political structure also made it harder for Nicholas to rule well. This is because ... (go on to explain)

Does that make sense?

A well structured essay will also try to have some logic behind the ordering of the main paragraphs. So you might decide to start with the most important category of linked factors and then move on, finishing with the least important (in your view). You might emphasise this by beginning the first main paragraph with "By far the most important reason why Nicholas II failed to rule Russia well is ....."

Make sure that in the conclusion you emphasise that all these causes are interlinked.

As for websites you might like to take a look at:
General advice on writing various types of essays
Exemplar essays on many Modern World History Topics (though not the one you are doing now)

[Falora]

Thank you for the reply, it's been a great help. Just a few more questions:-

What would be 'cultural' reasons, exactly? Also, where would size go under if I were to categorise all of the causes?

I also want to know what the role of Stolypin was. I know he made some reforms after the 1905 revolution, and then was assassinated... but did his reforms affect anything?

Finally, how would the social strucutre make Russia hard to rule? I said that the system was feudal and out-of-date, and caused resentment among the people at the bottom.

[Mrs Faithorn]

Falora, on Oct 1 2005, 12:17 PM, said:

Thank you for the reply, it's been a great help. Just a few more questions:-

What would be 'cultural' reasons, exactly? Also, where would size go under if I were to categorise all of the causes?

Cultural would include (in this context) the power and influence of the Orthodox Church. Normally it would not only include religion, but also things like music, art and literature.

I'd deal with the problems relating to size under political at first, but then also re-emphasise size when dealing with economic factors. You might be able to use 'size' as a link from a para on political difficulties to the next one on economic factors.

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I also want to know what the role of Stolypin was. I know he made some reforms after the 1905 revolution, and then was assassinated... but did his reforms affect anything?

See this page of information about Stolypin It should help you understand his role. It is part of a bigger site which you should also find very useful both for this question and all your work on Russia. See here:
http://www.historyle..._revolution.htm

Quote

Finally, how would the social strucutre make Russia hard to rule? I said that the system was feudal and out-of-date, and caused resentment among the people at the bottom.

Well, you have pretty much answered your own question here, haven't you? If those at the lower levels of society are resentful about the system then the government is likely to need to be repressive and to be in danger of provoking revolution - unless of course it reforms (Do you see the link with Stolypin here??) It's not just the peasants and working class who will be resentful though; you need also to think about those who have education and wealth - but no political power or real say in government.

I hope that helps. But now I think you need to get on with the essay yourself 'cos I am in danger of doing it for you!

[Falora]

Okay, thanks again for all your help. I'll go and get on with the question!