what should i mention in an essay about the rise of the russian revolution and stalin's totalitarian regime?

Question

the prompt is:
explain how Russia was transformed into a totalitarian industrial state called the USSR. Include events leading up to and causing the Russian Revolution, the revolution itself, and the results of Stalin's policies.

i was thinking i should mention WW1, bloody sunday, the March Revolutions, Lenin coming back and seizing power, briefly go over the Civil War, Stalin's claim to power and then his transforming Russia into a totalitarian and industrial state.

so what should i add/keep?
and
i need help with the transformation part

Answer 1

You might want to at least mention the centuries of hard life suffered by the Russian peasantry while the Tsars were living the good life. Otherwise, your list looks pretty good. The "transformation" part is looking for HOW these guys, starting with Lenin, though definitely reaching its height in Stalin, turned Russia from a COMMUNIST state into a TOTALITARIAN state. Those are precise terms; understand the difference between them, and you should be able to see that there was actually a process the guys in power followed, which allowed them to suck power away from other people/branches/etc. and accrue power for themselves, to the point where the state could not function without that top guy (Lenin/Stalin) making all the decisions. The difference between what the guys SAY and what they DO often reveals that process.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You are quite correct in using the excesses of the Tsar's rule; the loss of an estimated one million soldiers in WW1 and the rise of Lenin. The transformation of Russia into an industrial state took place when Lenin nationalized all industries, Railroads, Banks etc. The State essentially owned everything and private enterprises disappeared. Stalin's regime was as repressive , if not more, then that of the Tsar. Stalin eliminated most of the intelligentsia, by either executing them or sending them off to the Gulags. Freedom of speech, thought, and creativity ceased to exist. The Communist Party decided what was acceptable and what was not in the "best" interest of the people. (You might want to consult the Encyclopedia for a quick overview of what transformed Russia , into a totalitarian State).

Answer 3

First of all, explain why the Czar and his family were kicked out of power for sure (ww1, russo-japanese war), that's establishing the background knowledge for the reader. Next, talk about the Bolsheviks, Lenin, and the idea of communism and how Stalin transformed it into a way to suit his wants. Finally, you need to definitely go over Stalin's five-year plans, the KGB (secret police), and the mass murders.
Just go with the flow, you know? Let your pen write for you, don't think too much about it. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I would add that the life of the Soviet population under Stalin had a worse standard of living than during the reign of the Tsars. Also, Stalin imprisoned and executed far more people than the man the Bolsheviks called, "Bloody Nicholas" (i.e., the last Tsar, Nicholas II.)