Question 1

What was the global impact of the Russian Revolution?

Accepted Answer

(i) Russia became the first country to establish a communist state. Soon after it, communist parties were formed in many countries.(ii) The Bolsheviks encouraged colonial peoples to follow their experiment.(iii) Many non-Russians from outside the USSR participated in the Conference of the Peoples of the East (1920) and the Bolshevik-founded Comitern, an international union of pro-Bolshevik socialist parties. Some received education in the USSR's Communist University of the Workers of the East.(iv)Socialism became popular by the time of the outbreak of the Second World War. By the end of the twentieth century, the international reputation of the USSR as a socialist country had declined though it was recognised that socialist ideals still enjoyed respect among its people. But in each country the ideas of socialism were rethought in a number of ways.

Question 2

What role did the philosophers play in the French Revolution?

Accepted Answer

(i) The philosophers played an important role in the French Revolution. They inspired the common mass of France with their revolutionary ideas and prepared them to fight against injustices. (ii) They did not believe in the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch. In his Two Treatises of Government John Locke refuted this doctrine strongly. (iii) Rousseau carried the idea forward proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives. (iv) In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. (v) The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and coffee-houses and spread among people through books and newspapers. These were frequently read aloud in groups for the benefit of those who were illiterate. Thus, the philosophers contributed a lot in bringing of the French Revolution.

Question 3

State any five causes for the empty treasury of France under Louis XVI.

Accepted Answer

Five causes for the empty treasury of France under Louis XVI are:(i) Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France.(ii) High cost of maintenance of immense palace of Versailles and court.(iii) Under Louis XVI France helped the thirteen American colonies to gain independence.(iv) War added to a debt.(v) Lenders began to barge high interest on loans.

Question 4

What were the causes for Imperialism ?

Accepted Answer

The following are the causes for the rise of Imperialism.1. Industrial revolution :    Industrial revolution in European countries resulted in a great increase in production. They could not find market in Europe as they followed &#34;Protective Trade Policy&#34;. The purchasing power of the people was also low due to capitalism. It also introduced a great progress in the means of transport and communication. The telegraph system linked the whole world and reduced great distances. The development or railways speeded up the movement of goods between colonies and the mother country so it was easier to bring raw materials and to take the finished goods to the markets in the interior parts of the colonies in Asia and Africa.2. National security :    The sense of National Security and self sufficiency among the European political groups instigated colonial imperialism. The Presidents or Prime Ministers worked towards colonial imperialism owing to the influence of business or some other interest.3. Nationalism :    The later part of the 19th Century saw extreme nationalistic ideals in Europe. Many nations developed pride over their race, culture and language and started feeling superior to other countries. They felt that acquisition of colonies would enhance the prestige of their nations. Imperialism became the fashion of the age. The Europeans felt that it was 'white man's burden' to civilise the backward and uncivilised native people of African and Asia.4. Balance of Power :    The concept of Balance of power was one of the driving factors. European Nations were forced to acquire new colonies to achieve a balance with their neighbours and competitors.5. Discovery of new routes :    The discovery of new routes of African and Asian continents promoted the spirit of imperialism. The discovery of sea routes paved the way for the traders and soldiers to exploit the abundant wealth of the countries.6. Growth of population :    The population growth which resulted in unemployment and forced the Europeans to emigrate in search of new lands and careers abroad.7. State of Anarchy :    There was no international organisation to enact and enforce laws for nations to maintain peace and security among countries before the First World War. This state of anarchy supported the colonial race.

Question 5

Explain the economic and social conditions of Russia before the Revolution of 1905.                                               OrState any three major effects of the First World War in Germany.

Accepted Answer

Socio-economic condition of Russia before the Revolution of 1905:(i) About 85 percent of the Russian population earned their living from agriculture.(ii) Industry was found in pockets and craftsman took much of the production.(iii) Most industries were the private property of industrialists.(iv) In craft units and small workshops, the working day was sometimes 15 hours.(v) Accommodation varied from rooms to dormitories.(vi) Workers were divided in social groups.(vii) Women made up 31 percent of the factory Inborn and were paid less.Three major effects of the First World War in Germany are:(i) World War I, ended with the Allies defeating Germany and the Central Powers in November 1918. The Peace Treaty at Versailles with the Allies was a harsh and humiliating Treaty. Germany lost its overseas colonies, a tenth of its population, 13 percent of its territories, 75 percent of its iron and 26 percent of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.(ii) The Allied Powers demilitarized Germany to weaken its power. Germany was forced to pay compensation amounting to 6 billion.(iii) The Allied armies also occupied the resource-rich Rhineland.

Question 6

Explain the role played by women in France during the revolutionary years.

Accepted Answer

The role of women in France during the revolutionary years were:(i) Women started their own political clubs and newspapers.(ii) They demanded the right to vote.(iii) They demanded to be elected to the Assembly and to hold political office.(iv) The revolutionary Government introduced some laws for women.(v) During the 'Reign of Terror', new Government ordered to close women's clubs and ban political activities.(vi) women's movement for voting right continued through next two hundred years.(vii) Women's struggle for equal political rights continued during the 'Reign of Terror'. The government banned their clubs and political activities. Many women got arrested. It was in 1946 that many women got the right to vote.

Question 7

What was the condition of women in France before the Revolution? Describe briefly.

Accepted Answer

Women in France did not avail respectable status in society. They were considered much inferior to men before the Revolution. Most of them of the third estate had to work for a living. They worked as seamstresses or laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market or were employed as domestic servants in the houses of wealthy people. Most women did not have access to education or job training. Only daughters of nobles or weathier members of the third estate could get education. Working women had to take care of their families. They had to cook, fetch water, queue up for bread and look after the children. Their wages were always lower than those of men.

Question 8

What was subsistence crisis? Mention two factors responsible for this crisis.

Accepted Answer

Subsistence crisis is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered. The Factors Responsible for this Type of Crises were: (i) The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for foodgrains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand. So the price of bread which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly. Most worker were employed as labourers in workshops whose owner fixed their wages. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices. So, the gap between the poor and the rich widened. (ii) Things became worse whenever drought or haul reduced the harvest. This led to a subsistence crisis.

Question 9

The French people supported Napoleon Bonaparte because they hoped he would _____________.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Describe the triangular slave trade that was carried on in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Accepted Answer

(i) In order to overcome the shortage of labour on the plantations, a triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas began in the 17th century.(ii) French merchants sailed from the ports of Bordeaux or Nantes to the African coast, where they bought slaves from local chieftains. Branded and shackled, the slaves were packed tightly into ships for the three-month long voyage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. There they were sold to plantation owners. Thus, slave trade was deeply rooted in France.(iii) Throughout the 18th century there was little criticism of slavery in France. The National Assembly held long debates about whether the rights of man should be extended to all French subjects including those in the colonies. But it did not pass any laws, fearing opposition from businessmen whose incomes depended on the slave trade. It was finally the Convention which in 1794 legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions. This, however, did not last for long. After a decade, Napoleon reintroduced slavery in 1804 which was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.