Examiner’s Specific Advice

This question is testing several skills and also your knowledge of the topic. Because the question is on an important topic, you are expected to know the main details, in this case the development of Russian agriculture. You are also being required to provide a historical explanation and make a substantiated judgement.

As always with an essay-type question, relevance is the key – your answer can be reasonably concise as long as you address the precise question. Relevance is more important than elegance of style – do not over worry about presenting your work with neat introductions and conclusions, especially if you are writing under examination conditions.

The key thing is not to narrate and describe, but keep the precise question in mind: to what extent was agriculture improved between 1894 and 1914, and what was the role of the Tsarist regime in this? It is possible to adopt a chronological approach in answering this question. It is also possible to take the situation in 1894 and compare it with the situation in 1914, and then analyse and explain what happened between these dates. Another approach would be to take each strand of agriculture in turn and focus on that issue, before pulling the threads together.

Most importantly, whatever the approach, do make a judgement and back it up with evidence, either with a concluding paragraph or throughout the essay.

You might find it advisable for an essay-type answer of this sort to have a plan, since you will almost certainly be writing several paragraphs.

Exemplar Question - 1 (02)

1 (02) How successful was Nicholas II’s regime in improving agriculture by 1914? [24 marks]

Plan

• Introduction – Russian agriculture in 1894
• Situation of agriculture in 1914
• Backwardness of the rural economy
• The Stolypin reforms and their impact
• Conclusion

View Exemplar Answer 1

View Exemplar Answer 2