Despite frequent changes in policy, Russian and Soviet governments were spectacularly unsuccessful in securing sustained economic progress in the years 1881-1982. Assess the validity of this statement.
‘Despite frequent changes in policy, Russian and Soviet governments were spectacularly unsuccessful in securing sustained economic progress in the years 1881-1982’. Assess the validity of this statement. Between 1981 and 1982, Russia underwent huge changes, particularly the in economy. Russian history is well known for its frequent changes in policy as the country faced revolutions, changes in regime, changes in leadership and not to mention its involvement in various conflicts. As a result, Russia’s economic policy was subject to major change apart from three key areas, industry, agriculture and the tertiary sector. These three areas of the economy remained a constant in its ever changing climate; however, many historians still argue that Russia’s economy was unsuccessful and poorly managed despite its frequent change in policy. Thus begs the question, ‘To what extent is this true?’ The Tsarist regime, for many Russians, was a period of economic instability as agriculture was seen as a secondary concern. Growth rate was not structured and growth rate fell considerably between the late 1890’s and 1905.[1] Meanwhile, other economies expanded leaving Russia struggling to catch up and some historians see agriculture as a reason for Russia’s economic decline. For example, Carol. S. Leonard argued that Russia’s grain production per capita GDP was lagged far
Assess the factors that lead to the defeat of Boudica and the Iceni in the Battle of Watling Street
Ancient History The Battle of Watling Street "Assess the factors that lead to the defeat of Boudica and the Iceni in the Battle of Watling Street" "Assess the factors that lead to the defeat of Boudica and the Iceni in the Battle of Watling Street" Boudica and the Iceni were comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Watling Street for a variety of reasons. The overconfidence of the Celtic forces, in the wake of previous comprehensive victories, led them to severely underestimate the strength of the Roman forces and rely heavily on the power of numbers to achieve a victory. Roman General Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, although heavily outnumbered, made the correct tactical g decisions all but eliminated the Celtic numerical advantage. The highly disciplined and well trained Roman soldiers were able to withstand wave after wave of Celtic attacks due to a combination of their superior skills and equipment. The Battle of Watling Street marked the end of a successful rebellion by the Celtic tribes in Southern Britain. It was a victory of superior tactics versus overwhelming numbers. It was perhaps the success of the earlier stages of the rebellion that lead to the Celts being complacent. The success of the earlier stages of the Celtic rebellion led to the development of a sentiment of arrogance amongst Boudica's forces. The Iceni had enjoyed a number of successes, having sacked
In this essay, I shall use primary sources to measure the short term significance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806), focussing on documents to and from Thomas Jefferson.
The Short Term Significance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition In this essay, I shall use primary sources to measure the short term significance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806), focussing on documents to and from Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was President of the United States (1801-1809) and President of the American Philosophical Society (1797-1815), the oldest learned society in America formed to further knowledge of natural sciences and the arts. His political, economic and scientific interests converged in the Expedition while his professed motives for commissioning the Expedition differ according to his audience. On 18 January 1803, Jefferson sent a secret message to Congress. The fact that it is sent by the president gives it real authority as a statement of policy and of strategy; that it is secret gives it more credibility since he would be willing to speak more freely than if it was in the public domain.. It's reliable because it is written down and as such would have formed part of the nation's own record of its endeavours.1 In the message his focus is commerce. He argues that 'establishing trading houses with the Indian tribes' will encourage Indian Americans to abandon hunting in favour of agriculture because they will need to buy implements and 'the means of improving their farms' and 'domestic comforts'. They will then be more willing to sell their
Extended Essay: Bismarck and The Unification of Germany
Extended Essay To what extend does Otto Von Bismarck deserve his reputation as the man who united Germany? On the 18th of January, 1871, Bismarck proclaimed the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. Germany had been unified be Prussia, under its prime minister Otto von Bismarck. The unification involved three wars and, it has been claimed, was not created by a desire for nationalism but a struggle to determine Prussian dominance within the German states. Up until World War II, it was widely accepted that Bismarck alone was responsible for unification. However, modern historians agree that Bismarck did not begin unification from nothing and have identified other factors influencing unification and the spread of nationalist ideas from 1815. These historians argue that if it weren't for factors such as the Zollverien, cultural and political nationalism and the Strength of Prussia and decline of Austria, Bismarck would not have been nearly as successful. Before Bismarck burst onto the political scene in 1862, it is clear to see that the foundations for unification were already laid, this is shown in the economic strength of Prussia prior to 1871. The Zollverien was and important factor as it brought many German states together economically and excluded Austria.
Cities were the main driving force of the Reformation in Germany(TM) " explain whether you agree or disagree (15 marks)
'Cities were the main driving force of the Reformation in Germany' - explain whether you agree or disagree (15 marks) There were many factors contributing to why Lutheranism spread in Germany. One of the main reasons is that Luther's message was flexible and therefore had a broad appeal. Other features that acted as a driving force of the Reformation in Germany are the use of the vernacular, Martin Luther's message itself and Charles V. However, the towns and cities can be seen as the main driving force as vast amounts of people heard of the Reformation and Luther's ideas in a short period of time. The cities were the main driving force most notably from 1521 to 1525. 51 out of 65 imperial cities became Lutheran however, the main driving force was taken over by the Princes after 1547 e.g. the Battle of Muhlberg. The cities played a major role in the spreading of the Reformation as a large and disproportionately high number of literate people could be found in them, among whom the method could be spread. The urban population was more likely to understand the more advanced points of Luther's theology. The cities were also the Humanist centres of learning, as this is who originally Luther had wanted his teachings to be aimed at ( e.g. as the 95 thesis were first originally written in Latin). Although not all were able to understand the minutiae of 'the Priesthood of all
Mideival Outline Essay
Shrewsbury 1 Austen Shrewsbury Mr. Larry Hayes World Civilizations Feb. 24, 2011 The Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages: The Dark Age of Tumult What is now considered as the "The Middle Ages" (medium aveum, in Latin) is the period in history between the fifth to fifteenth centuries, leading into the Renaissance. Characterized mainly by a continuation in trends begun by the early collapse of the Roman Empire, (i.e. depopulation, deurbanization, and increased barbarian invasion.) Beginning with the death of the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 395 and the subsequent fall of Rome, most of Europe fell into a state of depravity brought about by a foundroyant rise in military campaigns of rogue Tribes to claim territory. This period of chaos in Central Europe took on the name of "The Dark Ages". Initially, this era took on the term "dark" by later onlookers, notably the Italian scholar Petrarch, in reference to the literature of this time; this was due to the backward ways and practices that seemed to prevail during this time. Future historians used the term "dark" simply to denote the fact that little was known about this period; there was a paucity of written history. The Early Middle Ages (I will refer to this period by this term, rather than the misnomer Dark Ages, from this point on.) was marked by economic decline although most historians believe that it was not
The events in India in 1856/7 were caused by the issue of the new cartridges to the Sepoys in the Bengal army How far do you agree with this interpretation of the Indian mutiny?
“The events in India in 1856/7 were caused by the issue of the new cartridges to the Sepoys in the Bengal army” How far do you agree with this interpretation of the Indian mutiny? The Indian mutiny of 1857 was a watershed event in the history of British India, during the period of the 100 year rule it was the largest and most substantial threat to the British rule and was the ultimately the end for the rule of the East India Company in India. After which the British Raj were to take over as the ruling body in India with the Queen as their sovereign. The treatment of the Sepoys in the Bengal army, the arrogance shown by the British towards the Indian culture and practises, the proposed idea of forced westernisation and the liberal reforms which the East India Company introduced on the Indian people were all major factors as to why on the 10th May 1857 Sepoys disobeyed orders from their British superiors in Meerut and then turned on their superiors and murdered all of the British soldiers who surrounded. These reasons alone were building huge amounts of tension between the Indian people and the British rule however the spark with ignited the mutiny was the issue over the new cartridges for the rifles used by the Sepoys in the Bengal army, it was rumoured that the casing for the cartridges was sealed with cow and pig fat which would go against beliefs in Muslim and Hindu
Why Were Some Forms Of Nationalism More Successful Than Others In Achieving Concessions From The British Government In The Period 1800-1900?
Why Were Some Forms Of Nationalism More Successful Than Others In Achieving Concessions From The British Government In The Period 1800-1900? Constitutional Nationalism, which although prevailed over revolutionary and Cultural Nationalism throughout the period of 1800-1900, combined to spearhead a driving and determined nationalist force campaigning against the diverse British Governments of the period for Emancipation, Repeal of the Union, Home Rule amongst other concessions. Constitutional Nationalism, embodied by O'Connell, was known for legislatively campaigning for concessions; Cultural Nationalism was an evolutionary process while Revolutionary Nationalism was essentially revolutionary known for its commitment to violence and its predominant legacies which were left behind by numerous martyrs of the cause. Daniel O'Connell, himself, was the protagonist of the emancipation story, who was followed by Charles Stuart Parnell in the late 1870s in the Home Rule and Land War sagas of the closing stages of the nineteenth century. Constitutional Nationalism sought greater autonomy for Ireland within the British Empire through gradual, peaceful change. This was personified in O'Connell's clear dismissive attitude of violence in his Emancipation and Repeal movements, which ultimately contributed to his downfall in 1843 at Clontarf. The second unquestioned leader of Irish politics
How were the lives of Civilians affected by the Second World War
How were the lives of Civilians affected by the Second World War During the Second World War (1939-1945) civilian life went through a great many changes. This was due to a variety of factors like rationing which meant people had limited food and diets. Also changes like the evacuation of children from towns to the countryside broke up families. One of the ways civilian life changed was the British diet. Foods were in shortages and imports were hard to receive, as Source 1 shows due to German U-Boats sinking merchant ships. Certain foods became more prominent in the British diet, like bread or potatoes. These foods were easier to obtain. Foods like eggs or meat were rare, meaning protein was deficient in most diets. This made British diets very monotonous, though as Source 1 shows the government tried to give pregnant women and children more nutrients, by giving them extras of certain foods. The view of food was altered as people were encouraged to grow their own produce. Even in 1941 the rations were still basic with little variety, though this could change poorer civilian lives to be healthier. We know stocks got worse in 1942 as Source 1 states. Lots of children were evacuated from cities to the countryside due to the heavy bombing. This created problems for both the evacuees and hosts. Children were split from their parents, often upsetting the child. Bernard Kops in
To what extent was the military prowess of the Crusaders the main reason for the sucess of the first Crusade?
To what extent was the military prowess of the Crusaders the main reason for the sucess of the first Crusade? Firstly the question presumes that the First Crusade was infact a 'Success', and this term being used in this context is presumbly based on the fact that four Crusaders States were established and the Crusaders won all of their battles. The First Crusade seemed like an impossible task for the Crusaders, many difficulties stood in their way, for one thing the sheer size of the army, around 40,000 troops was incredibly unusual for Medieval Western armies and so therefore the leaders had very little experience in commanding just vast numbers of soldiers. Another difficulity faced by the Crusaders was the geographical factors of the war, the distance that the crusaders had to travel meant and the harsh terrain of Anatolia meant that bringing supplies and reinforcements extremely difficult. The Crusaders were in a foreign land and after the recent People's Crusade relations with the Byzantines were less than good, this meant the Crusaders had no real allies, except the Armenians. This, coupled with the problem of the terrain meant shortage of food and water, leading to hunger and disease. Another problem was the internal disunity between the Crusaders, for example Tancred and Baldwin fighting over Cilicia. In deciding how important the factor of Military Prowess was, the
