Russian Revolution quiz: 8 questions

Witte’s tariffs, loans and railways and the interior ministry’s police served one goal, a modern great power ruled by one man. The flaw in the plan was that industry created workers and professionals for whom such a politics had no place.

By conceding a Duma and liberties under duress, Nicholas divided a united opposition, then crushed the Moscow rising and clawed back most of the promises. A concession as a weapon.

The revolution did not defeat the autocracy’s army; the army declined to defend it. Once the soldiers joined the crowd, three centuries of rule had nothing left to stand on.

In April it sounded like madness; by autumn, as the war ground on and the soviets went Bolshevik, it sounded like a program. Lenin alone refused all compromise.

Trotsky’s “neither war nor peace” bluff failed; Germany advanced, and Lenin signed away Poland, the Baltics, Ukraine and the Caucasus — a breathing space bought at a terrible price.

Interior lines plus unity of command plus the peasant’s arithmetic: hatred of Red requisitioning lost to fear of the returning landlord. Military skill could not rescue the Whites’ politics.

Tukhachevsky’s overextended armies were routed by Piłsudski’s flank counterstroke. The Bolshevik bid to export revolution by bayonet died on the Vistula.

“We are retreating in order to make a better leap.” With Kronstadt still smoking and the Volga starving, NEP relaxed the economy — while the same congress banned dissent inside the Party.