Russia, 1917–91

Section A How far was the use of terror the main reason for the survival of the Bolshevik regime in the years 1917–24?

Section B 'Khrushchev's agricultural reforms were a failure.' How far do you agree with this statement about the years 1953–64?

Section C Extract 1 (interpretation written for this paper in the style of a historian; not a real quotation): The Soviet Union did not collapse because of pressure from outside. It collapsed because Gorbachev's reforms released forces he could not control. Glasnost allowed people to say what they had long thought, and the nationalities of the Union seized the chance to leave. Extract 2 (interpretation written for this paper in the style of a historian; not a real quotation): By the 1980s the Soviet economy was exhausted. The arms race, the war in Afghanistan and falling oil prices drained resources that a stagnant planned economy could not replace. Gorbachev's reforms were a response to decline, not its cause. In the light of differing interpretations, how convincing do you find the view that Gorbachev's reforms were the main reason for the collapse of the USSR in 1991? To explain your answer, analyse and evaluate the material in both extracts, using your own knowledge of the issues.