Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s
I can assess the extent of political and economic change which took place in Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s.
Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s
I can assess the extent of political and economic change which took place in Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In 1922, the Soviet Union (USSR) was established as a single party dictatorship.
- Stalin became leader of the USSR after Lenin's death. Stalin used the secret police to purge those who opposed him.
- Stalin attempted to modernise the Soviet economy through collectivisation and rapid industrialisation.
- Collectivisation increased the food supplies secured by the Soviet state but led to lower levels of agricultural output.
- The USSR became the second largest industrial economy in the world but the quality of its output remained poor.
Keywords
Dictatorship - a dictatorship is a country where the leaders have absolute power
Purge - a purge involves getting rid of people who do not agree with you
Gulag - a gulag was part of a system of work prisons set up in the USSR
Industrialisation - the process of developing a country's manufacturing industries is known as industrialisation
Collectivisation - collectivisation was a policy which reorganised Soviet agriculture to work as a system of large, modernised farms
Common misconception
Changes in the leadership of Russia led to complete change in the country's politics.
Both tsarist rule and Communist rule led to severe restrictions on political freedoms, including use of secret police to remove opposition.
To help you plan your year 9 history lesson on: Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 history lesson on: Soviet Russia in the 1920s and 1930s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Russian Revolution: did communism completely transform Russian society? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
getting rid of people you disagree with, often using force
a country where the ruler has absolute power
when people are sent or kept away from their country
situation where a leader can act as they wish without limits
Russian word for emperor