Russian Revolution vocabulary and reading

“The Russian Revolution and The Rise of the Dictators”

1

Czar Nicholas

Pogram

Russification

Bloody Sunday (Russian Rev. of 1905)

Russo-Japanesse War

WWI

Duma

Absolute Monarchy

Autocracy

Vladimir Lenin

New Economic Policy

Communist Party/Communism

Joseph Stalin

Collectivization

5 year plan

Great Depression

Totalitarianism

Russian Revolution of 1917

Bolshevik

Soviet

SETTING THE STAGE The Russian Revolution was like a firecracker with a very long

fuse. The explosion came in 1917. Yet the fuse had been burning for nearly a century.

The cruel, oppressive rule of most 19th-century czars caused widespread social unrest

for decades. Anger over social inequalities and the ruthless treatment of peasants

grew. The czars’ unfair governing sparked many violent reactions. Army officers

revolted in 1825. Hundreds of peasants rioted. Secret revolutionary groups formed

and plotted to overthrow the government. In 1881, student revolutionaries were angry

over the slow pace of political change. They assassinated the reform-minded czar,

Alexander II. Russia was heading toward a full-scale revolution.

Alexander III Upholds the Autocracy

In 1881, Alexander III succeeded his father, Alexander II, to the throne and

halted all reforms in Russia. Like his grandfather, Nicholas I, Alexander III

clung to the principles of autocracy, a government in which he had total

power. Alexander III was determined to strengthen “autocracy, orthodoxy,

and nationality.” Anyone who questioned the absolute authority of the

czar, worshiped outside the Russian Orthodox Church, or spoke a language

other than Russian was tagged as dangerous.

To wipe out revolutionaries, Alexander III used harsh measures.

He imposed strict censorship codes on published materials and written

documents, including private letters. His secret police carefully

watched both secondary schools and universities. Teachers had to

send detailed reports on every student. Political prisoners were exiled

to Siberia, a region of eastern and central Russia.

To establish a uniform Russian culture, Alexander III oppressed

other national groups within Russia. He made Russian the official language

of the empire and forbade the use of minority languages, such as

Polish, in schools. Alexander made Jews the target of persecution. He subjected

them to new laws that encouraged prejudice. Jews could not buy land

or live among other Russians. Universities set strict quotas for Jewish students.

A wave of pogroms—organized violence against Jews—broke out in many parts of

Russia. Police and soldiers stood by and watched Russian citizens loot and destroy

Jewish homes, stores, and synagogues.

Nicholas II Resists Change

When Nicholas II became czar in 1894, he announced, “The principle of autocracy

will be maintained by me as firmly and unswervingly as by my lamented father

[Alexander III].” Nicholas stubbornly refused to surrender any of his power. His trust

in the tradition of Russian autocracy blinded him to the changing conditions of his

times. Yet the sweeping forces of change would override his pledge to preserve the

czarist rule of Russia’s past.

Economic Growth and Its Impact The number of factories

more than doubled between 1863 and 1900. In spite of this, at the

beginning of Nicholas II’s reign, Russia lagged behind the industrial

nations of western Europe. In the 1890s, Sergey Witte

(VYEET•tyih), the czar’s most capable minister, launched a program

to move the country forward. Through higher taxes and foreign

investments, Witte helped finance the buildup of Russian

industries. Witte’s steps also boosted the growth of heavy industry,

particularly steel. By around 1900, Russia had become the world’s

fourth-ranking producer of steel. Only the United States,

Germany, and Great Britain produced more steel.

Witte also pushed for the building of the great Trans-Siberian

Railway—the world’s longest continuous rail line. With the help

of British and French investors, work began in 1891. The Trans-

Siberian Railway was completed in 1904. It connected European

Russia in the west with Russian ports on the Pacific Ocean in the east.

The Revolutionary Movement Grows Rapid industrialization

also stirred discontent among the people of Russia. The growth of

factories brought new problems. Among these problems were grueling

working conditions, miserably low wages, and child labor. Trade

unions were outlawed. Still, exploited laborers who worked in factories

and built the railway lines organized strikes. Workers were

unhappy with their low standard of living and lack of political power.

The gap between rich and poor was enormous.

Amid the widespread unrest of workers and other members of

Russian society, various revolutionary movements began to grow. They

also competed for power. The group that would eventually succeed in

establishing a new government in Russia followed the views of Karl

Marx. These revolutionaries believed that the industrial class of workers

would overthrow the czar. The industrial class would then form “a dictatorship of the

proletariat.” In such a state, the workers would rule.

In 1903, Russian Marxists split into two groups over revolutionary tactics. The

Mensheviks (MEHN•shuh•vihks) wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution.

The Bolsheviks (BOHL•shuh•vihks) supported a small number of committed revolutionaries

willing to sacrifice everything for radical change.

The major leader of the Bolsheviks was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (ool•YAH•nuhf). He

adopted the name of Lenin. He had an engaging personality and was an excellent

organizer. He was also ruthless. These traits would ultimately help him

gain command of the Bolsheviks. In the early 1900s, Lenin fled to western

Europe to avoid arrest by the czarist regime. He maintained contact with

other Bolsheviks. Lenin then waited until he could safely return to Russia.

Crises at Home and Abroad

The revolutionaries would not have to wait long to realize their visions. Between 1904

and 1917, Russia faced a series of crises. These events showed the czar’s weakness and

paved the way for revolution.

The Russo-Japanese War In the late 1800s, Russia and Japan were imperialist

powers. They both competed for control of Korea and Manchuria. The two nations

signed a series of agreements over the territories, but Russia broke them. In retaliation,

Japan attacked the Russians at Port Arthur, Manchuria, in February 1904.

Though Russian soldiers and sailors went confidently to war, the Japanese defeated

them. News of repeated losses sparked unrest at home and led to revolt in the midst

of the war.

Bloody Sunday: The Revolution of 1905 On January 22, 1905, about 200,000

workers and their families approached the czar’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

They carried a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom,

and an elected national legislature. Nicholas II was not at the palace. His generals and

police chiefs were. They ordered the soldiers to fire on the crowd. Between 500 and

1,000 unarmed people were killed. Russians quickly named the event “Bloody

Sunday.” Lenin called the incident a “dress rehearsal” for the later revolution that

would usher in a Communist regime.

Bloody Sunday provoked a wave of strikes and violence that

spread across the country. Though Nicholas still opposed reform, in

October 1905 he reluctantly promised more freedom. He approved

the creation of the Duma (DOO•muh)—Russia’s first parliament.

The first Duma met in May 1906. Its leaders were moderates who

wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy similar to

Britain. Hesitant to share his power, the czar dissolved the Duma

after ten weeks. Other Dumas would meet later. Yet none would

have real power to make sweeping reforms.

World War I: The Final Blow In 1914, Nicholas II made the fateful

decision to drag Russia into World War I. Russia, though, was

unprepared to handle the military and economic costs. Russia’s

weak generals and poorly equipped troops were no match for the

German army. Before a year had passed, more than 4 million

Russian soldiers had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.

German machine guns mowed down advancing Russians by the

thousands. Defeat followed defeat. As in the Russo-Japanese War,

Russia’s involvement in World War I revealed the weaknesses of

czarist rule and military leadership.

In 1915, Nicholas moved his headquarters to the war front. From

there, he hoped to rally his discouraged troops to victory. His wife,

Czarina Alexandra, ran the government while he was away. She

ignored the czar’s chief advisers. Instead, she continued to fall under

the influence of the mysterious Rasputin (ras•PYOO•tihn)—a selfdescribed

“holy man.” He claimed to have magical healing powers.

Alexis, Nicholas and Alexandra’s son, suffered from hemophilia, a

life-threatening disease. Rasputin seemed to ease the boy’s symptoms.

To show her gratitude, Alexandra allowed Rasputin to make

key political decisions. He opposed reform measures and obtained

powerful positions for his friends. He spread corruption throughout

the royal court. In 1916, a group of nobles murdered Rasputin. They

feared his increasing role in government affairs.

Meanwhile, the war was destroying the morale of Russian troops.

Soldiers mutinied, deserted, or ignored orders. On the homefront,

food and fuel supplies were dwindling. Prices were wildly inflated.

People from all classes were clamoring for change and an end to the

war. Neither Nicholas nor Alexandra proved capable of tackling

these enormous problems.

The March Revolution

In March 1917, women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike. Soon afterward,

riots flared up over shortages of bread and fuel. Nearly 200,000 workers swarmed

the streets. At first the soldiers obeyed orders to shoot the rioters but later sided with

them. The soldiers fired at their commanding officers and joined the rebellion. Large

crowds gathered, shouting “Down with the autocracy!” and “Down with the war!”

The Czar Steps Down The local protest exploded into a general

uprising—the March Revolution. It forced Czar Nicholas II to abdicate

his throne. A year later revolutionaries executed Nicholas and

his family. The czarist rule of the Romanovs, which spanned over

three centuries, had finally collapsed. The March Revolution succeeded

in bringing down the czar. Yet it failed to set up a strong

government to replace his regime.

Leaders of the Duma established a provisional government, or

temporary government. It was eventually headed by Alexander

Kerensky. His decision to continue fighting the war cost him the support

of both soldiers and civilians. As the war dragged on, conditions

inside Russia worsened. Angry peasants demanded land. City workers

grew more radical. Social revolutionaries, competing for power,

formed soviets. Soviets were local councils consisting of workers,

peasants, and soldiers. In many cities, especially Petrograd, the soviets

had more influence than the provisional government.

Lenin Returns to Russia The Germans launched their own

“secret weapon” that would erode the provisional government’s

authority. They arranged Lenin’s return to Russia after many years of

exile. The Germans believed that Lenin and his Bolshevik supporters

would stir unrest in Russia and hurt the Russian war effort. Traveling

in a sealed railway boxcar, Lenin reached Petrograd in April 1917.

The Bolshevik Revolution

Lenin and the Bolsheviks recognized their opportunity to seize

power. They soon gained control of the Petrograd soviet, as well as

the soviets in other major Russian cities. By the fall of 1917, people

in the cities were rallying to the call, “All power to the soviets.”

Lenin’s slogan—“Peace, Land, and Bread”—was gaining widespread

appeal. Lenin decided to take action.

The Provisional Government Topples In November 1917, without

warning, Bolshevik Red Guards made up of armed factory workers

stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd. They took over government offices and arrested

the leaders of the provisional government. The Bolshevik Revolution was over in a matter

of hours. Kerensky and his colleagues disappeared almost as quickly as the czarist

regime they had replaced.

Bolsheviks in Power Lenin’s next step was tackling the problems he inherited from czarist rule. Within days after the Bolshevik takeover, Lenin ordered that all farmland be distributed among the peasants.  Lenin and the Bolsheviks gave control of factories to

the workers. The Bolshevik government also signed a truce with Germany to stop all fighting on the eastern war front and began peace talks.

In March 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The price

of peace was costly. Russia surrendered a large chunk of its territory to Germany and

its allies. The humiliating terms of this treaty triggered widespread anger among many

Russians. They objected to the Bolsheviks and their policies.

Civil War Rages in Russia Still recovering from their painful losses of land to

Germany, the Bolsheviks now faced a new challenge—stamping out their enemies at

home. Their opponents formed the White Army. The revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky,

who helped negotiate the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, expertly commanded the Bolshevik

Red Army. From 1918 to 1920, civil war raged in Russia. Several Western nations, including

the United States, sent military aid and forces to Russia to help the White Army.

Russia’s civil war proved far more deadly than the earlier revolutions. Around 15

million Russians died in the three-year struggle and in the famine that followed. The

destruction and loss of life from fighting, hunger, and a worldwide flu epidemic left

Russia in chaos.  In the end the Red Army triumphed and finally crushed all opposition to Bolshevik rule. The victory showed that the Bolsheviks were able both to seize power and to

maintain it. Yet in the aftermath of the civil war, Lenin and the Bolsheviks faced overwhelming problems.

DBQ: The Age of Anxiety

1914 - 1939

Directions:  The following question is based on the accompanying Documents 1 - 12.  (The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise.) 

This question is designed to test your ability to work with and understand historical documents.  Write an essay that:

·       Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with evidence from the documents.

·       Uses all or all but one of the documents.

·       Analyzes the documents by grouping them in as many appropriate ways as possible.  Does not simply summarize the documents individually.

·       Takes into account both the sources of the documents and the authors’ points of view.

1.  Examine the documents that follow and analyze the impacts of World War One on world societies.  What political, cultural, and economic conditions contributed to this situation?  Was the Second World War inevitable?  What additional documents could you use to assist you in answering this question?

Historical Background:  To some historians, the interwar years between World War One and World War Two are known as the Age of Anxiety.  Various factors – environmental, political, economic, cultural, and social - combined to produce a general feeling of apprehension in societies around the world.  These years are often seen as years of wild abandon, particularly in the arts and in social life.  The cultural arts, art, literature, music, poetry, etc., expressed this anxiety with a variety of new forms that broke traditional molds.  Disasters often dampened the high spirits of the time. Floods and dust storms leave millions destitute, the Depression sweeps across the globe, struggles for independence from colonial rule make headlines, and extreme forms of nationalism and militarism once again rear their ugly heads.

Document 1

Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, 1929

I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me. What would our fathers do if we suddenly stood up and came before them and proffered our account? What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when the war is over? Through the years our business has been killing; -- it was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?

Document 2

Stephen Kern, The Culture of Time and Space, 1880-1918, 1983

From around 1880 to the outbreak of World War I, a series of sweeping changes in technology and culture created distinctive new modes of thinking about and experiencing time and space. Technological innovations including the telephone, wireless telegraph, x-ray, cinema, bicycle, automobile, and airplane established the material foundation for this reorientation; independent

cultural developments such as the stream-of-consciousness novel, psychoanalysis, Cubism, and the theory of relativity shaped consciousness directly. The result was a transformation of the dimensions of life and thought.

Document 3

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Sr., (R – MA); 12 Aug 1919

You may call me selfish if you will, conservative or reactionary, or use any other harsh adjective you see fit to apply, but an American I was born, an American I have remained all my life. I can never be anything else but an American, and I must think of the United States first, and when I think of the United States first in an arrangement like this I am thinking of what is best for the world, for if the United States fails, the best hopes of mankind fail with it. I have never had but one allegiance--I cannot divide it now. I have loved but one flag and I cannot share that devotion and give affection to the mongrel banner invented for a league. Internationalism, illustrated by the Bolshevik and by the men to whom all countries are alike provided they can make money out of them, is to me repulsive. National I must remain, and in that way I like all other Americans can render the amplest service to the world. The United States is the world's best hope, but if you fetter her in the interests and quarrels of other nations, if you tangle her in the intrigues of Europe, you will destroy her power for good and endanger her very existence. Leave her to march freely through the centuries to come as in the years that have gone. Strong, generous, and confident, she has nobly served mankind. Beware how you trifle with your marvelous inheritance, this great land of ordered liberty, for if we stumble and fall freedom and civilization everywhere will go down in ruin.

Document 4

Treaty of Versailles, 1920

ARTICLE 231.

The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.

ARTICLE 235.

In order to enable the Allied and Associated Powers to proceed at once to the restoration of their industrial and economic life, pending the full determination of their claims, Germany shall pay in such installments and in such manner (whether in gold, commodities, ships, securities or otherwise) as the Reparation Commission may fix, during 1919, 1920 and the first four months of 1921, the equivalent of 20,000,000,000 gold marks.

Document 5

Cartoon from Punch magazine, London, England, July 28th 1920

Moral Suasion.  The Rabbit. "My offensive equipment being practically nil, it remains for me to fascinate him with the power of my eye." 

Document 6

T.S. Eliot, The Wasteland, 1922

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow

Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,

You cannot say, or guess, for you know only

A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,

And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,

And the dry stone no sound of water. Only

There is shadow under this red rock,

(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),

And I will show you something different from either

Your shadow at morning striding behind you

Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

Document 7

Treaty Between the United States of America, the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan, Signed at Washington, February 6, 1922.

Article VII

The total tonnage for aircraft carriers of each of the Contracting Powers shall not exceed in standard displacement, for the United States 135,000 tons (137,160 metric tons); for the British Empire 135,000 tons (137,160 metric tons); for France 60,000 tons (60,960 metric tons); for Italy 60,000 tons (60,960 metric tons); for Japan 81,000 tons (82,296 metric tons).

Document 8

James N. Rosenberg, Oct 29 Dies Irae ("Days of Wrath"), 1929

Document 9

Benito Mussolini, The Doctrine of Fascism, 1932

If it is admitted that the nineteenth century has been the century of Socialism, Liberalism and Democracy, it does not follow that the twentieth must also be the century of Liberalism, Socialism and Democracy. Political doctrines pass; peoples remain. It is to be expected that this century may be that of authority, a century of the "Right," a Fascist century. If the nineteenth was the century of the individual it may be expected that this one may be the century of "collectivism" and therefore the century of the State.

Document 10

From a Japanese booklet for children, 1938

Document 11

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937

Document 12

Agreement concluded at Munich, September 29, 1938, between Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy

Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, taking into consideration the agreement, which has been already reached in principle for the cession to Germany of the Sudeten German territory, have agreed on the following terms and conditions governing the said cession and the measures consequent thereon, and by this agreement they each hold themselves responsible for the steps necessary to secure its fulfilment:

(1) The evacuation will begin on 1st October.

(2) The United Kingdom, France and Italy agree that the evacuation of the territory shall be completed by the 10th October, without any existing installations having been destroyed, and that the Czechoslovak Government will be held responsible for carrying out the evacuation without damage to the said installations.

(3) The conditions governing the evacuation will be laid down in detail by an international commission composed of representatives of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Czechoslovakia.

(4) The occupation by stages of the predominantly German territory by German troops will begin on 1st October.

Document Analysis:  POV (Point of View)

Doc 1: Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front; landmark novel about a young man’s experiences in WW I, anxiety about the future, all I know is killing; POV:  Remarque is German and wrote the novel based on his own experiences, undergoing the chaotic struggle for political identity and power in post-war Germany

Doc 2: History about changes in thought and attitude based on cultural and scientific discoveries in the late 19^th, early 20^th centuries.  These discoveries unhinge traditional models of thought – nothing is certain; POV – historian, using changes in technology to prove point – may be biased towards his own thesis

Doc 3: Republican U.S. Senator arguing against the Treaty of Versailles and specifically the provisions calling for the League of Nations; POV – Republicans were vehemently against Wilson’s League; American nationalist and isolationist

Doc 4: Treaty of Versailles – ignoring Wilson’s ideas outlined in his Fourteen Points, the British and French hammered home a treaty which laid the entire blame of the war on Germany and extracted from her an enormous reparations payment.  This was, with the connivance of the Weimar Republic gov’t, to bankrupt Germany, causing massive inflation and unemployment. This, in turn, would lead to conditions favoring the rise of the Nationalist Socialist party – Hitler’s Nazi party.   POV:  French – payback for Franco-Prussian humiliation and for the war, which was fought mostly on French soil; British – to keep Germany in check.

Doc 5 Political cartoon lampooning the effectiveness of the League of Nations.  Without the Americans, the League had no effective military or political strength.  While it accomplished much against slavery and disease, it did nothing to prevent international strife in the name of nationalism or imperialism.  POV – Punch is a satirical British magazine poking fun at any and all absurdities in both international and national affairs.  Note – the rabbit is using the snake’s “technique”; also that the rabbit is “dressed up” for dinner.

Doc 6 T.S. Eliot, a British poet – one of a new breed of artistic figures breaking new ground.  His use of imagery and metaphor and historical references earns him a Nobel prize in literature.  Perhaps Eliot’s most famous work, this controversial poem details the journey of the human soul searching for redemption. The Waste Land is known not only for its probing subject matter but also its radical departure from traditional poetic style and structure incorporating historical and literary allusions as well as unconventional use of language.  POV – Eliot was born American, but became a British citizen.  He lived in London during the war and witnessed both its savagery and its aftermath. 

Doc 7 Washington Naval Treaty – signed by the major powers, it was an attempt to limit the size of national navies.  It was a disappointing affair for the Japanese who were deemed lesser powers.  POV – attempt at arms reduction in a spirit of peace; Japan – did not like the treaty and openly abrogated it later.  Note that neither Germany nor Russia is a signatory

Doc 8 Sketch by Rosenberg, a bankruptcy lawyer in Manhattan who witnessed the event, depicting the Wall Street crash of 1929.  It is done in a modernist, expressionist mode; note the crows which look like warplanes, the “earthquake” depiction of the event, the jumping bodies, panic and an almost deathlike crowd (some look like The Scream); lightning strikes, broken church – no faith?; The Great Depression will spread across the globe causing widespread poverty, unemployment and discontent; POV – artist, exaggerating the event to make it look worse than it was?  Note the title – Days of Wrath – indication of God-like anger at wealth – maybe a socialist?

Doc 9 Mussolini – written 10 years after assuming power.  Apologia for fascism.  Note the extreme nationalist viewpoint.  Mussolini – who got his ideas from many sources to include early communists and socialists in Germany and from Lenin in Russia created the first “fascist” state.  Although admired at first, his regime’s brutality and utter contempt for individual rights quickly alarmed the more democratic French, British and Americans.  POV – secure in his power, Mussolini is using his own media platform to justify his actions

Doc 10 Japanese booklet for children produced in 1938.  Note that this is before Japanese imperialistic designs were clearly evident in places other than China.  Careful examination shows native peoples welcoming the Japanese as if freeing them from Western control – and the destruction of British and American forces.  Chamberlain and Roosevelt look sadly and confusedly from the corners.  POV -  Propaganda, Japanese indoctrination of children - maybe also teachers, parents, and perhaps other people in the region; obvious nationalism and imperialistic designs

Doc 11 Painting by Picasso – Guernica; his subject is the village of Guernica which was used by German and Italian warplanes to test new bombs and tactics.  About 1600 civilians died in the unprovoked attack.  POV – Picasso was disgusted with the Spanish Civil War and especially Franco.  Anti-war.

Doc 12 Munich Agreement – British and French appease Hitler by giving him the Sudetenland.  Hailed as peacemakers, the British and French ministers are soon assailed as Hitler abrogates the agreement and invades all of Czechoslovakia.  POV – Appeasement; desperate to avoid war; note that Czechoslovakia is not a signatory.

Possible Groupings:

Docs 1, 3, 6, 7 ,11 – anti war

Docs 1, 2, 6, 8, 11 – pathos, anxiety of the age

Docs 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12 – all indications of war or inability to politically control war

Docs 3, 4, 5, 7, 12 – international  agreements – all of which fail

Docs 3, 4, 5 – all dealing with Treaty of Versailles

Possible Thesis:

     World War One had tremendous political, economic, and cultural impacts on the entire world.  There were, however, many other events between 1919 and 1939 that led to the anxiety of the time and that directly or indirectly contributed to the inevitability of World War Two.  These included the failure of the Treaty of Versailles to provide for an effective peace, the Great Depression, and the failure of international diplomacy outside of the League of Nations to impede designs on extreme nationalism or imperialism.  The art of this time poignantly reflects these failures and the pathos of the interwar years.  When we combine the events and historical evidence of the period a discernable pattern develops that supports the historians contention that this was truly an “Age of Anxiety”.

Basic

Has acceptable thesis.  The thesis must be explicit and based on the documents.  1 Point    _____

Understands the basic meaning of documents. 1 Point    _____

Supports thesis with appropriate evidence from all or all but two of the documents.   

2 Points          _____           

Analyzes point of view or bias in at least two documents.  Must show point of view in at

 least two documents by: 1 Point    _____

• Relating the author’s point of view to the author’s civilization or time OR
• Assessing the reliability of the source OR
• Recognizing that different kinds of documents serve different purposes OR
• Analyzing tone or intent of documents

Analyzes and synthesizes documents by grouping them in at least two or three ways.  

2 Point    _____

Here students must make comparisons with an appropriate grouping and/or interpretation of the

documents.  Students must use the documents to support the arguments for comparison.

Some general groupings:

• Economic
• Cultural
• League of Nations

Subtotal           7possible                  ______

 Expanded

Expands beyond basic core of 1 – 7 points.  A student must earn 7 points in the                     0 – 2 Points basic area before earning points in the expanded core area.

Examples:

• Has a clear, analytical and comprehensive thesis
• Shows careful and insightful analysis of the documents
• Uses documents persuasively as evidence
• Analyzes point of view in most or all documents
• Analyzes the documents in additional ways – groupings, comparisons, synthesis
• Brings in relevant “outside” historical content
• Explains why additional types of document(s) or sources are needed

Expanded                                                                                                             2 Possible            _______

Total:                                                                                                                                                    _______