CLASS 9                                   

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 History Chapter 3- Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

 

1. Describe the problems faced by the Weimar Republic

Solution:

The defeat of Imperial Germany at the hands of the Allied powers in World War I led to the abdication of the emperor Wilhelm II. This gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast the German polity.

Thus, a National Assembly met at the town of Weimar to form a republic with a democratic constitution and a federal structure. But this newborn republic was not well received by its own people for the following reasons:

(I) The Allied imposed a harsh and humiliating treaty at Versailles, which squarely placed the blame of starting World War I on Germany’s soldiers. It was the Weimar Republic that signed the treaty much to the displeasure of the German populace.

(II) Germany lost all of its overseas colonies and a tenth of its population, along with 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.

(III) The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and the subsequent damage it caused in the Allied nations. They were forced to pay compensation of £6 billion in total. Due to the loss of most of its revenue-generating colonies, Germany was unable to repay the amount.

(IV) Due to the failure to pay compensation, the Allied Armies occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for a time. The Weimar Republic reacted to this by printing paper currency in large numbers to pay off the huge debt. This led to hyperinflation and the eventual collapse of the economy.

(V) Coupled with the humiliation of a foreign power occupying German territory and economic collapse, the German public held the new Weimar Republic responsible for the defeat in world war I and accepting the disgrace at Versailles.

2. Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930.

Solution:

The end of World War I had changed the political landscape of Germany. Right from the beginning, the infant Weimar Republic was beset by problems.

(I) The harsh Versailles Treaty was a serious blow to the national prestige of the Germans and to the economy.

(II) The economic situation was worsened by the Great Depression of 1929, which had severely affected the already fragile German economy. The inability of the Weimar Republic to remedy the situation only further inflamed public sentiments.

(III) The political scenario was not any better as the various political factions, such as the communists and socialists fought with each other that stalled any policy that would uplift the plight of the German people.

(IV) It was in this background that Hitler would organise the fledgling National Socialist German Worker’s party, otherwise known as the Nazi party into a mass movement.

(V) By implementing Nazi ideals, Hitler promised to undo the injustice of the Versailles treaty and restore the dignity of the German people, promising economic security and to build a strong German nation free from all foreign influences and ‘conspiracies’.

(VI) He found strong support among the German middle class, who were threatened with destitution due to economic collapse that had shut down banks, businesses and factories.

(VII) Nazi propaganda, along with Hitler’s powerful oratory skills, successfully portrayed Hitler as a saviour and Nazism as the means to deliver the German people from the distress of living in a time of acute economic and political crisis.

3. What are the peculiar features of Nazi thinking?

Solution:

The Nazi thinking was synonymous with Hitler’s world view. The features of such thinking are as follows:

(I) There was no equality among the human race, only a racial hierarchy – with the blonde, blue-eyed, Nordic German Aryans being at the top and the Jews being placed at the bottom level. All the other coloured people were placed somewhere in between, depending on their external features.

(II) The other aspect of Nazi ideology was the concept of Lebensraum or living space. It was believed that new territories had to be acquired at the expense of the local population in order to enhance material resources and the power of the German nation.

(III) They believed in the survival of the fittest, which was a twisted version of Charles Darwin theory about natural selection. In their version, they believed that the strongest race would survive, while the weak would perish.

(IV) Nazi thinking put much emphasis on ‘racial purity’. This meant that anyone born with physical and mental disabilities was considered ‘undesirable’ and impure. Allowing their existence would only pollute the German race and hence they had no right to exist. Along with Jews, Gypsies, Slavic and blacks were all considered subhuman and executed in large numbers under the shadow of World War II.

(V) Nazis believed in war and aggression. Any notion of peace or related ideologies were considered weak by their standards. They believed that world domination through war justified in proving the superiority of the German race.

4. Explain why Nazi propaganda was effective in creating a hatred for Jews.

Solution:

The Nazis were quite effective in using propaganda to great effect. They made propaganda films to fan hatred for Jews with the most infamous being The Eternal Jew. Orthodox Jews were stereotyped and marked. They were shown with flowing beards, wearing kaftans and were referred to as rats and vermins who fed off from good Germans.

Jews were also blamed for Germany’s defeat in World War I, despite the fact that a large number of them served with distinction in the conflict. The propaganda by the Nazis effectively worked on the minds of the people, making use of the centuries of anti-semitic feelings and tapping their emotions. This turned their hatred and anger at those who were blamed for all of Germany’s past and present ills. And the Nazis would be the remedy for these ‘ills’

5. Explain the role of women in Nazi society. Return to Chapter 1 on the French Revolution. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the role of women in the two periods.

Solution:

Women in Nazi society were relegated to housewives who were charged with upholding the honour of the German race by limiting contacts with ‘undesirables’ and raising as many pure-blooded children as possible. Those who conformed to this role were given favoured treatment in hospitals, concessions in shops, theatre tickets and railway fares. Despite Hitler’s statement on ‘women being the most important citizen’, it did not apply to every woman. Especially those who deviated from Nazi ideology. Those that did, risked public humiliation, loss of civic honour, loss of family, jail sentence and even death.

This was in total contrast to the role of women in the French Revolution, Where women led movements and fought for the right to education and the right to equal wages as men. They could not be forced to marry against their will. They could also train for jobs, become artists or run small businesses. Schooling was made compulsory for them, and they could even hold property.

6. In what ways did the Nazi state seek to establish total control over its people?

Solution:

President of the Weimar Republic Paul Von Hindenburg made Hitler the chancellor of Germany. Shortly after, a mysterious fire broke out in the Reichstag, the parliament building of Germany. Blaming the act of arson on communists and other ‘enemy of the state, Hitler passed the First Fire decree in 1933 which suspended the civic rights like freedom of speech, press and freedom of assembly. Thus, Hitler effectively started controlling the German population. Other measures he undertook to systematically dismantle democracy in Germany were:

(I) ‘The Enabling Act’ was passed, which gave all powers to Hitler to sideline the parliament and rule by decree.

(ll) All political parties, with the exception of the Nazi Party, were banned. The members of these banned parties were either imprisoned, exiled or assassinated.

(III) The communists were eradicated, with the remaining members being sent to concentration camps.

(IV) Special security forces such as the SA, SS, SD and Gestapo were created to control and order society in ways that the Nazis wanted. These organisations were given extra-judicial powers.

(V) In schools, children were taught to be loyal and submissive. They were also taught to hate Jews and worship Hitler. Thus, cultivating a personality cult in the process.

(VI) Nazi youth organizations, the like ‘Jungvolk’ and ‘Hitler Youth’ were created, where the youth were taught to hate democracy, communism, Jews and other ‘undesirables’.

 

                                    

                                            CLASS 10 

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 History Chapter 4 – The Age of Industrialisation

Page No. 102

1. Explain the following:

1. Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny
2. In the seventeenth century merchants from towns in Europe began employing peasants and artisans within the villages
3. The port of Surat declined by the end of the eighteenth century
4. The East India Company appointed ‘gomasthas’ to supervise weavers in India

Solution:

1. 1. James Hargreaves designed the Spinning Jenny in 1764. This machine speeded up the spinning process and reduced the demand for labour. By the use of this machine, a single worker could turn a number of spindles, and spin several threads at a time. Due to this, many weavers would lose employment. The fearful prospect of unemployment drew women workers, who depended on hand-spinning, to attack the new machines.
   2. World trade expanded at a very fast rate during the 17th and 18th centuries. The acquisition of colonies was also responsible for the increase in demand. The producers in the towns failed to produce the required quantity of cloth. The producers could not expand the production in the towns, because urban crafts and trade guilds were powerful. These were the associations of producers that restricted the entry of new people into the trade. The rulers granted different guilds the monopoly right to produce and the trade-in specific products.
   3. The European companies were gaining power by securing a variety of concessions from the local courts. It was very difficult for the Indian merchants and traders to face the competition as most of the European countries had huge resources. Some of the European companies got the monopoly rights to trade.

All this resulted in the decline of Surat Port by the end of the eighteenth century. In the last years of the seventeenth century, the gross value of trade that passed through Surat had been 16 million. By the 1740s, it had slumped to 3 million. With the passage of time, Surat and Hooghly decayed, while Bombay (Mumbai) and Calcutta (Kolkata) grew.

1. The company tried to eliminate the existing traders and brokers connect with the cloth trade, and establish more direct control over the weavers. It appointed a paid servant called Gomastha to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth.

2. Write True or False against each statement:

1. At the end of the nineteenth century, 80 per cent of the total workforce in Europe was employed in the technologically advanced industrial sector
2. The international market for fine textiles was dominated by India till the eighteenth century
3. The American Civil War resulted in the reduction of cotton exports from India
4. The introduction of the fly shuttle enabled handloom workers to improve their productivity.

Solution:

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True

3. Explain what is meant by proto-industrialisation
Solution: Even before factories began to appear on the landscape of England and Europe, there was a large scale industrial production for an international market. This was not based on factories. Many historians now refer to this phase of industrialisation as proto-industrialisation or the precursor to industrialisation. During this period, most of the goods were hand manufactured by trained crafts-persons for the international market.

4. Why did some industrialists in nineteenth-century Europe prefer hand labour over machines?
Solution: In the 19th century, Europe some British industrialists preferred hand labour over machines because

1. New technologies and machines were expensive and untested. So the producers and the industrialists were cautious about using them.
2. Machines often broke down and repairing them was an expensive affair.
3. Poor peasants and migrants moved to cities in large numbers in search of jobs. As a result, there was a large pool of labourers available for cheap labour.
4. In seasonal industries, where production fluctuated with the seasons, industrialists usually preferred hand labour, employing workers only for the season, when it was needed.
5. The variety of products required in the market could not be produced by the machines available at that time. In the mid-nineteenth century, Britain, for instance, 500 varieties of hammers and 45 kinds of axes were produced, these required human skills and not mechanical technology.

5. How did East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?
Solution: The East India Company adopted various steps to ensure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles.

1. They established political power to assert a monopoly on the right to trade.
2. The company tried to eliminate the existing traders and brokers connected with the cloth trade and establish direct control over the weavers. It appointed paid servants called the ‘Gomasthas’, to supervise weavers, collect supplies and examine the quality of cloth.
3. It prevented the company weavers from dealing with other buyers. Once an order was placed, the weavers were given loans to purchase the raw material. Those who took loans had to hand over the cloth they produced to the Gomasthas only. They could not take it to any other trader.
4. They developed a system of management and control that would eliminate competition, control cost and ensure regular supply of cotton and silk goods. This system forced the sell at a price dictated by the company. By giving the weavers a loan, the company tied the weavers with them.

6. Imagine that you have been asked to write an article for an encyclopedia on Britain and the history of cotton. Write your piece using information from the entire.
Solution: The following inventions in 18th century England (given in chronological order) are important milestones in the history of cotton.

1. James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny’ in 1764. This speeded up spinning work significantly.
2. John Key invented the ‘Flying Shuttle’ in 1769, which sped up the weaving process.
3. Richard Arkwright improved the ‘Spinning Jenny’ in 1769 so that it could be run by water power. He called it the ‘Water Frame’.
4. In 1776, Samuel Crompton invented the ‘Mule’, which combined the advantages of both the ‘Water Frame’ and the ‘Spinning Jenny’.
5. In 1785, Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom, which used steam power for both spinning and weaving.
6. Eli Whitney (in the USA) invented the ‘Cotton Gin’ in 1793, which solved the problem of removing seeds from cotton fibres. This could separate the seeds from the fibres 300 times faster than by hand. Later on, Arkwright created a complete cotton mill, where all the textile manufacturing process could be completed under one roof and management.
7. The use of steam power played a very significant role in running cotton mills. Production of textiles increased in a very short time and with less manual labour. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were near about 321 steam engines in England, out of which 80 were in use in cotton textile mills.
8. The East India Company appointed ‘Gomasthas’, the paid servants of the company to supervise weavers, collect supplies and judge and inspect the quality of textiles. The Gomasthas were the link between the East India Company and the weavers. The company arranged loans to the weavers to purchase raw material for weaving the cloth.

7. Why did industrial production in India increase during the First World War?
Solution: Industrial production in India increased during the First World War due to the following reasons

1. The British mills were busy with war production to meet the needs of the army; thus, Manchester imports into India declined.
2. With the decline of imports suddenly, Indian mills had a vast home market to supply.
3. As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs also, such as Jute bags, cloth for uniforms of soldiers, tents, leather boots.
4. New factories were set up, and old ones organised multiple shifts; during the war years, Indian industries boomed.
5. Overall, the First World War gave a boost to Indian industries.

                                            Class 10

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 History Chapter 3 – The Making of a Global World

1. Give two examples of different types of global exchanges which took place in the seventeenth century, choosing one example from Asia and one from the Americas.

Solution: The following are examples of cross-cultural exchanges from Asia and the Americas:

a. The Silk Route (Asia): The silk routes are a good example of cross-cultural trade and connectivity between distant parts of the world. The name ‘silk routes’ points to the importance of West-bound Chinese silk cargoes along this route.

Trade and cultural exchange always went hand in hand. Early Christian missionaries almost certainly travelled this route to Asia, as did early Muslim preachers a few centuries later.

b. Food from the Americas: The food that is part of our staple diet today like potatoes, soya, groundnuts, maize, tomatoes, chillies, sweet potatoes etc. were not known to our ancestors until the accidental discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus.

These foods only made it to Europe and the rest of the world after this monumental discovery of the new continent.

2. Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonisation of the Americas.

Solutions: The global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonization of the Americas. The reason was that the native Americans were not immune to the diseases that the European settlers brought with them. The Europeans were to a certain extent immune to the effects of diseases like smallpox due to centuries of exposure, but the native Americans had no such defence against this disease, as they were isolated from diseases native to the old world.

At times, settlers deliberately practised biological warfare on the natives by giving items laced with smallpox germs as ‘gifts of friendship’. The disease was far more effective in wiping out entire tribes and communities without having to resort to firearms.

3. Write a note to explain the effect of the following:

1. The British government’s decision to abolish the corn laws
2. The coming of rinderpest to Africa
3. The death of men of working-age in Europe because of the World War
4. The Great Depression on the Indian Economy
5. The decision of MNCs to relocate production to Asian countries

Solution:

1. The British government’s decision to abolish the Corn Laws was due to pressure from the landed groups, who were unhappy with the high price of food and the cheap inflow of agricultural products from Australia and America. As a result, many English farmers left their profession and migrated to towns and cities. Some went overseas. This indirectly led to global agriculture and rapid urbanization, a prerequisite of industrial growth.
2. Rinderpest (a fast-spreading disease of cattle plague) arrived in Africa in the late 1880s. It had a terrifying impact on people’s livelihoods and the local economy. It started in East Africa and soon spread to the other parts of the continent. Within five years, it reached the Cape of Good Hope (Africa’s Southernmost tip) by which it had killed 90 % of the cattle population in that part of Africa. It spread through infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed the Italian soldiers invading Eritrea in East Africa. Using this situation to their advantage, colonizing nations conquered and subdued Africa by monopolizing scarce cattle resources to force Africans into the labour market. The Africans were forced to work for a wage due to the loss of their livelihood due to the effect of Rinderpest.
3. The First World War was the first modern industrial war. It saw the use of machine guns, tanks, aircraft, chemical weapons etc. on a massive scale. To fight such a war millions of soldiers had to be recruited from around the world and moved to the frontlines on large ships and trains. The scale of death and destruction was unlike any other conflict in the modern era. Most of the killed and maimed were men of working age; the deaths and injuries of these men drastically reduced the able-bodied workforce in Europe. Within fewer members within the family, household incomes declined after the war. Thus women stepped in to do the jobs that were earlier done by men. It increased the role of women led to a demand for equal status in society. It made the feminist movement even stronger.
4. In the nineteenth century, colonial India had become an exporter of agricultural goods and importer of manufactures. The impact of the Great Depression in India was felt, especially in the agricultural sector. It was evident that the Indian economy was closely becoming integrated into the global economy. India was a British colony and exported agricultural goods and imported manufactured goods. As international prices crashed so did the prices in India. The wheat prices in India fell by 50 % between 1928 and 1934.
5. Wages were relatively low in Asian countries like China. Thus, they became lucrative destinations for investment by foreign MNCs competing to dominate world markets. The relocation of industry to low-wage countries stimulated world trade and capital flow.

Impact of MNC’s decision to relocate production in Asian Countries was as follows:

a. It provided a cheap source of labour for MNCs

b. It stimulated world trade and increased capital inflow in the Asian Countries

c. The local population now had a greater choice of goods and services along with prospects of greater employment opportunities for them.

4. Give two examples from history to show the impact of technology on food availability.

Solution:

1. Improved transportation systems: Improved transportation systems helped the foods get delivered on time to the markets without any harm. Faster railways, lighter wagons and larger ships helped move food cheaply and quickly from faraway farms to final markets.
2. Refrigerated ships: The development of refrigerated ships enabled the transport of perishable foods over long distances. Animals were slaughtered for food at the starting point -in America, Australia or New Zealand – and then transported to Europe as frozen meat. This reduced shipping costs and lowered meat prices in Europe. The poor in Europe could now add meat to their diet, which was monotonous with only bread and potatoes.

5. What is meant by the Bretton Woods Agreement?

Solution: In order to preserve economic stability and full employment in the industrial world, the post-war international economic system was established. To execute the same, the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference was held in July 1944 at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA. The Bretton Woods Conference established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with external surpluses and shortages of its member-nations. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (popularly known as the World Bank) was set up to financial post-war reconstruction, and they started the financial operations in 1947.

Under the agreement, currencies were pegged to the price of gold, and the US dollar was seen as a reserve currency linked to the price of gold. Decision-making authority was given to the Western industrial powers. The US was given the right of veto over key IMF and World Bank decisions. The Bretton Woods system was based on fixed exchange rates. The Bretton Woods system Opened an era of unique growth of trade and incomes for the Western industrial nations and Japan.

6. Imagine that you are an indentured Indian labour in the Carribean. Drawing from the details in the chapter, write a letter to your family describing your life and feelings

Solution: Dear Ma and Pa,

My work as an indentured labourer Jamaica is far from a walk in the park. Through this letter, I want to tell you about my life here.

When the contractor hired me, he was quite economical with the truth about the living and working conditions. To say nothing of the kind of work and place of work.

We have very few rights, with the contractor living up to the behaviour standards expected of them in the Carribean -extremely harsh. He treats us like animals since we are a minority and thus easy targets for his wrath. Accidents are common in the sugar plantations in Jamaica. One time I saw a worker burnt alive when the liquid sugar we were boiling accidentally spilt on him. Since he cannot work with his third-degree burns, the contractor saw it fit to throw him out without any due wages paid. We don’t have any rights to speak or to express our dissatisfaction about the working conditions. And if we do, we will face the overseer’s whips.

Whenever I do not attend my work, I am liable to be to jail. There is a lot of work at the plantations with a heavy workload and less time to finish it all.

In case of unsatisfactory work, my wages are cut. If there is hell on earth, it certainly is this. I know my writing will cause you anguish but rest assured there is the talk of new laws underway to protect labourers like us. Thus, this situation will pass soon.

7. Explain the three types of movements or flows within the international economic exchange. Find one example of each type of flow which involved India and Indians, write a short account of it.

Solution: The three types of movements or flows within the international economic exchange are trade flows, human capital flows and capital flows or investments. These can be explained as—the trade in agricultural products, migration of labour, and financial loans to and from other nations.

1. The flow of trade (trade in goods, e.g. cloth or wheat):

India was a hub of trade in the pre-modern world, and it exported textiles and spices in return for gold and silver from Europe.

Fine cotton was produced in India and was exported to Europe. With industrialization, British cotton manufacture began to expand, and industrialists pressurized the government to restrict cotton imports and protect local industries. As a result of the tariffs that were imposed on cloth imports, the inflow of fine Indian Cotton began to decline.

2. The flow of labour (the migration of people in search of employment):

In the field of labour, indentured labour was provided for mines, plantations and factories abroad, in huge numbers, in the nineteenth century. This was an instrument of colonial domination by the British. Indentured labourers were hired under contacts which promised return travel to India after they had worked five years on their employer’s plantation. The living conditions were harsh, and the labourers had little protection of the law or from it as they had little rights.

3. The movement of capital (investments) :

Lastly, Britain took generous loans from the USA to finance the World War. Since India was an English colony, the impact of these loan debts was felt in India too. Food and other crops for the world market required capital. Large plantations could borrow it from banks and markets.

8. Explain the causes of the Great Depression

Solution: The Great Depression was a result of many factors:

1. Agriculture overproduction was a major problem. As a result, agricultural prices fell. As prices fell, so did agricultural incomes. This increased the volume of goods in the market. The situation got worsened in the market. Prices fell down further. Farm produce began to rot due to the lack of buyers.
2. Prosperity in the USA during the 1920s created a cycle of higher employment and incomes. It led to a rise in consumption and demands. More investment and more employment created tendencies of speculations which led to the Great Depression of 1929 up to the mid-1930s. The stock market crashed in 1929. It created panic among investors and depositors who stopped investing and depositing. As a result, it created a cycle of depreciation.
3. The withdrawal of US loans affected the rest of the world in many different ways. In Europe, it led to the failure of the major banks and the collapse of major currencies such as the British pound sterling. Some of the banks closed down when people withdrew all their assets, leaving them unable to invest. Some banks called back loans taken from them at the same dollar rate, in spite of the falling value of the dollar.

9. Explain what is referred to as the G-77 countries. In what ways can G-77 be seen as a reaction to the activities of the Bretton Woods twins?

Solution: After the Second World War, many parts of the world were still under European colonial rule, and it took over two decades for the colonies in Asia and Africa to become free independent nations. When they became free, they faced many other problems such as poverty, lack of resources, etc. Economies and societies were handicapped for being under colonial rule for long periods.

As colonies, many of the less developed regions of the world had been part of Western empires. The policy of the Bretton Woods twins tilted more in favour of the developed nations of the Western world. Now, ironically, as newly independent countries facing urgent pressures to lift their populations out of poverty, they came under the guidance of international agencies dominated by the former colonial powers.

Therefore these colonies organised themselves as a group – the Group of 77 (or G-77) – to demand a new international economic order (NIEO). By the NIEO they meant a system that would give them real control over their natural resources, more development assistance, fairer prices for raw materials, and better access for their manufactured goods in developed countries’ markets.

 

                                                 Class 9th 

NCERT Solutions – Social Science History Unit 2

Exercise Page No. 48

1. What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before

1905?

Answer:

Social Condition:

Workers were a divided group. Some had strong links with the villages; others had settled permanently in cities. Workers were divided based on their skills. The division among workers reflected in their dress and manners too.

Economic Condition:

Most industries were the private property of industrialists. Government supervised large factories. The industry was found in pockets. Many factories were set up in the 1890s when Russia’s railway network was extended, foreign investment in industry increased, coal production had doubled, and iron and steel output quadrupled. Most industries were the private property of industrialists.

Political condition:

Russia was an autocracy. Unlike other European countries, The Tsar was not subject to a Parliament. Liberals in Russia campaigned to end this state of affairs.

Socialist Revolutionary Party struggled for Peasants rights

1905 was the year when the incident of ‘Bloody Sunday’ took place. 100 workers were killed, and about 300 were wounded. Bloody Sunday started a series of events that became known as the 1905 revolution.

2. In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917?

Answer:

The vast majority of Russia’s population were agriculturists. About 85 per cent of Russian empires population earned their living from Agriculture. This proportion was higher than in most European countries. In France and Germany, the proportion was between 40 per cent and 50 per cent. Cultivators produced for the market as well as for their own needs and Russia was a major exporter of grain.

3. Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Answer:

After 1905, most trade unions and factory committees were declared illegal. There were restrictions on political activity. The Tsar dismissed the first 2 Dumas very quickly because he did not want his authority and powers to be questioned. The third Duma was filled with Conservative politicians. During the 1st world war, the tsar started taking unilateral decisions without consulting the Duma. While Russian soldiers were retreating from the war, large swathes of agricultural lands were burnt and buildings destroyed by them on the orders of Tsar. Millions of soldiers have also died in the battle. The large majority of the population were peasants, and the land was under the control of a few private people. All these factors led to the rise of revolution and the collapse of Tsar autocracy.

4. Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution and the other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet history.

Answer:

Main events of February Revolution:

1. In February 1917, there was a shortage of food items in workers quarters.
2. On February 22, a lockout took place at a factory on the right bank. The workers in fifty factories called a strike and women played a very critical role in these strikes. This day went on to be named as International Women’s Day.
3. On February 25, the government suspended the Duma.
4. On February 27, Police headquarters were ransacked, people were demonstrating and raising slogans about bread, wages, better hours and democracy.
5. Petrograd Soviet was formed.
6. Tsar abdicated on March 2, Monarchy was formed in Feb 1917.
7. Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a Provisional Government to run the country.

Effects of the February Revolution:

1. Restrictions on public meetings and associations were removed.
2. ‘Soviets’ like the Petrograd Soviet, were set up everywhere, though no common system of election was followed.
3. The number of trade unions increased.
4. In Industrial areas, factory committees were formed to question the way industrialists ran their factories.
5. Soldiers committees were formed in the Army.
6. The Bolsheviks’ influence kept growing, and the provisional government saw its power reducing.
7. Land committees were formed to handle redistribution of land, which was a popular demand for peasants and their socialist revolutionary leaders in the countryside.

Main events of the October Revolution:

As the conflict between the provisional government and the Bolsheviks grew, Lenin feared the Provisional Government would set up a dictatorship. Lenin began discussions for an uprising against the government. Bolshevik supporters in the Army, Soviets and factories were brought together. On 16th October 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of power. A military revolutionary committee was appointed by the Soviet under Leon Trotsky to organize the seizure. The uprising began on 24th October 1917. Military men who were loyal to the government seized the buildings of two Bolshevik newspapers. Pro-Government troops were sent to take over telephone and telegraph offices and protect the Winter Palace. In retaliation, the Military Revolutionary Committee ordered its supporters to seize government offices and arrest ministers. A ship named Aurora bombed the Winter Palace, other ships sailed down the Neva and took over various military positions. By the end of the month, the city was under the control of committee and ministers had resigned. By December, Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow-Petrograd area.

Effects of the October Revolution.

1. Industries and banks were nationalised by November 1917; Government took over ownership and management.
2. The land was declared social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
3. In the cities, The Bolsheviks enforced the partition of large houses according to family requirements.
4. Old titles of the aristocracy were banned.
5. New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.
6. Bolshevik Party was renamed as the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik)
7. Bolsheviks conducted elections to the constituent assembly; however, they failed to attain the majority. The assembly rejected the Bolshevik measures, and Lenin dismissed the assembly.
8. All Russian Congress of Soviets became the Parliament of the country. Russia became a one-party state.
9. Trade unions were kept under party control. The Secret Police punished anyone who criticised the Bolsheviks. Many young artists and writers continued to support the Party, as it stood for Socialism.
10. Many experiments were done in Arts and Architecture. But many were unhappy because of the censorship.

5. What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution?

Answer:

1. Industries and banks were nationalised by November 1917; Government took over ownership and management.
2. The land was declared as a social property and peasants were allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
3. In the cities, Bolsheviks enforced the partition of large houses according to family requirements.
4. Old titles of the aristocracy were banned.
5. New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.
6. Bolshevik Party was renamed as the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik)
7. Bolsheviks conducted elections to the constituent assembly; however, they failed to attain the majority, Assembly rejected the Bolshevik measures, and Lenin dismissed the assembly.
8. All Russian Congress of Soviets became Parliament of the country. Russia became a one-party state.
9. Trade unions were kept under party control, the Secret Police punished anyone who criticised the Bolsheviks. Many young artists and writers continued to support the Party as it stood for Socialism.
10. Many experiments were done in Arts and Architecture. But many artists were unhappy because of the censorship.

6. Write a few lines to show what you know about:

Kulaks

Answer:

1. Wealthy peasants who Stalin believed were hoarding the grains to gain more profit.
2. When the towns faced acute shortage of grains, Kulaks were thought to be responsible behind it.
3. Stalin thought it was necessary to eliminate them so that farms could be modernised.

The Duma

Answer:

In 1905, Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma. The Tsar dismissed the first Duma within 75 days and re-elected the second Duma within three months. The Tsar did not want anyone to question his authority or undermine and reduce his powers. The Tsar changed the voting laws and packed the Third Duma with conservative politicians. Liberals and revolutionaries were kept out.

Women workers between 1900 and 1930

Answer:

1. Their wages were less than the wages of men.
2. They formed 31% of the factory workforce.

The Liberals

Answer:

1. They considered all religions as equal.
2. They believed only men who have property had the right to vote
3. They wanted an elected form of Parliamentary governance.

Stalin’s collectivisation programme.

Answer:

1. He began this program in 1929.
2. He believed this program would help in improving grain supplies.
3. All peasants were forced to cultivate in collective farms called ‘Kolkhoz’.
4. On the contrary, this worsened the food supply situation.

 

                             Nationalism in India

NCERT Solutions – Social Science History Chapter 2

Exercise Page No. 50

Write in Brief:

1. Explain:

a. Why the growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement.

Answer:

1. People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism.
2. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together.
3. But each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently. Their experiences were varied and their notions of freedom were not always the same. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to forge these groups together within one movement. But the unity did not emerge without conflict.

b. How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India.

Answer:

War created a new political and economic situation.

1. Led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes: custom duties were increased and income tax introduced.
2. Forced recruitment in villages caused widespread anger.
3. Crops failed; this resulted in an acute shortage of food.
4. 12 to 13 million people died due to famines and epidemics.

c. Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

Answer:

1. Rowlatt Act was introduced in 1919.
2. This act was hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council, although it was completely opposed by Indian members.
3. It had given the Government enormous powers to repress political activities.
4. It allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

d. Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Answer:

In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement. He felt the movement was turning violent in many places, and satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles.

2. What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?

Answer:

The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then the physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through nonviolence. This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. People – including the oppressors – had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, the truth was bound to triumph ultimately. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.

3. Write a newspaper report on

a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Answer:

On 13 April, the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place. On that day a large crowd was gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwalla Bagh. Some came to protest against the government’s new repressive measures. Others had come to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. Being from outside the city, many villagers were unaware of the martial law that had been imposed. Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds. His objective, as he declared later, was to ‘produce a moral effect’, in the minds of Satyagrahis. A feeling of terror and awe.

b) The Simon Commission

Answer:

When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back, Simon’. All parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated in the demonstrations. In an effort to win them over, the viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced in October 1929, a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India in an unspecified future, and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution. This did not satisfy the Congress leaders.

4. Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.

Answer:

Germania:

1. Symbol of Germany
2. The image was painted by Philip Veit in 1848.
3. Carrying a sword in one hand and flag in another hand
4. Germania is wearing a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism.

Bharat Mata:

1. Symbol of India
2. Painted by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905
3. Bharat is standing with a Trishul, standing beside a lion and elephant, symbols of power and authority.

Discuss

1. List all the different social groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.

Answer:

Below is the list of different social groups who joined the Non-Cooperation Movement and their struggles.

Middle-Class participation in cities:-

Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the Justice Party, the party of the non-Brahmans, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining some power – something that usually only Brahmans had access to. The effects of non-cooperation on the economic front were more dramatic. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed, and foreign cloth was burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade. As the boycott movement spread and people began discarding imported clothes and wearing only Indian ones, production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up. But this movement in the cities gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons. Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it. Similarly, the boycott of British institutions posed a problem. For the movement to be successful, alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place of the British ones. These were slow to come up. So students and teachers began trickling back to government schools and lawyers joined back work in government courts.

Peasants and Tribals:-

In Awadh, peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra – a sanyasi who had earlier been to Fiji as an indentured labourer. The movement here was against talukdars and landlords who demanded exorbitantly high rents and a variety of other cesses from peasants. Peasants had to do begar and work at landlords’ farms without any payment. As tenants, they had no security of tenure, being regularly evicted so that they could acquire no right over the leased land. The peasant movement demanded reduction of revenue, the abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords. In many places ‘nai-dhobi bandhs’ were organised by panchayats to deprive landlords of the services of barbers and washermen.

Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of swaraj in yet another way. In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, for instance, a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s – not a form of struggle that the Congress could approve. In other forest regions, the colonial government had closed large forest areas, preventing people from entering the forests to graze their cattle or to collect fuelwood and fruits. This enraged the hill people. Not only were their livelihoods affected, but they felt that their traditional rights were being denied. When the government began forcing them to contribute begar for road building, the hill people revolted.

Workers in the Plantations:-

Workers too had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of swaraj. For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed, and it meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission, and in fact, they were rarely given such permission. When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed home. They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages. They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.

2. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.

Answer:

Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31 January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Some of these were of general interest; others were specific demands of different classes, from industrialists to peasants. The idea was to make the demands wide-ranging so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi declared, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.

Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers. The march was over 240 miles, from Gandhiji’s ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. The volunteers walked for 24 days, about 10 miles a day. Thousands came to hear Mahatma Gandhi wherever he stopped, and he told them what he meant by Swaraj and urged them to peacefully defy the British. On 6 April he reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling seawater.

Thousands in different parts of the country broke the salt law, manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories. As the movement spread, the foreign cloth was boycotted, and liquor shops were picketed. Peasants refused to pay revenue and chowkidar taxes, village officials resigned, and in many places, forest people violated forest laws – going into Reserved Forests to collect wood and graze cattle.

3. Imagine you are a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain what the experience meant to your life.

Answer:

Students are advised to put themselves in the shoes of women and share the experience.

4. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?

Answer:

Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits. When the British government conceded Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. He believed that separate electorates for Dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s position, and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was willing to give up the demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in the Muslim-dominated provinces (Bengal and Punjab). Negotiations over the question of representation continued, but all hope of resolving the issue at the All Parties Conference in 1928 disappeared when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed efforts at compromise.