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Russia - Change or Continiuity

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Russia - Change or Continiuity
Amy Stirling
Russia Essay - High Grade C , nearly B - use for revision

There was more change than continuity in the ways in which Russia was ruled in the period 1855 to 1964? To what extent do you agree with this view?
While in theory , the manner in which Russia was ruled undertook a considerable overhaul following the 1917 revolution . In reality the Country was governed with the Tsar and general security remaining as the ultimate authority with no real development occurring. Methods of oppression , propaganda and abusing civil rights were paramount in the rulings of all of the leaders be it Tsar or Communist. The largest change in the way in which Russia was ruled can be seen in the changing economy moving from open trade in the 1800's to the strict state capitalism of the 1900's. However few reforms had a direct impact in the way Russia was ruled thus meaning there was more continuity than change in the period 1855 to 1964.
A key tool used to effectively rule Russia was that of censorship. As it allowed for the complete control and indoctrination of the people , with each leader adopting a different approach in the implementation . While initially censorship appears as a mere continuation as it was used by all six leaders , it is in fact a change as the level of use , alters throughout the period. The most lenient ruling was under Alexander II , Nicholas II and Khrushchev as they all adopted ' glasnost' ie free publication with no strict rules to abide by. Similarly under Nicholas II and Khrushchev there was an expansion of the press , with twice the amount of books being in circulation during the 1890's then there was in the 20's. Comparisons can be made between the way Alexander II , Lenin and Stalin used censorship to aid their ruling of Russia , all three clamped down on publications , with all press freedoms abolished. Lenin and Stalin continued in the same vein and had punishments in place for anyone who produced work which presented their regime

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