Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on “The Russian Revolution (1917) – World History”

1. The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the overthrow of which ruling dynasty?

• a) Romanov
• b) Habsburg
• c) Bourbon
• d) Ottoman
• Answer: a) Romanov

2. Who was the last Tsar of Russia before the Russian Revolution?

• a) Nicholas I
• b) Alexander III
• c) Nicholas II
• d) Peter the Great
• Answer: c) Nicholas II

3. The February Revolution of 1917 primarily took place in which city?

• a) Moscow
• b) St. Petersburg (Petrograd)
• c) Kiev
• d) Odessa
• Answer: b) St. Petersburg (Petrograd)

4. Which political group led the October Revolution of 1917?

• a) Mensheviks
• b) Bolsheviks
• c) Socialist Revolutionaries
• d) Kadets
• Answer: b) Bolsheviks

5. Who was the leader of the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution?

• a) Leon Trotsky
• b) Joseph Stalin
• c) Vladimir Lenin
• d) Grigori Rasputin
• Answer: c) Vladimir Lenin

6. The slogan “Peace, Land, and Bread” is associated with which political leader?

• a) Joseph Stalin
• b) Alexander Kerensky
• c) Vladimir Lenin
• d) Leon Trotsky
• Answer: c) Vladimir Lenin

7. Which event is considered the immediate cause of the February Revolution in 1917?

• a) The assassination of Rasputin
• b) Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War
• c) Bread riots in Petrograd
• d) The Bloody Sunday massacre
• Answer: c) Bread riots in Petrograd

8. The Provisional Government, established after the February Revolution, was led by which individual?

• a) Vladimir Lenin
• b) Alexander Kerensky
• c) Leon Trotsky
• d) Joseph Stalin
• Answer: b) Alexander Kerensky

9. What was the main reason for the decline in support for the Provisional Government?

• a) Failure to withdraw from World War I
• b) Implementation of land reforms
• c) Alliance with the Bolsheviks
• d) Economic prosperity
• Answer: a) Failure to withdraw from World War I

10. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed in 1918, was an agreement between Soviet Russia and which country?

• a) France
• b) Germany
• c) United Kingdom
• d) Japan
• Answer: b) Germany

11. Which of the following groups was NOT part of the Russian Revolution?

• a) Bolsheviks
• b) Mensheviks
• c) White Army
• d) Fascists
• Answer: d) Fascists

12. The Red Army, the military force of the Bolsheviks, was founded by which leader?

• a) Vladimir Lenin
• b) Leon Trotsky
• c) Joseph Stalin
• d) Alexander Kerensky
• Answer: b) Leon Trotsky

13. What was the main outcome of the October Revolution of 1917?

• a) Establishment of a Provisional Government
• b) Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II
• c) Seizure of power by the Bolsheviks
• d) Execution of the Romanov family
• Answer: c) Seizure of power by the Bolsheviks

14. The Russian Civil War, which followed the revolution, was primarily fought between:

• a) Reds and Whites
• b) Reds and Blues
• c) Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
• d) Communists and Fascists
• Answer: a) Reds and Whites

15. The Soviets were:

• a) Workers’ and soldiers’ councils
• b) Members of the nobility
• c) Secret police forces
• d) Russian capitalists
• Answer: a) Workers’ and soldiers’ councils

16. Which foreign countries intervened in the Russian Civil War in support of the White Army?

• a) United States and Japan
• b) Germany and Italy
• c) France and the United Kingdom
• d) China and Japan
• Answer: c) France and the United Kingdom

17. The Bolsheviks changed the name of Russia to what after the revolution?

• a) Russian Empire
• b) Soviet Union (USSR)
• c) Russian Federation
• d) United Socialist Republic
• Answer: b) Soviet Union (USSR)

18. The Cheka, established by the Bolsheviks, was the:

• a) Workers’ union
• b) Communist party
• c) Secret police
• d) Red Army
• Answer: c) Secret police

19. Which economic policy was introduced by Lenin in 1921 to stabilize the Soviet economy?

• a) New Economic Policy (NEP)
• b) War Communism
• c) Five-Year Plan
• d) Collectivization
• Answer: a) New Economic Policy (NEP)

20. The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II occurred in which month of 1917?

• a) February
• b) March
• c) October
• d) December
• Answer: b) March

21. The Decree on Land, issued by Lenin, aimed to:

• a) Nationalize all industries
• b) Redistribute land to the peasants
• c) Rebuild the Russian army
• d) End Russia’s involvement in World War I
• Answer: b) Redistribute land to the peasants

22. Which of the following best describes “War Communism”?

• a) A policy of limited market reforms
• b) A period of intense civil war
• c) The Bolshevik policy of centralizing the economy during the Civil War
• d) An agreement between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
• Answer: c) The Bolshevik policy of centralizing the economy during the Civil War

23. Lenin’s theory of a “vanguard party” emphasized:

• a) The role of a small, disciplined party to lead the revolution
• b) The importance of widespread peasant support
• c) The need for parliamentary democracy
• d) The necessity of alliance with bourgeoisie
• Answer: a) The role of a small, disciplined party to lead the revolution

24. The Kronstadt Rebellion in 1921 was significant because it was:

• a) A protest by the Red Army
• b) A mutiny by sailors against Bolshevik policies
• c) An uprising by peasants against land collectivization
• d) A revolt by factory workers
• Answer: b) A mutiny by sailors against Bolshevik policies

25. Who succeeded Lenin as the leader of the Soviet Union?

• a) Leon Trotsky
• b) Joseph Stalin
• c) Nikita Khrushchev
• d) Mikhail Gorbachev
• Answer: b) Joseph Stalin

26. The Russian Revolution inspired revolutionary movements in which other country?

• a) France
• b) China
• c) United Kingdom
• d) Japan
• Answer: b) China

27. The term “Bolshevik” means:

• a) Minority
• b) Majority
• c) Revolutionaries
• d) Peasants
• Answer: b) Majority

28. The murder of which mystic figure was believed to have contributed to the downfall of the Romanovs?

• a) Leon Trotsky
• b) Grigori Rasputin
• c) Felix Yusupov
• d) Vladimir Lenin
• Answer: b) Grigori Rasputin

29. The Petrograd Soviet played a key role in the revolution. What was it?

• a) A local government body
• b) A council of workers and soldiers
• c) The secret police
• d) The royal family’s advisory council
• Answer: b) A council of workers and soldiers

30. The immediate effect of the Russian Revolution was:

• a) The rise of socialism in Russia
• b) The defeat of Germany in World War I
• c) The spread of democracy in Europe
• d) The formation of the United Nations
• Answer: a) The rise of socialism in Russia

These questions cover the key events, figures, policies, and outcomes of the Russian Revolution of 1917, providing a comprehensive overview of this significant historical period.