Explaining History

Why did the Czar decide to risk it all and go to war? What were the consequences for Russia? The Russian Army outnumbered the Germans by nearly two and a half to one, but was dealt some of the most disastrous defeats in the history of warfare, World War One was the test of the Russian Autocracy, and the Czar's government's weaknesses were exposed.

Was Britain really undergoing radical social and cultural change in the 1960s? There is plenty of evidence that something was changing, but what was it? Many people look on the 1960s as actually quite a conservative time, what do you think the evidence shows?

How had the Russian Civil War affected Russia? The was had devastated the country and killed over ten million Russians, and it produced three crises for Lenin to deal with. His solution was to veer away from communism and to use immense violence to crush opposition.

The effect of the collapse of Germany in 1918 and the armistice was to bewilder a nation that believed in ultimate victory. As the German Army marched back to the Reich, appearing undefeated, many ordinary Germans looked to more radical voices for explanations.

What part did Nicholas II play in the collapse of Czarism in 1917, here's a quick look at his background, ideas and mentality.

Why Did Russia explode into violence and revolution in 1917? This series of podcasts explores the long term causes of the revolution, starting off with an examination of the vast bulk of the population, the peasants. Ideal for GCSE or A level students.

Nicholas II

This podcast examines the long term causes of the crash throughout the 1920s. A quick summary ideal for students. The Wall Street Crash: Key things to remember 1) The 1920s are not all they appear, there is poverty in a time of plenty 2)Mass production carried with it problems of over production and under consumption 3)Farming was in crisis after World War One 4)The get rich quick attitude was powerful and prevalent in America and led to a naive optimism in the stock market as a means to easy and endless wealth The crisis becomes a depression because of the wrong kind of economic medicine administered by Hoover and his Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon