Tsar Nicholas II faced many problems.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] This war led to Bloody Sunday where an end to the war was one of the demands.
2. [1] It was one of the causes of the 1905 revolution.
3. [1] It increased criticism of the Tsar's rule of Russia.
4. [1] Soldiers returning from the war protested.
5. [1] There were naval mutinies at Sevastopol and aboard the battleship Potemkin.
6. [1] It led to reforms of the Russian army.
7. [1] It led to the rise of Japan as a great power.
8. [1] It was a great blow to Russian pride and prestige.
9. [6] Bloody Sunday was important because it served as a major catalyst for the 1905 Revolution and profoundly changed the Russian people's perception of the Tsar. In January 1905, peaceful protestors marching to present a petition for reforms were fired upon by soldiers, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. This event shattered the long-held belief that the Tsar was a benevolent 'father' figure who cared for his people. The brutal repression sparked widespread unrest, leading to further mutinies (like on the battleship Potemkin) and protests, marking a critical turning point that severely undermined the Tsar's authority and set the stage for his eventual downfall in 1917.
10. [1] It was important because it started the 1905 revolution.
11. [1] Hundreds of people were killed by the Tsar's soldiers and many more wounded.
12. [1] It led to the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin.
13. [1] It led to people no longer trusting the Tsar.
14. [1] It was the first step to the eventual downfall of the Tsar.
15. [10] One might not be surprised that the Tsar managed to remain in power until 1917 because he used a combination of repression and limited reforms. The October Manifesto promised a Duma and other reforms, satisfying many. Stolypin's reforms, such as allowing peasants to leave communes and buy land, helped pacify rural areas, while his ruthless suppression of unrest through martial law maintained firm control. These measures, along with the Fundamental Laws of 1906, helped the Tsar regain authority. OR One might be very surprised that the Tsar managed to remain in power until 1917. He frequently reneged on his promised reforms, often dissolving the Duma when it challenged him and packing it with Tsarists. The Fundamental Laws of 1906 restored much of his autocratic power, and the brutal Okhrana (secret police) was widely hated. These actions made him unpopular. His disastrous decision to enter World War I further weakened his position, leading to severe food shortages and military defeats that ultimately made his survival until 1917 remarkable.
16. [1] Stolypin kept the Tsar in power by using repression.
17. [1] Reforms like those in the October Manifesto helped to satisfy many people.
18. [1] The peasants were won over by reforms letting them buy their own land.
19. [1] He managed to stay in power by using his secret police to deal with any opposition.
20. [1] The Fundamental Laws of 1906 helped the Tsar regain control.
21. [1] The Tsar went back on many of his reforms.
22. [1] The Tsar's use of the Okhrana was very unpopular.
23. [1] Russian defeats in the First World War made the Tsar very unpopular.