1. Group essay - Anna, Olivia R, Nura
How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Group essay - Anna, Olivia R, Nura

2. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Slides are reminders of how to write intros, paragraphs and conclusions.
In your group you need to write an introduction, 4 middle paragraphs and a conclusion for this essay.
First of all you need to decide what are going to be the subjects of your 4 main paragraphs as well as your overall line of argument (This is especially important for the person writing the introduction)
The first one will obviously be on the Russian war economy (as this is the stated factor in the question). You could do a second paragraph on this if you felt it was necessary plus 3 other paragraphs.
In the space below write down the other paragraph headings and the name of the student responsible for this paragraph.
P1 - war economy/militarisation of society
P2 - reorganisation of the army (anna)
P3 - weaknesses of the germans (olivia)
P4 - home front e.g. nationalisation, propaganda (nura)
Now you need to decide who is going to be responsible for each part of the essay. NOTE: the person highlighted in bold on slide 1 should write the introduction.
When the middle paragraphs are completed each paragraph must be checked by a member of the group.
Finally - Each member of the the group needs to write their own conclusion to the question. (There is a conclusion slide for each member)

3. How can you write a great introduction?
Top Tips!
Set the scene… by introducing the people or events referred to in the question.
Attack the question… by giving a short, clear answer using the language of the question.
Outline your argument… by listing the main point you will cover in your answer.
Question: How far do you agree that the First World War was mainly responsible for the February Revolution of 1917? (30 marks)
The February Revolution of 1917 was an unplanned series of strikes, demonstrations and army mutinies that ultimately led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, ending three hundred years of Romanov rule in Russia. The the First World War was mainly responsible the outbreak of the February Revolution. However, there were other factors that collectively played an equally important role, such as social and economic problems, the actions of Rasputin, the defection of the armed forces and the incompetence of Nicholas II.

4. How can you write a great paragraph?
Question: How far do you agree that Sergei Witte’s policies were successful in modernising the Russian economy in the period ? (30 marks)
The most significant way that Witte modernised the Russian economy was through the development of the country’s infrastructure. For example, Witte invested heavily in the building of railways, with 110,000 miles of track being laid between 1881 and This included the 3,750 miles of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which opened in 1902 and stretched from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. This helped to modernise the Russian economy by allowing the transport of raw materials from Siberia in the east to the factories in the west. It also facilitated the migration of workers from the countryside to the cities and promoted internal trade. However, it should also be noted that some argue the railways promised more than they delivered, with stretches of the Trans-Siberian Railway still incomplete in 1914 and little evidence to support the idea that the railways had a great impact on the movement of workers. In spite of these criticisms, the development of Russian infrastructure offered the long-term potential for industrial development, so did help to modernise the Russian economy to an extent.
Top Tips!
Point… Introduce your point clearly at the beginning of the paragraph. You can often use the words of the question to help you do this.
Evidence… Provide detailed and specific evidence or examples to support your point.
Explanation… Explain how the evidence you have given proves your point.
However… Evaluate your point by briefly giving the counter argument that might be made to it.
Link… Make a clear link back to the question at the end of every paragraph.

5. How can you write a great conclusion?
Top Tips!
Signpost your conclusion… by starting the paragraph with the phrase ‘In conclusion’.
Summarise your argument… by listing the points you have covered in your answer.
Consider significance… by clearly stating which of your points is the most significant and explaining your choice.
Question: How far do you agree that the First World War was mainly responsible for the February Revolution of 1917? (30 marks)
In conclusion, there were a number of factors responsible for the February Revolution of 1917, including the impact of the First World War, social and economic problems, the actions of Rasputin, defections in the the army and the incompetence of Nicholas II. I think the most significant reason was the impact of the First World War because this exacerbated the existing social and economic problems, emphasised the Tsar’s incompetence and eroded the loyalty of the Russian Army.

6. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Top Tips!
Set the scene… by introducing the people or events referred to in the question.
Attack the question… by giving a short, clear answer using the language of the question.
Outline your argument… by listing the main point you will cover in your answer.
Russia’s win in World War Two was due to many reasons, both their achievements and other’s failures.When Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack on Russia in 1941, it seemed clear they had an advantage. However, by 1944, the Russians had overpowered German forces, and a year later won the war. Russia’s hugely successful war economy was a large contributing factor in the winning of the war in However, there were other factors that were more important than this for Russia’s victory, mainly the reorganisation of the army. Other reasons included the weakness of the German army, the Home Front in Russia and the rise of nationalism and Lend-Lease, the agreement between America and Russia to aid Russia in the war.

7. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
The Russian war economy was deeply successful: it meant Russia was better prepared for the war than it’s allies, due mainly to the success of the Five Year Plans. For example, Russia had devoted 56% of it’s income to the war effort in 1942, which meant that they could spend money on technology such as tanks. Their increased artillery meant that the Russians were better suited to fight Germany because, when compared to their German opponents, their economy was more effective and they therefore had a better chance of winning. Alongside this, Russia’s war economy was supported by America and their lend-lease. Lend-lease was critical in terms of food and transport, which meant that soldiers had better living conditions and were better suited for a victory. However, lend-lease only attributed to 2% of Russia’s artillery, showing the effectiveness of Russia’s war economy without American aid. As such we see that Russia’s war economy aided the soldiers in a way that meant they could fight against Germany effectively.
Top Tips!
Point… Introduce your point clearly at the beginning of the paragraph. You can often use the words of the question to help you do this.
Evidence… Provide detailed and specific evidence or examples to support your point.
Explanation… Explain how the evidence you have given proves your point.
However… Evaluate your point by briefly giving the counter argument that might be made to it.
Link… Make a clear link back to the question at the end of every paragraph.

8. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Top Tips!
Point… Introduce your point clearly at the beginning of the paragraph. You can often use the words of the question to help you do this.
Evidence… Provide detailed and specific evidence or examples to support your point.
Explanation… Explain how the evidence you have given proves your point.
However… Evaluate your point by briefly giving the counter argument that might be made to it.
Link… Make a clear link back to the question at the end of every paragraph.
Throughout the war, Stalin reorganised the army so that bravery and resilience were boosted within the army. He did this through congratulating successful members of the army and instilling order to the army. Medals, for example, played a vital role in this, as they rewarded military professional. Eleven million medals were awarded between 1941 and These medals were given to the soldiers within a few days of them being earned. This would have increased morale and nationalism, like propaganda would have done. After 1917, the titles in the army such as ‘officer’ were abolished. However, in July 1943, this term was brought back. This developed a new confidence in the soldiers and produced stable military professionals who could keep the soldiers in order. On the other hand, having military commanders and returning to the Tsarist ideology would have opposed the idea of communism, which would have been unpopular with radical communists. Yet if Stalin hadn’t done this, the army would not have been led effectively. Reorganising the army was vital as it made them more efficient and allowed them to fight the German army who were in fact unorganised and lacked direction.

9. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Top Tips!
Point… Introduce your point clearly at the beginning of the paragraph. You can often use the words of the question to help you do this.
Evidence… Provide detailed and specific evidence or examples to support your point.
Explanation… Explain how the evidence you have given proves your point.
However… Evaluate your point by briefly giving the counter argument that might be made to it.
Link… Make a clear link back to the question at the end of every paragraph.
The Nazis had began preparing for war since 1933 and therefore victory seemed inevitable, however, it was the capitalising on Nazi mistakes which lead to Russian victory. Head of Nazi economics was Goering, of whom insisted that living standards were to be kept high which had huge consequences on the production of war materials, for example for much of the war, Germany produced less than 1,000 aircraft a month and therefore was a contributing factor towards the victory of Russian army. Hitler then sent troops to conquer Stalingrad and Ukraine before occupying Leningrad and Moscow, therefore overestimating Nazi capabilities of occupying and conquering land which therefore gave an opening for Russian troops to defeat the Nazis. However, the element of surprise as the Nazis invaded Russia in June 1942, did leave Russia unarmed and unable to defend itself as well as they had done in later years which highlighted a weakness of Russian troops. Nevertheless, the weakness of the German army including factors such as low war production and overstretching troops, leading to heavy defeats to the Russian army, ultimately were one of the main reasons for Russian victory in WW2.

10. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Top Tips!
Point… Introduce your point clearly at the beginning of the paragraph. You can often use the words of the question to help you do this.
Evidence… Provide detailed and specific evidence or examples to support your point.
Explanation… Explain how the evidence you have given proves your point.
However… Evaluate your point by briefly giving the counter argument that might be made to it.
Link… Make a clear link back to the question at the end of every paragraph.
Another relevant factor that aided the Russian victory in the war was the attitude of citizens on the home front. Stalin appealed to Russia’s sense of nationalism and encouraged people to fight for their ‘Motherland’. He recognised the fact that people would not be eager to fight for socialism because of the negative impact it had on living standards, and many were negatively affected by the Great Terror. Having soldiers fight for Russia instead of for Communism meant that they had a boosted morale, and emphasised the fact that Germans were a foreign enemy instead of an ideological one. Further, those on the home front showed exceptional endurance of citizens, for example when Leningrad was under siege for nine hundred days but never surrendered. This supported the Russian victory as it meant people had a boosted morale, a similar effect to when Stalin reorganised the army, and as such more reason to fight against Germany. However while citizens were nationalistic there were still poor living conditions, for instance a 70-hour working week. Despite this, the positive and nationalistic attitude that citizens in Russia had meant that people were motivated to fight for the ‘Great Patriotic War’.

11. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Conclusion (Anna):
In conclusion, Russia’s war economy was successful and contributed to the Russian victory in WW2 but there were also many other reasons, such as the ‘Lend-Lease’ agreement, Stalin’s Reorganisation of the army, the weakness of the German military and the nationalism present throughout the Home Front. However, the most important and therefore most significant factor in Russia’s victory in WW2 was Stalin’s reorganisation of the army, which made the army more regimented and inspired to win the war in the name of their ‘motherland’, Russia.
Top Tips!
Signpost your conclusion… by starting the paragraph with the phrase ‘In conclusion’.
Summarise your argument… by listing the points you have covered in your answer.
Consider significance… by clearly stating which of your points is the most significant and explaining your choice.

12. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Conclusion (Olivia):
To conclude, I feel Russian victory was a result of many different factors such as the weakness of the German army and how Russian troops capitalised on these mistakes, the impact the war had on the home front and how Russians were needed to protect their ‘Motherland’ and the reorganizing of the Russian army. I therefore feel that the most significant factor which contributed to Russian victory was the effective reorganisation of the Russian army, soldiers were given incentives which lead to a boost in morale and therefore made them more effective at defeating the Nazis.
Top Tips!
Signpost your conclusion… by starting the paragraph with the phrase ‘In conclusion’.
Summarise your argument… by listing the points you have covered in your answer.
Consider significance… by clearly stating which of your points is the most significant and explaining your choice.

13. How far do you agree that the Russian war economy was the main reason for Russian victory in WW2?
Conclusion (Nura):
To conclude, the success of the Russian army in World War Two was due to multiple factors, for example: war economy and lend-lease; the weakness of the German army and the nationalism present on the home front. However the primary factor for the Russian victory was Stalin’s reorganisation of the army, not the success of the war economy which was only somewhat responsible for the victor. It not only boosted morale and made the army more effective, it also regimented the soldiers and made them more efficient, which therefore enabled the Russian’s to win the war.
Top Tips!
Signpost your conclusion… by starting the paragraph with the phrase ‘In conclusion’.
Summarise your argument… by listing the points you have covered in your answer.
Consider significance… by clearly stating which of your points is the most significant and explaining your choice.