Rev's Exam Help Thread

[mypurpleundercracka]

Thought id bring this rev's forum back to life and follow the example of other subjects were we can make a thread to help each other out and ask each other questions if we need to. Aside from that, how is everyone going in there revision? personally ive been doing some past exam questions to start with from French Rev

[haneybee]

for your revision are you just using practice exam questions from past papers?

I'm attempting to do the same as you... but I'm still finding historiography the most challenging part, especially as there's no certainty as to what type of document/visual we'll get. =SS

I think it's unfortunate that the essay questions aren't broad this year and we only get one for each Rev... it's a bit restricting...

[Amnesiac]

I found that making a timeline was a great method of study for Revs. You can do it in addition to competing exam papers and collecting and applying historians perspectives. If you are doing one of the harder Revolutions such as China or France, it can be particularly helpful in getting your head around what happened and when it happened.

[kendraaaaa]

Timelines are good, mindmaps are better! Haha

I think a good question to talk about is whether or not the French revolution was a 'peoples tragedy' or not. I think that labelling the rev in that manner is too short-sighted. The achievements of the rev greatly outweight (in my opinion) the deaths under the Terror.

other opinions?

[mypurpleundercracka]

Timelines are good, mindmaps are better! Haha

I think a good question to talk about is whether or not the French revolution was a 'peoples tragedy' or not. I think that labelling the rev in that manner is too short-sighted. The achievements of the rev greatly outweight (in my opinion) the deaths under the Terror.

other opinions?

McPhee couldnt have put it better himself.

30,000 out of 30 mill killed in the terror is nothing. According to McPhee the achievements of the rev (i.e. Constitution of 93, abolishment of Code Noir, right to insurrection) --> overshadow and are worth more than the terror

But then you got old idiots like Schama, who just talk about "violence being the motor of the rev". Seems every quote from this old pom is about bloodshed, nothing positive from him.

Doyle and and old Frenchies --> Robespierre = SATAN. "We cannot assume the revolution is a turn for the better"

BUT in the end what did the rev achieve?

In April 1795 --> san-culottes who had been at the forefront of the rev nearly had the suburb of Saint-Antoine destroyed coz they demanded "fraternite" and the return of the Constitution of 1793. You also have to consider the Marxist perspective of a bourgeois revolution which I agree with, look at the gerrymandering of the electoral roles in 95' (only for property owners and "active citizens") for the "better sort of people"

[mypurpleundercracka]

^^^

will be adding more soon, thats all from the top of mi head haha

[polky]

Timelines are good, mindmaps are better! Haha

I think a good question to talk about is whether or not the French revolution was a 'peoples tragedy' or not. I think that labelling the rev in that manner is too short-sighted. The achievements of the rev greatly outweight (in my opinion) the deaths under the Terror.

other opinions?

What achievements of the revolution are you referring to? I wouldn't say that it "greatly outweighed", I think the peasants and workers suffered the most throughout the revolution and emerged from it just a bit better, but not totally. 

My facts are hazy (since I haven't covered this at all since last year), but I think that the Constitution of Year III was essentially a bourgeois constitution.  It protected the property rights of the bourgeoisie, and outlawed gatherings of workers  - the direct democracy that the workers desired was not granted.  Considering that it was the action of the people that actually pushed the revolution forward, and that it was commoners like peasants and workers who were the majority of those killed in the terror, how much exactly did the people gain from it all?  Yes, they got freedom of press and speech (not association!), but they still had to pay taxes and had no real political power.

That's my point of view... poor peasants will always be oppressed and worse off   As long as you have good evidence to support your points, it doesn't matter what stand you take!

Historiography is the worst, but also the most rewarding in terms of marks (you get more for quoting historians, of course).  Just try to get a general feel of what each historian is talking about.  I remembered quotes according to each event, and I made sure I remembered conflicting quotes from different historians so that I could present both points and seem like I thoroughly considered the issue at hand!

[kendraaaaa]

What achievements of the revolution are you referring to?

Off the top of my head the abolishment of feudalism, privilege, and so forth. Both maximalist and minimalist perspectives on the achievements of the rev are equally easy to argue for. A lot of good shit happened and a lot of bad shit happened haha.                    

For the russian though i'd definately take a 'peoples tragedy' stance. There is a lot more to discuss for this perspective than the maximalist.

[mypurpleundercracka]

What achievements of the revolution are you referring to?

Off the top of my head the abolishment of feudalism, privilege, and so forth. Both maximalist and minimalist perspectives on the achievements of the rev are equally easy to argue for. A lot of good shit happened and a lot of bad shit happened haha.                     

For the russian though i'd definately take a 'peoples tragedy' stance. There is a lot more to discuss for this perspective than the maximalist.

but in the words of Chris Hill the revolution "abolished a regime of despair and created a new world of hope" 

[kendraaaaa]

Where was the hope? Stalin from what I've heard wasn't the friendliest of 20th century politicians.

[mypurpleundercracka]

Where was the hope? Stalin from what I've heard wasn't the friendliest of 20th century politicians.

lol im being sarcastic, new regime carried out "democide" as political scientists point out, despite its good intentions --> "marked a reversion to the autocratic practices of tsarist Russia"

[kendraaaaa]

I hoped you were, e-sarcasm is a bitch to pick up haha.

i should of countered you with a pipes lenin-is-satan quote. don't you just love blindly biased historians. haha

[mypurpleundercracka]

I hoped you were, e-sarcasm is a bitch to pick up haha.

i should of countered you with a pipes lenin-is-satan quote. don't you just love blindly biased historians. haha

ROFL according to Pipes "Lenin and Trotsky's main concern was to hold onto power where as Nicholas genuinely cared for Russia"

[Trent]

Pipes was my favourite historian last year, out of the two revolutions. Even though he is biased, I still used him a lot lol
I read his book on the Russian Revolution, loved it!

[mypurpleundercracka]

anyone got any exams apart from the VCAA past ones? ive only managed to obtain insight 09