VCE History: Revolutions Exam Discussion and Questions

[Cactus Jack x Huncho]

this exam was completely messed up, they fucked over all of us, particularly who did China for section A and Russia for section B. There was nowhere to hide, we were beaten and they insisted on beating us even more! I'm annoyed because they completely disregarded the most important bits for small, useless ones. Who cares about Mao's wife? Never studied that in class! And the bloody women part for russia, they threw out things like NEP, Civil War etc. Man, f those vcaa people, they are useless and like seeing our young minds burn and ache.

Anyway, im frusrated as ever but for Section A, whatd did people write for Mao's wife and purpose of Great Leap Forward questions? Also, Id like some insight on the Russia essay points and part c, on women's experiences in the new regime. Thanks but this exam was too hard, they thought we were some uni professors, man f the vcaa!!

[khal.ae]

I definitely agree that Russia section A was a bit...interesting. I read the question and automatically went 'nope', and did section A on France.
What did you do besides Russia?

I did French for section B. The essay question gave you plenty of room to talk about basically anything and the source analysis was pretty easy because I predicted Lafayette was going to be on the exam because he's in both area of studies as a significant individual

[TheCommando]

ikr why the fk would u ignore important asoects of the revolugion for usless small events
In the previous exams like 2015 they asked about the soviets and PG and the enlightenment not some bs that is small and hardlty no one even reads because it has little impact on the revolution

[Sam M]

this exam was completely messed up, they fucked over all of us, particularly who did China for section A and Russia for section B. There was nowhere to hide, we were beaten and they insisted on beating us even more! I'm annoyed because they completely disregarded the most important bits for small, useless ones. Who cares about Mao's wife? Never studied that in class! And the bloody women part for russia, they threw out things like NEP, Civil War etc. Man, f those vcaa people, they are useless and like seeing our young minds burn and ache.

Anyway, im frusrated as ever but for Section A, whatd did people write for Mao's wife and purpose of Great Leap Forward questions? Also, Id like some insight on the Russia essay points and part c, on women's experiences in the new regime. Thanks but this exam was too hard, they thought we were some uni professors, man f the vcaa!!

Yep, I'm a bit annoyed that the sources for Russia were on such specific areas of the study design. All that work I did for individuals, Kronstadt, Nep, war communism and what seems like the major parts of the Russian rev weren't featured. I'm lucky that I did a few notes on women in Russia the other day 'just in case'...

[TheCommando]

I did French for section B. The essay question gave you plenty of room to talk about basically anything and the source analysis was pretty easy because I predicted Lafayette was going to be on the exam because he's in both area of studies as a significant individual

I had to skip that since if i did that i would have to do section a WHICH INVOLVED 20 MARKS FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES GROUPS.......WTF but i did well for french section a  and the essay question for section b

[Sam M]

I did French for section B. The essay question gave you plenty of room to talk about basically anything and the source analysis was pretty easy because I predicted Lafayette was going to be on the exam because he's in both area of studies as a significant individual

Its funny, for our trial exam our teacher made a similar source analysis question on Lafayette (AoS2) to remind us he was in both areas of study for France. So I think that helped a few people in my class.

I had to skip that since if i did that i would have to do section a WHICH INVOLVED 20 MARKS FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES GROUPS.......WTF but i did well for french section a  and the essay question for section b

Yep...same.

[kelsey.jobe]

this exam was completely messed up, they fucked over all of us, particularly who did China for section A and Russia for section B. There was nowhere to hide, we were beaten and they insisted on beating us even more! I'm annoyed because they completely disregarded the most important bits for small, useless ones. Who cares about Mao's wife? Never studied that in class! And the bloody women part for russia, they threw out things like NEP, Civil War etc. Man, f those vcaa people, they are useless and like seeing our young minds burn and ache.

Anyway, im frusrated as ever but for Section A, whatd did people write for Mao's wife and purpose of Great Leap Forward questions? Also, Id like some insight on the Russia essay points and part c, on women's experiences in the new regime. Thanks but this exam was too hard, they thought we were some uni professors, man f the vcaa!!

Mao's wife really screwed me over. Genuinely, anything but her would have been so nice, but of course it's something that's almost irrelevant

[khal.ae]

I had to skip that since if i did that i would have to do section a WHICH INVOLVED 20 MARKS FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES GROUPS.......WTF but i did well for french section a  and the essay question for section b

Hahaha yeah the national minorities question was so fucked.  It wasn't even on the study design but I ended up choosing to do it because section B for Russian was about women, something I didn't cover at all

[K888]

this exam was completely messed up, they fucked over all of us, particularly who did China for section A and Russia for section B. There was nowhere to hide, we were beaten and they insisted on beating us even more! I'm annoyed because they completely disregarded the most important bits for small, useless ones. Who cares about Mao's wife? Never studied that in class! And the bloody women part for russia, they threw out things like NEP, Civil War etc. Man, f those vcaa people, they are useless and like seeing our young minds burn and ache.

Anyway, im frusrated as ever but for Section A, whatd did people write for Mao's wife and purpose of Great Leap Forward questions? Also, Id like some insight on the Russia essay points and part c, on women's experiences in the new regime. Thanks but this exam was too hard, they thought we were some uni professors, man f the vcaa!!

Although I don't know the exact questions asked (someone please provide if you have a copy of the exam!), whilst probably challenging questions, they're not unreasonable. VCAA need to challenge you in the exam to separate those who know their content really well and can adapt their knowledge to answer a question, and those who have perhaps memorised a few things but don't properly know how to use their knowledge.

Mao's wife (I'm assuming we're talking about Jiang Qing? He did have a fair few wives haha) played an important role in the Cultural Revolution (she was one of the members of the Central Cultural Revolution Group), and is one of the key people that is listed in the study design If you didn't study her in class, that might be an issue you should take up with your teacher. Definitely examinable content.

Again, without knowing the question - the purpose of the Great Leap Forward was Mao's tactic to revolutionise the Chinese economy - whilst good results had been obtained in heavy industry in the First Five Year Plan, the agricultural industry was floundering. The Second Five Year Plan and Mao's Twelve Year Agricultural Plan were incorporated into the GLF, and Mao also saw it as a way to transition from socialism to communism.
With any question to do with the GLF, you need to discuss the People's Communes - they were how Mao was going to improve agriculture, and the establishment of the People's Communes was what Mao achieved out of the GLF.

Was the stuff regarding women the essay question for Russia?

[nicker]

this exam was completely messed up, they fucked over all of us, particularly who did China for section A and Russia for section B. There was nowhere to hide, we were beaten and they insisted on beating us even more! I'm annoyed because they completely disregarded the most important bits for small, useless ones. Who cares about Mao's wife? Never studied that in class! And the bloody women part for russia, they threw out things like NEP, Civil War etc. Man, f those vcaa people, they are useless and like seeing our young minds burn and ache.

Anyway, im frusrated as ever but for Section A, whatd did people write for Mao's wife and purpose of Great Leap Forward questions? Also, Id like some insight on the Russia essay points and part c, on women's experiences in the new regime. Thanks but this exam was too hard, they thought we were some uni professors, man f the vcaa!!

Well in all honestly I do think Russia Section A on Russification was a bit farfetchrd but it is apart of the study design so they had every right to choose that for the source analysis. For section B russia on the essay, i wrote 2 massive paragraphs, one discussing how the February revolution was a revolution, and contrasting it with the October revolution, explaining why it was a coup and not a revolution and then just analyzed from there. The womens experience source analysis caught me off guard and I didnt have any quotes regarding women so I was forced to rely on the sources. I didnt know much about women besides the fact marriage was a made a state affair not a religious one, so I vaguely ellaborated on the sources.

[K888]

Just throwing a reminder in here guys to please keep the conversation and language civil.

Whilst you may be frustrated at the questions you received, you were assessed only on things on the study design.

I don't mind swearing or anything, but no derogatory language is appropriate.

[nicker]

Was the stuff regarding women the essay question for Russia?

The essay question was 'The direct intervention of workers and of peasants was the most important cause of the two Russian revolutions of 1917'

And the source analysis 10 mark was 'Analyse the experiences of women in the new regime'

[TheCommando]

For the explain womens expirences in the new regime i kinda made shit up and if u said stuff like
- allowed to pledge for a diverce
- allowed to pursue an education
- went from bbeing regarded as depetend on their husbband to being just as capable as men (thanks year of wonders)
- took up jobs that were usualy men dominated
Would this be good

[nicker]

For the explain womens expirences in the new regime i kinda made shit up and if u said stuff like
- allowed to pledge for a diverce
- allowed to pursue an education
- went from bbeing regarded as depetend on their husbband to being just as capable as men (thanks year of wonders)
- took up jobs that were usualy men dominated
Would this be good

That is pretty much exactly what I did, as long as you related it to the sources, especially source 1 and your answer was clear and fluid you should easily score a high mark (i guess)

[K888]

The essay question was 'The direct intervention of workers and of peasants was the most important cause of the two Russian revolutions of 1917'

And the source analysis 10 mark was 'Analyse the experiences of women in the new regime'

Cheers!

VCAA have really made you think here. Challenging, but doable questions. I'm glad I did Revs when the essay was for AOS2 haha.

I guess the source would influence what you discussed, but for women you could have mentioned:
- Decree on Marriage
- Improvement of literacy by 30% in the city, however patriarchal views still held in the country
- Civil War put "feminist development" (can't think of a better word haha) on hold
- Declaration of the Rights of the People of Russia - not specifically women, but you can always expand out past the women and discuss how it would have affected them
- You could probably mention the famine
- Maybe consider how economic difficulties would have impacted them? Maybe a bit stretched, but if you can link it back, could do it. You might have had more luck discussing their experience with war-related stuff
I don't have a great knowledge of the extra few years that are now in the Russian area of study, so I'm afraid my answers run out here haha. Will update the post if I think of anything more.

I'll have to think about what I'd say for the essay question! I much preferred having a source analysis for AOS1 of section B.