Answer: The Conservative government of 1908-1914 aimed to maintain social and political stability in Britain, but its success in achieving this is debatable. While it implemented policies that arguably contributed to stability, it also faced significant challenges and ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of the First World War, which profoundly destabilized the country.

Policies Contributing to Stability:

• The People's Budget (1911): This budget aimed to reduce the national debt through income tax and customs duties. While controversial, it demonstrated a willingness to address social and economic issues and potentially reduce class tensions.
• Labour Legislation: The government introduced legislation to improve working conditions, including limitations on working hours and safety regulations. This helped to address some of the grievances of the working class.
• Imperial Expansion: The government pursued an aggressive policy of imperial expansion, which fostered national pride and provided economic opportunities. This arguably diverted attention from domestic problems.

Challenges to Stability:

• Rising Social Unrest: Despite the government's efforts, social unrest continued to be a problem, with strikes and protests occurring throughout the period.
• The Rise of Labour: The growing popularity of the Labour Party challenged the dominance of the Conservatives and reflected underlying social and economic discontent.
• The Decline of the Empire: The government faced increasing challenges in maintaining the British Empire, particularly in the Balkans and Africa. This strained resources and contributed to international tensions.
• International Relations: The government's foreign policy, particularly its rivalry with Germany, contributed to a climate of international tension and increased the risk of war.

Conclusion: The Conservative government achieved some limited success in maintaining social and political stability through its domestic policies. However, it failed to address the underlying social and economic problems that contributed to unrest and ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of the First World War. Therefore, while the government's policies had some stabilizing effects, they were ultimately insufficient to ensure long-term stability.

Answer: The Russian Revolution of 1917 undeniably represented a profound and fundamental break with the past in Russian society, encompassing political, economic, and social transformations. While some elements of the old order persisted, the revolution fundamentally reshaped the country's institutions, values, and power structures.

Political Break:

• End of Tsarist Autocracy: The overthrow of the Tsarist regime ended centuries of autocratic rule and replaced it with a communist state.
• Rise of a New Ideology: The Bolsheviks introduced Marxism-Leninism, a radical ideology that challenged the existing political and social order.
• Establishment of a One-Party State: The Bolsheviks established a single-party state, eliminating political pluralism and suppressing opposition.

Economic Break:

• Nationalization of Industry: The Bolsheviks nationalized key industries, including railways, factories, and banks, ending private ownership.
• Land Redistribution: Land was redistributed to the peasantry, fulfilling a key Bolshevik promise and undermining the power of the landed aristocracy.
• Planned Economy: The Bolsheviks implemented a planned economy, replacing free markets with state control over production and distribution.

Social Break:

• Changes in Social Hierarchy: The revolution challenged traditional social hierarchies based on class and wealth.
• Promotion of Equality: The Bolsheviks promoted the idea of equality and social justice, although this was often not reflected in practice.
• Changes in Family Law: Family law was reformed, including the legalization of divorce and abortion.

Persistence of the Past: Despite these fundamental changes, some elements of the past persisted. The Bolsheviks maintained a centralized state apparatus, and the revolution was followed by a period of civil war and repression.

Conclusion: While the revolution did not erase the past entirely, it fundamentally altered the course of Russian history. The political, economic, and social changes brought about by the revolution represent a clear break with the Tsarist era and a radical transformation of Russian society.

Answer: This statement presents a debate about the primary drivers of the First World War. While the actions of individual leaders undeniably contributed to the outbreak of war, a strong argument can be made that long-term structural factors – including Imperialism, Militarism, Nationalism, and the Alliance System – were the more fundamental causes.

Long-Term Structural Factors:

• Imperialism: Competition for colonies created tensions and rivalries between European powers, leading to a climate of suspicion and hostility. The Moroccan Crises (1905 & 1911) are prime examples of this.
• Militarism: The naval arms race between Britain and Germany fostered a culture of military preparedness and a belief in the inevitability of war. This created a dangerous cycle of escalation.
• Nationalism: Aggressive nationalism, particularly in the Balkans, fuelled ethnic tensions and desires for self-determination, creating instability in the region. The desire for a 'Greater Serbia' was a key factor.
• The Alliance System: The complex web of alliances (Triple Alliance and Triple Entente) meant that a localized conflict could quickly escalate into a wider European war. This system transformed a regional dispute into a continental one.

Actions of Individual Leaders:

• The July Crisis (1914): The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a trigger, but the subsequent diplomatic failures and inflexible mobilization plans by leaders like Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, and the French government exacerbated the situation.
• Miscalculations and Misperceptions: Leaders often misjudged the intentions of their rivals and underestimated the potential consequences of their actions.

Conclusion: While the actions of individual leaders were crucial in the immediate escalation of the war, the underlying structural factors created the conditions in which such a conflict was likely to occur. Therefore, the statement is largely true; the First World War was fundamentally a consequence of long-term structural factors.