History · GCSE · The 20th-Century World

Lenin, Trotsky and the October Revolution

gcse-hist-1ac-2-1bFree1:29Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard

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What you need to know

  • The Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd in October 1917.
  • Lenin led the party and Trotsky organised the Red Guards.
  • The new state was the first to be run on communist ideas.

In this clip

0:16–1:45Lenin, Trotsky and the October Revolutiongcse-hist-1ac-2-1b
4:04–5:27Soviet control of Eastern Europe and the Iron Curtaingcse-hist-1bc-1-2a
5:27–6:27The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plangcse-hist-1bc-1-2b
6:27–7:36The Berlin Blockade and Airliftgcse-hist-1bc-1-2c
7:36–9:35Communism in Asia: China, Korea and Vietnamgcse-hist-1bc-2-1
12:06–13:50The space racegcse-hist-1bc-2-2b
13:50–16:03The Berlin Wallgcse-hist-1bc-3-1
Also coversYalta, Potsdam and the end of the wartime alliancegcse-hist-1bc-1-1
Also coversThe arms race, NATO and the Warsaw Pactgcse-hist-1bc-2-2a
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

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Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
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Why we picked it

Fast, humorous animated narrative of the early Cold War to 1961; suits GCSE Cold War students as an overview before detailed revision.

OverSimplified on YouTubechecked 2026-10-16