'The Communists were more authoritarian than the Romanov Tsars.' How far do you agree with this view of the period from 1855 to 1964?

First question: What am I being assessed on?A: This is a question from a 2017 OCR A-Level History past paper. 2 extended essay questions, 2 hours, 60 marks each question. 1/3 of the marks are for demonstrating accurate, appropriate historical knowledge, 2/3 marks are for understanding, explaining, analysing, and evaluating the questions.Second question: What do I need to think about before I answer this question?A: Timing is key. You have 60 minutes for each question. Key to the best marks is the structure of your answers. Want to make things easy for the examiner and show that you clearly meet the required standards. That means not just remembering key signposting language - e.g. 'causation', 'continuity and change' and key assessment goals 'synthesis', 'synoptic judgement' - but also the way you go about doing that - the structure of your essay. Take 10 minutes to plan each questionThird question: How do I answer this particular question?A: First, dismantle the question and challenge its premises'. What does 'authoritarian' mean? 'Authoritarian' for whom? Is the question best answered in terms of 'communists' vs 'Romanovs'? (e.g. Were all communist rulers the same? Were all Romanov Tsars the same?) Are rulers lives the best unit of analysis? (e.g. was Lenin different after the Civil War?)Fourth question: How do I plan my answer?A: Decide on themes for your 3/4 'topics', you'll have a for and against section on each topic. Possible themes include: the Secret Police; terror; propaganda; control of the economy. Choice of theme will vary on your answer. You might want to argue variation in authoritarian experience, in which case you could choose audiences - e.g. peasants, the bureaucracy, the bourgeoisie/elite, nationalities. Write down a list, and identify which you're most comfortable writing about. (In the actual exam, you should know this before you see the question).A2: Having decided your themes, draw up a grid, with your themes as row headings, and for and against as 2 column headings. Write your topic statements on each theme for each for/against paragraph in the squares on the grid. Repeat this process for some of the key historical facts you hope to use. Now, you should be ready to begin writing your answer.