Russia and the Soviet Union: 1917-1941 - Bolshevik Consolidation of Power Study Notes (copy)

Bolshevism

A communist ideology focused on creating a poverty-free society with decentralized management and guided by the principle: 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.'

Class Struggle

The conflict between different classes in society; Marx viewed this as the driving force of history, manifesting in oppressors versus the oppressed.

Proletariat

The working class in Marxist theory, seen as the only real revolutionary class capable of leading a transformation to communism.

Communist Manifesto

A political pamphlet by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that argues for the need to overthrow bourgeois society and highlights class struggles.

The CHEKA

The secret police established by the Bolsheviks in December 1917 to identify and eliminate counter-revolutionaries.

War Communism

The economic and political system in Soviet Russia from 1918 to 1921 aimed at abolishing private trade and nationalizing industry.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

An economic policy established by Lenin in 1921, allowing for some private enterprise and market mechanisms to revive the economy.

Totalitarian Consolidation

The process through which the Bolsheviks suppressed opposition and established a one-party state to maintain control after the revolution.

Vladimir Lenin

A key figure in the Russian Revolution, leader of the Bolshevik Party, and the architect of Leninism.

October Revolution

The 1917 coup in which the Bolsheviks seized power from the Provisional Government in Russia.

Social Democrat Labour Party Split (1903)

The division of the Social Democratic Labour Party into two factions: the more moderate Mensheviks and the radical Bolsheviks.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The 1918 treaty in which Russia ceded significant territory to Germany in exchange for peace, allowing the Bolsheviks to focus on internal matters.

Trotsky’s Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC)

The Bolshevik committee led by Leon Trotsky responsible for the military aspects of the October Revolution.

Karl Marx

The German philosopher and economist who co-authored 'The Communist Manifesto' and is a foundational figure in communism.

Friedrich Engels

Co-author of 'The Communist Manifesto' and collaborator of Karl Marx, who contributed to the development of communist theory.

Poverty-free equality

A key goal of Bolshevism, promoting a society without class distinctions and disparities in wealth.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

A transitional social state in Marxist theory where the working class holds political power.

Kronstadt Rebellion

A revolt by sailors at Kronstadt in 1921 against Bolshevik rule, demanding more freedoms and less centralization.

Irony of Capitalism

The paradox that capitalism, which Marx saw as oppressive, also provided the means for revolutionary movements against itself.

Scissor Effect

The economic phenomenon during the NEP where agricultural prices fell while industrial prices rose, leading to peasant unrest.