Communism Notes

Planned/controlled economy

An economic system where the government has complete control over economic activities.

Karl Marx

Philosopher who, along with Friedrich Engels, originated the idea of a planned economy and wrote the Communist Manifesto.

Bourgeoisie

The class of people in society that are wealthy and own the means of production.

Proletariat

The working class or the poor who sell their labor and are often exploited by the bourgeoisie.

Communist Manifesto

A political pamphlet by Marx and Engels that outlines the principles of communism.

Das Kapital

A foundational theoretical text in communist theory written by Karl Marx.

First Russian Revolution

The 1917 revolution that led to the overthrow of the Tsar and the monarchy.

Lenin

A follower of Marx who led the Bolshevik Revolution and established a communist government in Russia.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party that led the October Revolution in 1917.

Great Purge

A campaign led by Stalin to eliminate opposition within the Communist Party and consolidate his power.

Collectivization

A policy implemented by Stalin that combined small farms into large, state-controlled farms.

Holodomor

A man-made famine in the Soviet Union that led to the death of millions, particularly affecting Ukrainians.

Gosplan

The State Planning Committee in the USSR responsible for economic planning and control.

Perestroika

A policy introduced by Gorbachev that allowed for some capitalist elements within the Soviet economy.

Glasnost

A policy promoting openness and transparency in government and society, allowing citizens to criticize the political system.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

A policy proposed by Lenin allowing some private ownership and profit to help recover the economy post-WWI.