The Russian Revolution and the Rise of the Soviet Union

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key figures, events, and parties of the Russian Revolution from the reign of Nicholas II through the formation of the USSR.

Nicholas II

The Russian tsar who ruled from 1894 to 1917.

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

A conflict in which Russia was defeated, preceding the Revolution of 1905.

October Manifesto 1905

A document issued by the Tsar that gave some political freedoms to the country and established an elected Assembly.

Duma

The elected Assembly established by the October Manifesto 1905, which had limited power.

February/March Revolution 1917

Revolutionary events in Petrograd involving worker strikes and soldier mutinies that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II.

Russian Provisional Government

A liberal political body formed in 1917 that proclaimed civil liberties and wanted to continue Russia's involvement in World War I.

Constituent Assembly

An assembly promised by the Provisional Government to write a Constitution for Russia; it was later not allowed to fulfill this role by the Bolsheviks.

Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies

An alternate source of authority led by socialist parties with delegates from factory workers and soldiers.

Socialist Revolutionaries

A socialist party in Russia that specifically favored land reform.

Mensheviks

A Marxist party that favored a democratic revolution.

Bolsheviks

A Marxist-Leninist party that favored the seizure of power; they were renamed Communists in 1918.

Vladimir Lenin

The founder of the Bolsheviks and the world Communist movement.

What is to be Done

A work written by Lenin in 1902 stating the need for a disciplined revolutionary party to bring about a revolution.

Peace, Land, and Bread

Lenin's political program in 1917 calling for an end to the war, land for peasants, and a solution to the food problem.

October/November Revolution (1917)

Russia's second revolution of 1917 which eliminated the Provisional Government and established a Bolshevik-dominated Soviet Government.

Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty

A treaty signed in March 1918 with the Central Powers that ended the war for Russia but resulted in large territorial losses in the West.

Russian Civil War (1918-22)

A conflict between the Reds (Communists) and the Whites (opposing forces) along with various non-Russian nationalities.

Reds

The Communist forces during the Russian Civil War.

Whites

The forces opposing the Communists during the Russian Civil War.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

The state created in 1922 following the conclusion of the Russian Civil War.