Russian Dominance within the USSR

Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR)

The dominant republic within the USSR, comprising over half of the population and about three-fourths of the territory.

Centralized Authority

The real political and economic power in the USSR was held by the Soviet central government, despite formal claims of sovereignty for each republic.

Separatism

Movements within the USSR, particularly in Ukraine, that sought independence or greater autonomy, which the Soviet government attempted to suppress.

Parallelism

The governance structure in the USSR where state and party structures existed side by side, with the Communist Party paralleling state institutions.

Central Committee

The top governing body of the Communist Party, which included the Politburo and General Secretary, wielding significant power over the party and state.

Socialist Realism

The artistic and literary style mandated by the Communist Party, emphasizing idealized portrayals of Soviet life and industry.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

A policy introduced to revive the Soviet economy by allowing private trading and some market mechanisms after the devastation of war and revolution.

Women's Rights

Reforms aimed at abolishing traditional gender hierarchies, granting women equal voting rights and access to divorce and birth control, though social status remained largely unchanged.

Cultural Transformation

The Bolshevik effort to reshape art, literature, and education to reflect revolutionary ideals and improve literacy rates.

Trotsky's Opposition

Leon Trotsky's critique of Stalin and the NEP, advocating for "permanent revolution" and rapid industrialization.

Five-Year Plans

Stalin's economic initiatives launched in 1928 aimed at rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture, centralizing economic planning in the USSR.

Engels' Economic Vision

Friedrich Engels' proposal for a centralized economy, treating the entire economic life of a country as a single entity for coordinated management.

Challenges of Marxism

The initial lack of a clear economic plan by the Bolsheviks after the revolution due to Marxism's vague guidance on post-revolution governance.

Cultural Orthodoxy

The shift from experimental art to a rigid adherence to socialist realism following the rise of Stalin's control over cultural expression.