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Russo-Japanese War

A war fought between Russia and Japan for control of Manchuria and Korea, resulting in a surprising and humiliating victory for Japan.

The Duma

A Russian legislative assembly established in 1905 after the Revolution of 1905, which had limited power and was often dismissed by the Tsar.

Soviets

Councils of workers and soldiers formed during the 1905 and 1917 revolutions to represent grassroots power.

Socialism

A political and economic theory advocating for social ownership or control of the means of production and distribution of goods, emphasizing equality and social justice.

Communism

A radical form of socialism advocating for a classless society with collective ownership of the means of production and abolition of private property.

Bolsheviks

A radical faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party led by Vladimir Lenin that advocated for a socialist revolution.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

An agreement between Russia and Germany that ended Russia's participation in World War I, resulting in significant territorial concessions.

Red Army

The army of the Bolsheviks and later the Soviet Union, instrumental in securing Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War.

White Army

A diverse group of anti-Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War, including monarchists and nationalists.

War Communism

An economic policy implemented by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War involving nationalization of industry and strict state control of the economy.

The Cheka

The Soviet secret police established in 1917, responsible for suppressing opposition to the Bolshevik regime.

Red Terror

A campaign of political repression carried out by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War to eliminate perceived threats.

Proletariat

The working class in a capitalist society, who lack ownership of the means of production.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class in a Marxist framework, who own the means of production and exploit the proletariat.

Pogroms

Organized violence and massacres against Jews in Tsarist Russia, often tacitly approved by the authorities.

Bloody Sunday

A massacre of peaceful protesters in St. Petersburg by Tsarist troops that sparked widespread unrest.

February Revolution (1917)

The first of two revolutions in 1917 that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the establishment of a Provisional Government.

July Days (1917)

A series of protests against the Provisional Government in Petrograd, initially supported by the Bolsheviks but later distanced from.

Kornilov Affair

An attempted coup by General Lavr Kornilov in August 1917 that further weakened the Provisional Government.

October Revolution (1917)

The Bolshevik-led revolution that overthrew the Provisional Government and established a communist state in Russia.

Kronstadt Rebellion

A rebellion by sailors at the Kronstadt naval base against the Bolshevik government, brutally suppressed.

Czar Nicholas II

The last Tsar of Russia, whose reign ended with his abdication in 1917 amid political repression and military defeats.

Grigory Rasputin

A controversial mystic whose influence over the Romanov family damaged the Tsar's reputation.

Vladimir Lenin

The leader of the Bolsheviks and founder of the Soviet state, key figure in the Russian Revolution.

Karl Marx

A German philosopher and economist who developed Marxism, the basis of communism.

Alexsandr Kerensky

The leader of the Provisional Government after the February Revolution, overthrown by the Bolsheviks.

Leon Trotsky

A prominent Bolshevik leader who played a key role in the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War.

Joseph Stalin

A Bolshevik revolutionary who became the dictator of the Soviet Union and consolidated power after Lenin's death.