russian revolution

Proletariat

The working class, especially factory workers, who Marx believed would lead a revolution.

Bourgeoisie

The middle and upper classes who owned businesses and controlled wealth.

Soviet

A council of workers, soldiers, or peasants that helped govern during the Russian Revolution.

Duma

Russia’s elected legislative assembly, created after the 1905 Revolution.

Socialism

An economic system in which the government or society controls major industries and resources for the benefit of all.

Capitalism

An economic system in which individuals and businesses own property and operate for profit.

Communism

A political and economic system in which all property is owned collectively and social classes are eliminated.

Command Economy

An economy in which the government controls production, prices, and distribution of goods.

Collective

A large farm owned and operated jointly by a group of farmers under government control.

Kulak

A relatively wealthy peasant farmer in Russia who often resisted collectivization.

Totalitarianism

A system of government in which the state has complete control over public and private life.

Censorship

The suppression or control of information, ideas, or media by the government.

Atheism

The belief that there is no god; the Soviet government promoted atheism and discouraged religion.

Purge

The removal or elimination of people considered threats to a government or leader.

Propaganda

Information used to influence public opinion and promote a political cause.

Gulag

A Soviet forced-labor prison camp where political opponents and criminals were sent.

Tsar Nicholas II

The last ruler of Imperial Russia, forced to abdicate during the March 1917 Revolution.

Tsarina Alexandra

The wife of Nicholas II whose reliance on Rasputin hurt the royal family’s reputation.

Grigori Rasputin

A religious mystic who gained influence over the royal family and became widely unpopular.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Party who led the November 1917 Revolution and founded the Soviet state.

Leon Trotsky

A key Bolshevik leader who organized the Red Army during the Russian Civil War.

Joseph Stalin

Lenin’s successor who established a totalitarian state and launched industrialization programs.

Karl Marx

The thinker whose ideas formed the basis of communism and inspired Russian revolutionaries.

Bolsheviks

The radical socialist group led by Lenin that seized power in 1917.

Kulaks

Peasants who owned more land and were targeted by Stalin’s collectivization policies.

Bloody Sunday

In 1905, peaceful protesters were shot by government troops, increasing opposition to the Tsar.

1905 Russian Revolution

A series of strikes, protests, and uprisings that forced the Tsar to create the Duma.

March Revolution

A revolution that overthrew Tsar Nicholas II and ended the Romanov dynasty.

November Revolution

The Bolsheviks seized control of the government and established communist rule.

Five-Year Plans

Stalin’s programs to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union and increase production.

Great Purge

A campaign in the 1930s during which Stalin imprisoned or executed millions of suspected opponents.

Show Trials

Public trials in which defendants were forced to confess to crimes they often did not commit.

Revolution

A rapid and significant change in government, often involving the overthrow of existing leaders.

Class Struggle

The conflict between social classes, especially between workers (proletariat) and the wealthy (bourgeoisie).

Industrialization

The development of factories and large-scale manufacturing that transforms an economy.

Totalitarianism

A form of government that seeks complete control over politics, society, culture, and the economy.

One-Party / One-Ideology State

A political system in which only one political party is allowed and all citizens are expected to follow the same official beliefs.