Soviet Union Historical Timeline Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards detailing key historical figures, organizations, and events from the timeline of the U.S.S.R. (1847–1991).

Communist Manifesto

A document created in 1847 born out of a resentment against capitalism.

Bolshevik Party

A political rebel group based on Karl Marx's ideas, formed between 1847 and 1917.

Czar Nicholas II

Also known as Nicholas the Bloody; he attempted to abdicate the throne in 1917 and was executed along with his entire family by the Bolsheviks.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

The new government established after the 1917 revolution, initially led by Lenin and officially dissolved in 1991.

Lenin

The leader who led the Bolshevik Revolution and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics before dying in 1924.

Trotsky

A Marxist who fought Stalin for control following Lenin's death in 1924 and was permanently exiled.

Stalin

A Communist leader who gained control of the U.S.S.R. in 1924, led during the Great Purge and World War II, and died in 1953.

1932-33 Famine

A severe famine during a period of rapid economic growth in the U.S.S.R. that resulted in millions of deaths.

The Great Purge

A period in the 1930s characterized by the execution and deportation of millions of people, especially ethnic minorities.

KGB

An agency established in the U.S.S.R. during the 1930s.

1939 Non-Aggression Pact

An agreement Stalin entered into with Nazi Germany so they would not invade Russia, which was later violated by the Nazis in 1941.