Communism

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Autocrat

A ruler who has absolute power

Bolsheviks

A group of revolutionary Russian Marxists who took control of Russia's government in November 1917

Bourgeoisie

The middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people. From the perspective of Karl Marx they were capitalist pigs who exploited others.

Censorship

restriction on access to ideas and information

Command economy/Centrally Planned Economy

an economy in which the government decides how economic resources will be allocated

Cheka

The secret police under Lenin and his Communist Party. Becomes the NKVD under Stalin’s rule

Civil War

a war between citizens of the same country.

Class Struggle

conflict between social or economic classes (especially between the capitalist and proletariat classes)

Collectivization

The process seen in the Soviet Union and Communist China to form communal work units for agriculture and manufacturing—from private hands to large, collective, government operations.

Common Good

Social conditions that allow for all citizens of the earth, individuals and families, to meet basic needs and achieve fulfillment.

Communism

A social organization theory or system based on the holding of all property in common, with actual ownership ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

Communist Manifesto

A socialist manifesto was written by Marx and Engels (1848) describing the history of the working

Cooperation

Behaviour by two or more individuals that leads to mutual benefit

Coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a united(?)group

Dialectical Materialism

According to Karl Marx, change and development in history results from the conflict between social classes. Economic forces compel human beings to behave in socially determined ways.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

Marx's theory of a proletariat (working class) controlled world following the taking from the wealthy; eventually it will wither away into a classless society.

Duma

The elected parliament. Though through establishing this is seemed like the Czar was giving his people power, in reality he could easily get rid of this if they made any laws or such that he didn't like.

Emancipation

the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation.

Five Year Plans

The 5-year plans called for industrial production to increase by about 20 percent per year in a variety of industries.

Gosplan

central planning authority in the former Soviet Union that devised and directed Five

Great Purge

A campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened Stalin's power

Gulag

Russian prison camp for political prisoners. In the russian arctic

Holodomor

Cultural genocide. An artificially induced famine to eliminate Ukranian nationalism

Indoctrination

Teaching someone to accept an idea or principle without question

KGB

Soviet secret police agency charged with domestic and foreign intelligence

Kulak

wealthy peasant in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. To be more specific, a peasant who owns land.

Marxism

Emerged as the most famous socialist belief system during the 19th century. Saw all of history as the story of class struggle.

Menshevik

Communist group like the Bolsheviks. Opposed the Bolsheviks because they wanted communism on a national scale whereas the Bolsheviks wanted communism at an international scale. Lead by Nicholas Trotsky

Nationalization

Changing something from private to state ownership or control

New Economic Policy (NEP)

The New Economic Policy allowed peasants to own farmland and decide what they would produce. This system allowed some capitalism and was implemented due to the failure of war communism.

NKVD

Previously the Cheka under Lenin. Stalin's secret police who were authorized to arrest, execute, or relegate political opponents to gulag camps. Soon to become the KGB.

Politburo

A small group that is making all the decisions. they do not have any checks or balances on them. Perversion of Marx’s ideals

Popular Discontent

Large numbers of people are dissatisfied with their conditions and find the rulers responsible for this which can lead to revolution

Proletariat

A term that refers to the working class. Marx's term for the exploited class, the mass of workers who do not own the means of production

Propaganda

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.

Provisional Government

A temporary government created by the Duma after the abdication of the czar; it made the decision to remain in World War One, costing it the support of the soviets and the people.

Quota

The system Staling implemented to increase Russia's production because he believed that Russia needed to develop capitalism as they were lacking compared to other countries in Europe. It involved labourers meeting a production requirement and failure to do so would result in execution.

Radical

Favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms or a person with extreme views.

Reactionary

strongly opposed to change; conservative

Red Army

The regular army of the former Soviet Union

Scientific Socialism

The term Marx and Engels used to stress to that their ideology was based on an analysis of class conflict

Secret Police

a police force that operates in secrecy (usually against persons suspected of treason or sedition

Show Trials

a trial staged for the benefit of the media. These trials were to justify the purges

Surplus Value Theory

Marx's theory that laborers give value to products and the bourgeoisie take the profit.

Totalitarianism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Tsarism (often Czarism)

A system of government by a tsar (emperor), in Russia until 1917. The tsar has absolute power and authority, including over religious issues.

War Communism

A system introduced under Bolshevik rule after 1917 which involved land being seized and redistributed, factories given to the workers, banks being nationalized, and church property being granted to the state. This was enforced by the Cheka.

White Army

Russians who opposed Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

Bloody Sunday

1905; peaceful march by Russians turned deadly when Czar's guards fire on crowd, killing hundreds

October Revolution

Bolsheviks led by Leon Trotsky and Lenin claimed power in name of the soviets and proclaimed a full