Rejection of Liberalism

Russian Revolution

A 1917 uprising that led to the overthrow of the Czarist regime, promising bread, land, and peace.

War Communism

An economic policy in Soviet Russia during the Civil War (1917-1922), involving state control of banks, confiscation of grain, and banning of private trade.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

A 1921 policy introduced by Lenin allowing some private trade and small-scale businesses to revive the economy after War Communism.

Stalinism

The political system under Joseph Stalin characterized by totalitarian control, collectivization of agriculture, and repression of opposition.

Holodomor

A man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933, resulting in millions of deaths, attributed to Stalin's policies.

Gulags

Forced labor camps in the Soviet Union where millions were imprisoned under Stalin's regime.

The Reichstag Fire

The 1933 arson of the German parliament building, which Hitler used to justify suspending civil liberties.

Enabling Act

A 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without parliamentary consent, effectively allowing him to become a dictator.

Fascism

A far-right political ideology characterized by dictatorial power, strong centralized control, and suppression of opposition.

Eugenics

A controversial pseudoscience that aimed to improve the genetic quality of a human population, notably used by the Nazis.

Authoritarianism

A political system characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.

Cult of the leader

A practice where a political leader is portrayed as an extraordinary figure deserving of loyalty and admiration.

Collectivism

A political or economic theory advocating collective control especially over production and resources.

Leninism

A political theory developed by Vladimir Lenin advocating for a vanguard party to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat.

Great Purge

A campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1938 during which Stalin eliminated dissent and perceived threats.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Five-Year Plans

Centralized economic goals set by the Soviet Union aimed at rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture.

Brownshirts

The paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, known for violent tactics to suppress opposition and enforce party policies.

Nuremberg Laws

Racial laws in Nazi Germany that stripped Jews of their citizenship and rights, implemented in 1935.

Kristallnacht

A coordinated attack on Jewish people and their properties in Germany on November 9-10, 1938, marking a significant escalation in antisemitic violence.

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society and collective ownership of the means of production.

Lysenkoism

A pseudoscientific agricultural doctrine promoted in the Soviet Union that rejected Mendelian genetics in favor of ideologically-driven theories.

Censorship

The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information, commonly used in totalitarian regimes to control public discourse.