Russian Revolution Vocabulary

Russo-Japanese War

War between Russia and Japan; Japan wins and takes parts of Manchuria under its control.

Czar Nicholas II

Russian Czar during WWI; unpopular with Russian people; overthrown in March 1917; executed by Bolsheviks after November Revolution (1917)

Rasputin

Russian peasant monk who was able to influence Russian politics by gaining the confidence of the Czarina

Bloody Sunday 1905

Peaceful protest against the czar where protesters are shot by the army, forces reforms- cause of the revolution

March Revolution 1917

Workers and soldiers overthrew Czar Nicholas II, and set up the provisional government

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.

Alexander Kerensky

Headed the Provisional Government in 1917. Refused to redistribute confiscated landholdings to the peasants. Thought fighting the war was a national duty.

Soviets

local councils consisting of workers, peasants, and soldiers

Bolskeviks

a radical communist group who felt that an additional revolution in Russia was needed

Revolution

a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.

Lenin

Founded the Communist Party in Russia and set up the world's first Communist Party dictatorship. He led the October Revolution of 1917, in which the Communists seized power in Russia. He then ruled the country until his death in 1924.

Communism

a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Karl Marx

founder of modern communism

Mensheviks

The party which opposed to the Bolsheviks. Started in 1903 by Martov, after dispute with Lenin. The Mensheviks wanted a democratic party with mass membership.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital.