Soviet Experiment Flashcards

Romanov Dynasty

The family that ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. Ended with Tsar Nicholas II

"Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality"

The slogan of Tsar Nicholas I, representing the core values of the Russian Empire. Orthodoxy = Russian Church, Autocracy = Tsar, Nationality = Russian identity."

Soslovie

Social classes in Imperial Russia (e.g., nobles, clergy, peasants)

Serfdom

A system where peasants were bound to land and had little freedom. Lasted up to 1861. Serfs worked for landowners and couldn't leave without permission.

Emancipation of the Serfs

Tsar Alexander II freed the serfs in 1861, but they still faced hardships. Freed serfs had to pay for the land they got, often ending up in debt.

Alexander II

Tsar who initiated reforms, including the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861. Known as the "Tsar Liberator," but assassinated by radicals in 1881.

Nicholas II

Last Tsar of Russia, overthrown in 1917. Lost the Russo-Japanese War, crushed protests, and was executed with his family.

Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP)

A Marxist party founded in 1898, split into Bolsheviks (Lenin) and Mensheviks. Party advocated for worker (or proletarians rights)

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks, led the 1917 Revolution and founded the Soviet Union. Returned to Russia from exile in 1917 and led the overthrow of the Tsar.

Khodynka Tragedy

A deadly stampede during Nicholas II’s coronation in 1896, where over 1,300 people died. People rushed for food and free gifts, leading to a disaster.

Russo-Japanese War

War between Russia and Japan over influence in Manchuria and Korea, with Russia losing. (1904-1905) Humiliating loss for Russia, leading to unrest at home.

Bloody Sunday

Peaceful protest in 1905 where soldiers fired on demonstrators outside the Tsar’s palace, killing many. January 22, 1905. Sparked the 1905 Revolution.

Revolution of 1905

Mass protests and strikes in Russia, leading to the October Manifesto and the creation of a Duma.

October Manifesto

Nicholas II’s promise to grant more freedoms, including a Duma (parliament), in 1905

Petrograd Soviet

Workers’ council formed during 1905 and 1917 revolutions to challenge the government. Became a key player in the October Revolution.

Duma

Russian parliament created in 1906, but Tsar Nicholas II often dissolved it. The Duma had no real power and was dissolved by the Tsar when it disagreed with him.

World War I

Russia joined the war in 1914, but suffered huge losses and internal unrest.The war exacerbated political instability and contributed to the 1917 revolutions, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II.

February Revolution

The 1917 revolution that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Romanov dynasty. March 1917 (February by the Julian calendar) Protestors, soldiers, and workers took to the streets in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg)

Provisional Government

Government formed after Nicholas II's abdication in 1917, but it failed to end the war or satisfy the people (March–October 1917). Headed by Alexander Kerensky, it couldn’t handle the Bolshevik uprising

Alexander Kerensky

Head of the Provisional Government after Nicholas II's abdication. He couldn’t manage World War I and the Bolshevik uprising, leading to his downfall.

October Revolution

Bolshevik seizure of power from the Provisional Government in 1917, leading to the creation of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky led the charge.

Leon Trotsky

Leader of the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War, and rival to Stalin. Helped win the Civil War, but was later exiled and killed by Stalin’s agents.

Red Army

Armed workers and soldiers who helped the Bolsheviks seize power in 1917. Played a key role in the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War. Bolshevik’s muscle.

White Forces

Anti-Bolshevik forces in the Russian Civil War (1917–1922), including monarchists, liberals, and foreign allies.

Cheka (Extraordinary Commission for the Fight against Counter-Revolution and Sabotage)

Soviet secret police founded to suppress anti-revolutionary activities. Led by Feliks Dzherzhinsky, it was responsible for mass executions during the Red Terror. 1917–1922

Feliks Dzherzhinsky

Head of the Cheka, responsible for brutal repression of counter-revolutionaries.

War Communism

Bolshevik economic policy during the Civil War (1918–1921), which involved state control of industry and forced grain requisitioning.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin's policy to temporarily allow some market economy elements to revive Russia’s economy after War Communism. Allowed small businesses and private trade, but large industries remained state-controlled. 1921-1928

Politburo

The executive leadership of the Communist Party, making key decisions in the Soviet Union. Stalin and other leaders ruled through the Politburo.

League of the Militant Godless (Bezbozhnik)

Soviet campaign to promote atheism and eliminate religious influence. 1920s. Supported by the state to destroy churches and promote science.

Komsomol

The Communist Youth League, aimed at training young people for leadership in the Communist Party. 1918–1991. Youth camps and groups taught the Soviet ideology to children.

Alexandra Kollontai

First female Soviet diplomat, and a strong advocate for women’s rights and socialism. Pushed for more women’s roles in the Communist movement.

New Woman

A feminist ideal promoted during the early Soviet Union, focusing on women’s independence, education, and workforce participation. 1920s-1930s. Women were encouraged to join the workforce and hold leadership positions.

Zhenotdel

The Women's Department of the Communist Party created to promote women's rights and address their issues in Soviet society. 1919–1930. Pushed for women’s education and labor rights, especially in rural areas.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union from the late 1920s until his death in 1953. Known for his brutal leadership, purges, and the Stalin Revolution. Stalin = Totalitarian rule, purges, industrialization.

Korenizatsia (Nativization)

Stalin's policy in the 1920s to promote local languages, culture, and leadership in non-Russian regions to gain support for the Soviet system. Allowed local leaders in places like Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia to hold power under Soviet supervision.

"National in form, socialist in content"

Soviet slogan used to encourage cultural diversity but always under the control of socialist ideology. Promoted national languages, but also pushed the Soviet vision of socialism in every region.

Hujum

A Soviet campaign, particularly in Uzbekistan, aimed at promoting women’s rights and eradicating traditional Muslim customs like the veil. 1927-1930. Encouraged women to remove their veils and engage in public life.

Friendship of the Peoples/Nations

Soviet policy promoting unity among the various ethnic groups within the USSR, despite Stalin’s repression of some of them. 1920s-1930s. Soviet propaganda emphasized how all nationalities could coexist under socialism.

Birobidzhan

A region in the Soviet Union created as a homeland for Jews, though it was not successful in attracting many settlers.1930s. Soviet government promoted it as a Jewish Autonomous Region, but few Jews moved there.

Stalin Revolution

The period of rapid industrialization and collectivization in the late 1920s and 1930s under Stalin. Transformation of the Soviet Union into an industrial powerhouse at great human cost.

Collectivization

The policy of combining small farms into large state-run collective farms. It led to widespread famine and the destruction of the peasant way of life. 1928–1933. Ukraine suffered greatly, resulting in the Ukrainian Famine.

Kolkhoz

A type of collective farm in the Soviet Union. Farmers worked the land together and shared the profits, but the state controlled everything.1928–1930s. Kolkhoz were supposed to increase efficiency but led to shortages and resentment.

Kulak

Wealthier peasants who were targeted during Stalin’s dekulakization campaign. Kulaks were forced off their land, many were executed or sent to labor camps.

Dekulakization

Stalin’s campaign to eliminate the kulaks by seizing their land and properties, often through violent means. 1929-1933. Led to the destruction of many peasant families and contributed to famine.

Ukrainian Famine

A man-made famine caused by Stalin's policies of collectivization and grain requisition in Ukraine, leading to millions of deaths. 1932-1933. Millions of Ukrainians died due to starvation and harsh repression.

Kazakh Famine

A famine in Kazakhstan caused by forced collectivization, which resulted in the death of over a million people. 1930–1933

Soviet Cinema

The use of film to promote Soviet ideology, with strict control by the state over content. Sergei Eisenstein's film Battleship Potemkin (1925) was used to promote revolution.

Five Year Plans

Stalin’s economic plans to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union by setting production targets for five-year periods. First Plan – 1928–1932. The First Five-Year Plan focused on heavy industry, leading to significant growth but at great human cost.

Shockworkers

Workers who exceeded production targets in Soviet factories and were used as propaganda models. Example: Aleksey Stakhanov

Aleksey Stakhanov & Stakhanovite Movement

Aleksey Stakhanov was a miner who became famous for exceeding production targets, leading to the Stakhanovite Movement where workers were encouraged to surpass quotas. 1935.

Moscow Metro

A rapid transit system built in Moscow during the Stalin era, symbolizing Soviet progress. Opened 1935. Famous for its grand, palace-like stations and its role in showcasing Soviet engineering.

Magnitogorsk

A city built from scratch in Siberia as part of Stalin’s First Five-Year Plan to produce steel and other heavy industries. One of the largest steel plants in the world, built with forced labor.

Great Terror

A period of mass purges, executions, and arrests from 1936 to 1938 under Stalin, aimed at eliminating perceived enemies. Sought to consolidate Joseph Stalin's power over the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and aimed at removing the remaining influence of Leon Trotsky within the Soviet Union.

1937

The peak year of the Great Terror, when hundreds of thousands were executed or sent to labor camps. The NKVD arrested people en masse, including military leaders

Assassination of Sergei Kirov

The 1934 murder of Sergei Kirov, a popular Soviet leader, which provided Stalin with a pretext for further purges, as Stalin used the assassination to justify a crackdown on the Communist party and it’s members.

Purges/Chistki

The systematic removal of perceived political rivals, enemies of the state, and anyone deemed disloyal to Stalin. 1920s-1953. Stalin’s purges led to the execution or imprisonment of hundreds of thousands.

NKVD

The People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, responsible for law enforcement, espionage, and conducting the Great Terror (secret police) 1917–1946. Led by Nikolai Yezhov during the height of the purges, the NKVD arrested and executed tens of thousands.

Nikolai Yezhov

Head of the NKVD during the Great Terror, known for overseeing mass executions and arrests. Known as the "Bloodthirsty Dwarf" for his role in the purges.

Enemy of the People

A term used to describe individuals labeled as traitors or enemies of the Soviet state, often during Stalin's purges. Intellectuals, military officers, and even Communist Party members were branded as “enemies of the people.”

Moscow Show Trials

A series of staged trials in the 1936-38 where prominent figures were forced to confess to crimes they didn’t commit, often leading to executions. Old Bolsheviks like Lev Kamenev and Grigory Zinoviev were executed after false confessions.

Cult of Personality

The glorification of a leader, in this case Stalin, who was portrayed as a god-like figure. Statues, portraits, and praise for Stalin were everywhere.

Gulag

The Soviet system of forced labor camps where millions of people, including political prisoners, were sent during Stalin’s rule. 1920s-1950s. Prisoners were forced to work in harsh conditions on projects like the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Pavlik Morozov

A Soviet martyr who betrayed his family to the authorities for allegedly being “counter-revolutionaries.” He became a symbol of loyalty to the state. 1932.

Great Patriotic War

The Soviet term for World War II, specifically the Eastern Front, where the USSR fought against Nazi Germany. 1941–1945

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

The 1939 non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, which divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. The pact allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.

Operation Barbarossa

The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, which marked the start of the Eastern Front of World War II. June 22, 1941. The Soviet Union fought fiercely but suffered massive losses early in the war.

Stalingrad

A major battle in 1942–1943 between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, marking a turning point in World War II. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad devastated the German army and began the retreat of Nazi forces.

Order No. 227

A Soviet military order issued in 1942 by Stalin, stating that soldiers who retreated would be shot. Known as “Not a Step Back,” it was part of the harsh measures to prevent Soviet defeats.

War of Annihilation

A term used to describe the brutal and genocidal nature of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, aiming to destroy entire populations.

Siege of Leningrad

A brutal 900-day siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) by Nazi forces during World War II, causing immense suffering and death. 1941–1944. Over 1 million people died from hunger and bombing.

Babii Yar

A massacre in 1941 where Nazis killed nearly 34,000 Jews in a ravine near Kyiv, Ukraine.

Holocaust by Bullets

The mass killing of Jews by German Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine.

Secret Speech

A speech delivered by Nikita Khrushchev in Feb 1956 in which he denounced Stalin's crimes and the cult of personality surrounding him. Khrushchev’s speech opened the door for de-Stalinization within the Soviet Union.

Nikita Khrushchev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, known for his role in the de-Stalinization of the USSR and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Thaw

A period of relative liberalization and lessened repression in the Soviet Union under Khrushchev, following Stalin’s death. 1953–1964. Khrushchev’s policies allowed more open discussion of Stalin’s crimes and encouraged artistic freedom.

Stilyagi

A youth subculture in the 1950s–1960s that embraced Western fashion, music, and ideals, often seen as a form of rebellion. Also their love of jazz, which was often criticized by the Soviet government.

Khrushcheby

A term for the cheap, standardized apartment buildings built during Khrushchev’s era to address housing shortages in the Soviet Union.1950s–1960s. They were functional but small and often seen as unattractive.

International Youth Festival

A series of events held in various Soviet cities to promote Soviet ideology among young people from different countries. 1957.

Leonid Brezhnev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, known for his policies of stagnation and his strong focus on military power. A halt in reforms and increased military spending.

Prague Spring

A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968, crushed by a Soviet-led invasion to maintain Soviet control over Eastern Europe.

Brezhnev Doctrine

The policy that the Soviet Union had the right to intervene in any Eastern European country to maintain communist rule.1968

Stagnation

A period of economic and political stagnation under Brezhnev, where reforms were minimal, and the economy grew slowly. 1964–1982. The Soviet economy became less competitive, and corruption grew.

Social Contract

A term describing the relationship between the Soviet government and its citizens during the Brezhnev era, where people were promised a stable life in exchange for political passivity. The Soviet government promised stable jobs and limited consumer goods in exchange for citizens avoiding political engagement.

Gerontocracy

A government run by elderly leaders, which became a characteristic of the Soviet Union during Brezhnev’s rule.1960s–1980s. Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko were all elderly leaders who did not bring about much change.

Irony of Fate

A famous Soviet comedy film from 1975 about a man who accidentally ends up in the wrong city during the New Year, leading to a mix-up. It became one of the most watched Soviet films.

Dissident Movement

A group of intellectuals, writers, and activists who opposed the Soviet regime and sought more freedoms, especially during the Brezhnev era.1960s–1980s. Figures like Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn were part of the dissident movement.

Soviet Bard Music

A genre of protest music that was popular among Soviet dissidents, focusing on themes of personal freedom and discontent with the government.1960s–1980s

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union, known for introducing reforms like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring).

Perestroika

Gorbachev’s policy of economic restructuring aimed at modernizing the Soviet economy in the mid-1980s.

Glasnost

Gorbachev’s policy of openness that allowed more freedom of expression, press, and political speech in the Soviet Union. Glasnost allowed the public to openly criticize the government, leading to greater awareness of the USSR’s problems.

Chernobyl

The 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine, which exposed the dangerous inefficiencies and cover-ups within the Soviet government. Led to widespread radiation exposure and forced the Soviet Union to acknowledge its failings in managing such crises.