Key Concepts of 20th Century History: 1917-1945

Bolsheviks: Origins and Ideology

The Bolsheviks were a Russian socialist party that supported Marxism-Leninism. Their ideology held that it was possible to perform a revolution and establish a socialist regime without waiting for the collapse of capitalism. In 1918, they renamed themselves the Communist Party. Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks. He played an important role in the Revolution of 1905 but was forced into exile in Switzerland until his return to Russia in April 1917.

The October Revolution of 1917

The October Revolution was the second phase of the internal revolt that occurred in Russia in 1917. It was organized by the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin. This revolution was essentially a coup against the Russian Republic created in February of that year. The first measures taken by the Bolsheviks in power were the October Decrees, which included:

• Negotiating a peace treaty to abandon World War I (WWI).
• The confiscation of land and giving it to the peasants.
• Creation of a new government structure.

The Third International (Comintern)

The Third International, also known as the Comintern, was an organization created to promote communism worldwide. It was formed by several communist parties, but they primarily obeyed the directives of the Bolsheviks (later the Soviet Communist Party). It existed between 1919 and 1943.

Black Thursday and the Great Depression

Black Thursday refers to the stock market crash on Wall Street that occurred on October 24, 1929. It marked the beginning of the worst economic crisis in history, known as the Great Depression. The primary cause was the maintenance of very low interest rates for too long, which produced widespread overinvestment and bad investment, especially rampant stock market speculation.

Keynesianism: Economic Theory

Keynesianism is an economic school of thought based on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was a highly influential British economist who published his seminal work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (often shortened to The General Theory), in 1936.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. He had to face two main problems in the USA during the 20th century: the Great Depression and World War II (WWII).

Benito Mussolini: Rise to Dictatorship

Benito Mussolini was an Italian journalist, politician, and eventually dictator. When he was young, he was a member of the Socialist Party, but after World War I (WWI), he evolved toward nationalist positions.

Fasci di Combattimento (Blackshirts)

The Fasci di Combattimento were paramilitary groups created starting in 1919 by Mussolini. Their primary functions included:

• Intimidating the populace.
• Forcing industrial workers to abandon their strikes.
• Forcing peasants to leave the lands they had occupied.

They were commonly called the Blackshirts because of the color of their uniform.

The March on Rome (1922)

The March on Rome was a parade organized by Mussolini at the end of 1922 to force King Victor Emmanuel III to appoint him as Prime Minister. Since that moment, Mussolini started dismantling the political system from within, and Italy eventually converted into a dictatorship.