Key Concepts and Timeline of the Russian Revolution and USSR
Key Concepts of the Russian Revolution and Soviet History
Political Factions and Ideologies
Mensheviks
A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) opposed to Tsarist rule. This group argued that Russia must first undergo a bourgeois revolution and develop a capitalist economy before achieving a socialist state. They conceived of the revolution as a mass organization open to militants and sympathizers.
Bolsheviks
A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP). Their goal was the defeat of Tsarism and the establishment of a "revolutionary democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry." They conceived of the party as a tightly disciplined organization whose militants had to follow the program and devote themselves entirely to the party.
Eseritas (Socialist Revolutionaries)
Members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR), heirs to the Populist movement. They desired a peasant revolution but initially believed a phase of capitalist development was necessary beforehand.
Cadets (Constitutional Democratic Party)
A liberal democratic constitutional party. They sought to transform the Tsarist regime into a constitutional system where individual rights were respected.
Trotskyism
The ideology of Leon Trotsky's followers. They advocated for establishing a genuine workers' democracy, restoring freedom of expression, and applying the principle of electing officials rather than appointing the most submissive.
Institutions and Social Classes
Soviet
A Russian word meaning assembly, council, or committee.
Duma
The Russian parliament during the Tsarist era.
Kulak
A term used to describe relatively prosperous peasants (yeomanry class). They were severely persecuted during Stalin's dictatorship for opposing the collectivization of land.
Nomenklatura
The formation of privileged bureaucrats composed of Communist Party officials. They enjoyed a superior lifestyle and power far exceeding the rest of the population.
Military and Repression
Whites (White Army)
Troops organized primarily by former Tsarist officers. They led the armed resistance against the Bolsheviks, leading to the outbreak of the Russian Civil War in 1918.
Red Army
The army organized by Leon Trotsky to defend the Communist Revolution. They fought against the Whites during the Russian Civil War.
NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs)
The political police force created by Stalin in 1934 to exert state repression.
Gulag
A system of forced labor and prison camps throughout the USSR, notably in Siberia.
International Communism
Comintern (Third International)
Also known as the Communist International. Founded in Moscow in 1919, it was an organization responsible for promoting global communist revolution.
Chronology of the Russian Revolution and USSR Formation
1905
The 1905 Revolution begins, following Russia's defeat against Japan and the events of Bloody Sunday.
1914
Russia enters World War I.
1917
The abolition of the Russian Tsar (February Revolution). The Bourgeois Revolution occurs, followed by the Bolshevik Revolution (October Revolution). Russia withdraws from World War I.
1918
Signing of the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
1919
Foundation of the Third International (Comintern).
1921–1928
Implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP).
1922
Birth of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
1924
Death of Vladimir Lenin. The first Constitution of the USSR is adopted.
1929
Expulsion of Leon Trotsky from the USSR. Joseph Stalin consolidates power.
1936–1939
The Moscow Trials (Great Purge).