The collapse of autocracy, 1894–1917 Key Terms

Duma

A legislative assembly in Russia, established after the 1905 Revolution, intended to provide a degree of political representation.

Autocracy

A system of government in which one person has absolute power; in Russia, this was exemplified by the rule of Tsar Nicholas II.

Emancipation of the Serfs

The 1861 reform that abolished serfdom in Russia, granting peasants personal freedom and some land rights.

Industrialization

The process of developing industries in a country or region, which in Russia involved significant growth in manufacturing and infrastructure before 1914.

Autocracy

A system of government in which one person has absolute power, as seen in Tsarist Russia.

Intelligentsia

The intellectual elite of Russia, often involved in political and social reform movements.

Autocracy

A system of government in which one person possesses unlimited power, often seen in Tsarist Russia.

Duma

The legislative assembly in the Russian Empire, established after the 1905 Revolution, intended to provide a degree of political representation.

Autocracy

A system of government in which one person has absolute power.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party that seized power in the October Revolution of 1917.

Bolshevik

A member of the radical socialist faction led by Lenin that seized power in Russia during the October Revolution of 1917.

Provisional Government

The temporary government established in Russia after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917, which struggled to maintain authority and address key issues.