The emergence of Communist dictatorship, 1917–1941 (A-level only) key terms

War Communism

The economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War (1918-1921), characterized by state control of the economy.

Five-Year Plans

State-directed economic plans initiated by Stalin to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union, beginning in 1928.

Cheka

The Cheka was the Bolshevik secret police established in December 1917 to suppress opposition and maintain state security.

War Communism

War Communism was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War (1918-1921), characterized by the nationalization of industry and the requisitioning of agricultural produce.

Collectivisation

The policy of consolidating individual landholdings into collective farms, aimed at increasing agricultural efficiency and production.

Industrialisation

The process of transforming an economy from primarily agricultural to one based on the manufacturing of goods.

Proletariat

The working-class people who, according to Marxist theory, would rise up against the bourgeoisie to establish a classless society.

Bolshevik

A faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party led by Lenin, which seized power in the October Revolution of 1917.

Show Trials

Public trials held in the Soviet Union during the Great Purge to demonstrate the guilt of political opponents and justify their execution.

Gulag

A government agency that administered forced labor camps in the Soviet Union, where millions were imprisoned during Stalin's regime.

Collectivization

The policy of consolidating individual landholdings into collective farms, aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and state control.

Five-Year Plans

State-directed economic plans introduced by Stalin to industrialize the Soviet Union rapidly, focusing on heavy industry and collectivization.