Russian Revolution (1917)
Removed Nicholas II and the Romanovs from power. The new Provisional Government was divided between upper class and socialist members and couldn't accomplish anything. Gave reformers time to reform and do massive land redistribution. Provided an in for the Bolsheviks and Lenin who turned Russia towards full communism. Took Russia out of WWI.
Bolsheviks/Lenin
A very influential and radical Russian socialist party that worked against the provisional government. Thought a Russian socialist revolution would make others follow suit. Seized power in October after claiming the support of the soviets,which they mostly controlled.
Guomindang
The Chinese Nationalist Party. The main enemies of the rising Communist Party. Ruled China after 1928. Promoted an amount of modern development. Faced guerrilla attacks from the CCP. Hold became unstable when the Japanese invaded. Overrun by a growing and popular CCP.
Chinese Revolution
The takeover of Chinese communist powers in 1949. Created an enduring communist power and led later to much innovation and restructuring
Mao Zedong
Leader of the early Chinese Communist Party. Started the Cultural Revolution. Pushed for economic reform and stuck to original socialist model. The Great Leap Forward promoted small scale industrialization in rural areas and for technical education for all in an effort to keep equality.
building socialism
The communist parties creating communist societies. Included modernization and industrialization of their countries and the breakdown of social and class barriers. Ended with totalitarian governments under a privileged few.
Stalin
Communist leader who wielded much power. Committed various crimes against humanity. Tried to create a system of communist states so that it would be tough for America to destroy it as a practice.Imposed it upon neighboring countries forcefully.
Zhenotdel
Created in 1919 in Russia. An organization run by women and pushing for equality under the new communist social framework. Pushed a feminist agenda offering classes and publishing women's newspapers and magazines. Faced heavy resistance from men all over and was abolished by Stalin in 1930.
collectivization
Practice enforced under Stalin. Consolidation of individual enterprises into a greater collective enterprise that could then be controlled by the state. Incorporated nearly all agricultural production.
Cultural Revolution
1966-1969 Mao calls out to the people to rebel against the Communist Party because it is believed that members are being influenced by capitalist culture and are no longer working in the interests of the country. Young people organized into Red Guards and warring groups made Chinese civil war a threat. Badly dscredited socialism.
Great Purges/Terror
Late 1930s in the Soviet Union. Lots of top ranking soviets removed because of supposed corruption by bourgeousi ideas. They became a threat to the movement and thus had to be removed for socialism to advance. Accused of links to Nazis they were often arrested in the middle of the night and killed or sent to gulag.
Cuban missile crisis
The closest we've ever come to nuclear war. Happened because the Soviet Union didn't want America to move in on a communist country so they gave Cuba some missiles. Everybody freaks out and doesn't want to be vaporized so come to terms with the soviets.
Nikita Khrushchev
Successor of Stalin. Exposed the crimes of Stalin who was thought to be an infallible character. Led the SU through most of the cold war.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Last leader of the SU. Member of a reformist soviet group. Came to power in 1985. Tried to revive a dying socialism through radical economic and political reforms. Doesn't work out too well. Following the overthrow of nearby communist nations seen as a traitor.
Deng Xiaoping
Succeeded Mao. Strove for political stability and economic growth. Made an economic shift to small scale enterprise. Removed a number of restricting economic policies. Held on to communist political monopoly.
perestroika/glasnost
Restructuring and openness. Instituted by Gorbachev to solve SU's problems with stagnation. Perestroika removed the government from business affairs allowing them to grow themselves. Glasnost removed censorship and restriction on political ideas allowing for revolutionary and democratic thought.