Glossary
Agrarian: Relating to agriculture, crops, methods of farming or those workers employed on the land.
Anarchism: “a political movement aiming to overthrow governmental authority and replace it with the voluntary cooperation of groups and individuals working for the common good” (Anderson, Low & Keese, 2007, p.199).
Anti-Semitism: Hostility or hatred towards peoples of Jewish origin, based solely on their religion.
Autocracy: A system of government where all political power and sovereignty is vested in a single ruler, called an autocrat.
Bolshevism: An ideology advocating the seizure of power by a revolutionary elite in the name of the proletariat.
Bureaucracy: “officials appointed to put political decisions into practice” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.47)
Capitalism: An economic system that encourages individuals to make profits through investments and the private ownership of goods, property and the means of production, distribution and exchange
Commune: “the main system for organising farming between 1861 and 1905. Each Russian commune owned the land its peasants worked and its village council organised the farming tasks” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.46).
Communism: A theory or system of social organisation promoting shared ownership of property and the means of production by the community as a whole or the state.
Democracy: “government by elected representatives of the people” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Duma: “an elected parliament for Russia, with the power to make laws” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.48)
Imperialism: "the practise of increasing a nation's power by taking control of other nations and their resources" (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.188).
Industrialisation: “production of goods using machinery rather than manual labour and the growth of industries rather than agriculture as the basis of the nation’s economy” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.43)
Liberalism: “a view that supported individuals’ rights and freedoms, a system of parliamentary democracy and a free enterprise economy” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Marxism: A political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels that called for the abolition of private property and emphasised the role of the state in providing work and benefits for all leading eventually to a socialist order and a classless society.
Nationalism: The promotion of the interests of one's own nation above all others.
Proletariat: The working or unpropertied class who rely on the sale of their labour for an income.
Russification: The policy of restricting the influence of non-Russian minorities by emphasising the superiority of all things Russian.
Serf: A peasant who is bound to the land, and so in legal terms is owned by the landowner.
Socialism: “a doctrine promoting the people’s ownership of a nation’s resources and the redistribution of its wealth” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Soviet: A council of working class delegates, each selected to represent their work unit (for example, a factory, mine or military unit).
Tsar: The title given to the emperor of Russia, who held absolute power. Also Tzar or Czar.
Urbanisation: “the growth of cities as people move to them to find work outside the rural environment” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.47)
Zemstvo: A representative local council.
Anarchism: “a political movement aiming to overthrow governmental authority and replace it with the voluntary cooperation of groups and individuals working for the common good” (Anderson, Low & Keese, 2007, p.199).
Anti-Semitism: Hostility or hatred towards peoples of Jewish origin, based solely on their religion.
Autocracy: A system of government where all political power and sovereignty is vested in a single ruler, called an autocrat.
Bolshevism: An ideology advocating the seizure of power by a revolutionary elite in the name of the proletariat.
Bureaucracy: “officials appointed to put political decisions into practice” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.47)
Capitalism: An economic system that encourages individuals to make profits through investments and the private ownership of goods, property and the means of production, distribution and exchange
Commune: “the main system for organising farming between 1861 and 1905. Each Russian commune owned the land its peasants worked and its village council organised the farming tasks” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.46).
Communism: A theory or system of social organisation promoting shared ownership of property and the means of production by the community as a whole or the state.
Democracy: “government by elected representatives of the people” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Duma: “an elected parliament for Russia, with the power to make laws” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.48)
Imperialism: "the practise of increasing a nation's power by taking control of other nations and their resources" (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.188).
Industrialisation: “production of goods using machinery rather than manual labour and the growth of industries rather than agriculture as the basis of the nation’s economy” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.43)
Liberalism: “a view that supported individuals’ rights and freedoms, a system of parliamentary democracy and a free enterprise economy” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Marxism: A political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels that called for the abolition of private property and emphasised the role of the state in providing work and benefits for all leading eventually to a socialist order and a classless society.
Nationalism: The promotion of the interests of one's own nation above all others.
Proletariat: The working or unpropertied class who rely on the sale of their labour for an income.
Russification: The policy of restricting the influence of non-Russian minorities by emphasising the superiority of all things Russian.
Serf: A peasant who is bound to the land, and so in legal terms is owned by the landowner.
Socialism: “a doctrine promoting the people’s ownership of a nation’s resources and the redistribution of its wealth” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.45)
Soviet: A council of working class delegates, each selected to represent their work unit (for example, a factory, mine or military unit).
Tsar: The title given to the emperor of Russia, who held absolute power. Also Tzar or Czar.
Urbanisation: “the growth of cities as people move to them to find work outside the rural environment” (Anderson et.al., 2007, p.47)
Zemstvo: A representative local council.
References for this page
Anderson, M., Low, A. & I. Keese (2007). Retrospective: Year 11 Modern History. Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Llewellyn, J., Rae, J., Thompson, S. (2014). Russian Revolution Glossary. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/russian-revolution-glossary-m-z/
Anderson, M., Low, A. & I. Keese (2007). Retrospective: Year 11 Modern History. Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Llewellyn, J., Rae, J., Thompson, S. (2014). Russian Revolution Glossary. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/russian-revolution-glossary-m-z/