Vocabulary and Concepts related to the October Revolution

Key Terms:

• Bolsheviks: A faction of the Russian socialist movement led by Vladimir Lenin, who seized power in October 1917.
• Provisional Government: The temporary government established after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II.
• Red Guards: Armed groups of workers and soldiers loyal to the Bolsheviks.
• Decree on Peace: Lenin's call for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal from WWI.
• Decree on Land: Bolsheviks' policy to redistribute land among peasants.

Concepts:

• Revolutionary Change: The process of overthrowing existing government structures.
• Class Struggle: The conflict between different social classes, central to Marxist theory.
• Legitimacy: The acceptance and recognition of political authority.
• Propaganda: Information used to promote or publicize political ideas.

Source:

'The October Revolution marked the Bolsheviks’ successful overthrow of the provisional government, leading to the establishment of a communist state.' Provenance: Summary from a history textbook, 2020.