Russia and it's rulers- 1- The nature of government-autocracy,dictatorship and totalitarianism

Question 1

autocracy

Answer 1

a system of government in which one person has total power

Question 2

Autocracy in Russia

Answer 2

1855-march 1917, Russia was governed by an autocracy. The Tsars was the name of the rulers of the time and they were part of the Romanov dynasty. It was said that their power was ordinated by god and all Russians had to obey them.

Question 3

constitutional government.

Answer 3

A government that is organised and administrated according to a set of written or unwritten rules

Question 4

paternalistic

Answer 4

protecting the people. the tsar had a paternalistic duty.

Question 5

Russian orthodox church

Answer 5

A branch of Christianity that was very traditional and that as independent from outside authorities such as the papcy.it taught the people to obey the tsar as he was said to be anointed by God.

Question 6

why was Russia governed as an autocracy?

Answer 6

was seen as a practical necessity. because of how vast and diverse Russia is, it was easier for Russia to be governed by one person because a liberal democracy would have been disastrous as too many people would have demanded too many things also majority of the population were illiterate peasants.

Question 7

liberal democracy

Answer 7

a political ideology that promotes the right of the people to exercise freedom of choice. This would include the freedom to speak what one believes in, and the freedom to choose a representative in government.

Question 8

continuity in the belief in autocracy

Answer 8

there was variation of autocratic power but the significance of autocracy was continuously enforced through manifestos, speeches and policies

Question 9

orthodoxy, Autocracy and nationality

Answer 9

the slogan used by the tsars and pobedonostev to justify and explain the conservative nature of tsarist rule

Question 10

fundamental laws

Answer 10

basic laws that reinforced the ideology underpinning tsarist rule.

Question 12

Land captains

Answer 12

Landowners who were appointed, from 1889 onwards, mainly to supervise the work of the regional councils,or zemstva,that had been introduced by Alexander 2nd

Question 13

Dialectical

Answer 13

Relating to the ongoing changes in society from one stage to another

Question 14

Reds

Answer 14

A general term for those who actively supported the bolsheviks during the civil war

Question 15

Whites

Answer 15

A general term for those who actively opposed the bolsheviks during the civil war

Question 16

De-salinisation

Answer 16

The denunciation, by krushchev, of stalins policies

Question 17

Leon Trotsky

Answer 17

A revolutionary, best known for his leading role in securing Bolshevik success during the Russian civil war

Question 18

Cold War

Answer 18

A state of tension and hostility. Between the soviet union and the western powers after the Second World War. However,the hostility did not spill over into actual fighting between the two power blocks

Question 19

Command economy

Answer 19

An economy that is controlled totally by the state

Question 20

Five year plans

Answer 20

These involved setting production targets which were to be achieved on a five-year cycle

Question 21

Collectivisation

Answer 21

A communal system of farming whereby peasants shared resources to produce food, which was then distributed to ensure that local populations were adequately fed. Surpluses were sent to urban populations

Question 22

Bourgeois

Answer 22

Anything associated with the wealth and status of the middle classes

Question 23

Cult of personality

Answer 23

The use of propaganda to build a positive image of a leader so that the population offers total obedience to that leader

Question 24

Megalomania

Answer 24

An individual’s belief that they are very powerful and important

Question 25

Council of ministers

Answer 25

Senior politicians who drafted domestic policies

Question 26

Central committee

Answer 26

The chief decision making group of the Russian communist party

Question 27

Supreme soviet of the USSR

Answer 27

The main law making body in the soviet union

Question 28

Presidium

Answer 28

A small group of ministers rather like the cabinet in the British political system

Question 29

First secretary of the party

Answer 29

The most important administrative officer in the communist party

Question 30

Duopoly

Answer 30

Power in the hands of two people

Question 31

MVD

Answer 31

The secret police that was the successor of the NKGB and the predecessor of the KGB

Question 32

Collective leadership

Answer 32

Rule by a group whereby responsibilities are equally shared out

Question 33

gulags

Answer 33

Labour camps that were used mainly to house political dissidents and those suspected of being anti-communist

Question 34

de-Stalinisation

Answer 34

-release political prisoners from gulags -relaxation on censorship. resulting in criticism in the media of Stalin. -stalins legacy of a cult personality began to erode. images were taken down and statues were removed.

Question 35

the reaction to de-Stalinisation

Answer 35

after the secret speech, there were riots and protests formed by those released from the gulags demanding more freedoms from satellite states. he resisted the use of violence to deal with unrest. MVD maintained order. Khrushchev did however use violence and force were needed proving he was not willing to stray to far from authoritarian rule.