Russia, Italy & Japan - Terms Flashcards
Liberal Democracy
A form of democratic government where liberal freedoms - meaning freedom of religion, freedom of the press and free enterprise - are valued and protected
Representative Government
Government run by elected officials
Cold War
A state of geopolitical tension that arose after the Second World War between powers in the Communist nations of the Eastern Bloc and capitalist-democratic powers in the West
Great Depression
A period of severe economic downturn that began in the United State and quickly spread around the world during the 1930s & 40s
Socialism
Belief in a society where wealth is shared through public ownership instead of private ownership of property
Tsarist
Relating to the monarchial government of Russia
Government Camps
Camps set up to house political prisoners who were thought to be a threat to Tsarist Russia, often in remote regions
Elite
A small, select group of leaders in their field
Provisional
Temporary, subject to change
Autocrat
A ruler who has absolute power
Collectivisation
The Stalinist plan to bring all farmland under collective communist government control
Stalinism
The authoritarian dictatorship established by Joseph Stalin in Russia; also describes any harsh & repressive form of government
Cult of Personality
A term that became associated with the political leadership in a number of regimes where faith in the greatness and wisdom of the leader was the key to holding power
Gulag
An acronym for the agency in charge of the Soviet labour camps; the term has come to also refer to the camps themselves
Purge
To remove opponents or potential opponents by force
Central Committee of the Communist Party
The high-level governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, from which the Inner Politburo drew its members
Capitalism
An economic system in which businesses and industry are run for profit by private owners, with minimal government involvement; this ideology was characteristic of Western economies
Executive Power
Power that rests with a small group
Meiji Restoration
The return of imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji; part of the modernisation of Japan
Factionalism
Arguments/disputes between two or more small groups within a larger party or organisation
Oligarchy
A small group of people having control of a country
Bureaucracy
Any group of administrators; they can be part of the government or the administration of any large organisation
Vilify
A propaganda technique where an opponent is presented as a complete villain and figure of evil
Comintern
an international agency set up by the Russians in 1919 to coordinate the activities of the Communist parties throughout the world; otherwise known as the ‘Third International’
