This was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of a major city in Southern Russia. It is often regarded as one of the single largest (nearly 2.2 million personnel) and bloodiest (1.2 million people killed; 1.7–2 million wounded, killed or captured) battles in the history of warfare. Considered a major turning point in the war.

This person inspired the ideas of communism. He helped write an influential book called The Communist Manifesto. His main hope was to unite the workers and create a society of equality. He died before the Russian Revolution started.

In this type of government/economic & political system, all people are supposed to be equal; no owners, no rich, and no poor. The government owns everything, and each person's work is paid according to their abilities as well as their needs. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels came up with this idea.

This Party was founded by Lenin and was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. They are the ones who seized power during the October Revolution of 1917, and officially transformed Russia into the Soviet Union.

Between 1936 and 1938, three huge Moscow trials of Communist Party leaders were held. The defendants were accused of working against Stalin. Although the trials were shown publicly, the outcomes were already decided before the trials started. Also, during this time, almost all of the Bolsheviks who played big roles in the Revolution of 1917 were executed. During the worst part of this time, there was an average of 1,000 executions a day, and close to a million people were killed overall.

In this type of government/economic & political system, private actors are the owners and are in control of all production. People are able to achieve “the American Dream;” to become rich, no matter who they are. However, the form of government also allows for some to be very poor. There is often much inequality.

A good politician, but not as educated or as well-spoken as his main opponent. From a poor family. Studied to become a priest. His name translates into "Man of Steel." He became the leader of the communist party after Lenin died, and he was known for being a cruel, brutal, and corrupt dictator of the Soviet Union. He executed all who opposed him.

Also known as Eric Arthur Blair, this man wrote Animal Farm and 1984. He was English, but he was born in India. Died in 1950 of tuberculosis.

This group of people supported Stalin in carrying out his attacks. Their primary purpose was to protect the Soviet government and spy on other countries. They would often use force and were known for killing entire families for disobedience. Part of their role was as a secret police.