History glossary
Cheka
the early Soviet secret police founded in December 1917 to defend Bolshevik rule.
- Category
- Institution
- Region
- Soviet Russia
- Date range
- 1917-1922
What it means
The Cheka was the early Soviet secret police created in December 1917. It used arrests, executions, hostage-taking, and surveillance against real and perceived enemies of Bolshevik rule, helping establish political terror as a tool of the new state.
