Dzerzhinsky, Felix

Felix Dzerzhinsky was a Polish-born Soviet revolutionary and Bolshevik leader, best known for founding and leading the Cheka, the Soviet secret police established in 1917. The Cheka's role was to suppress political opposition and eliminate perceived enemies of the early Soviet state through surveillance, arrests, and executions. Dzerzhinsky was committed to the Communist cause and played a key role in consolidating Bolshevik power after the Russian Revolution. His actions and leadership in these early years contributed significantly to the establishment of authoritarian control in the Soviet Union.