Felix Dzerzhinsky

Felix Dzerzhinsky was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet official, best known for founding and leading the Cheka, the Soviet secret police established after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Under his leadership, the Cheka carried out political repression, arrests, and executions to solidify Bolshevik control and suppress opposition. Dzerzhinsky believed in radical measures to defend the revolution and maintain Soviet power. He played a key role in establishing the Soviet security apparatus, shaping policies of political repression during the early Soviet era. His work remains historically significant in understanding Soviet authoritarian methods and political history.