Sentence:  Many Americans reacted irrationally to the challenge of <WSD>Russia</WSD> and turned to the repression of ideas by force . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991