The Russian Revolution

How the USSR was created.

Russia

Very large country. Location: Eastern

Europe and Northern Asia

1900

Tsar Nicolas II Of the “Romanov”

family. The last “emperor” of

Russia. He had very little

experience of government and was portrayed as a failure

He was thought of as weak and contradicting

World War I

1914 -1917 Russia suffers

horribly. The poor resent the

rule of the rich Romanov family.

Outdated economy– Farms– Railways not

developed

February 1917 Revolution

Protests & strikes against the war and food shortages in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).

Turns violent, eventually police & soldiers join with strikers.

Tsar Nicolas II steps down.

Provisional government is set up.

Communism

Karl Marx German philosopher,

political scientist Writes “The

Communist Manifesto” The workers own the

factory or farm “communally.”

The opposite of capitalism.

Revolutionaries Split into 2 Groups

Mensheviks (minority)

Bolsheviks (majority)

Led by a talented debater, brilliant organizer, named Vladimir Ulyanov a.k.a. Vladimir Lenin

Communism in Russia

Lenin Leader of the

“Bolshevik” party Trotsky

Leon Trotsky

Educated Powerful speaker Lost the power

struggle. Stalin exiled

Trotsky and his family from Russia.

Finally had him killed in Mexico.

October 1917 Revolution

Lenin leads the Bolsheviks to oust the provisional government & take over.

Trotsky leads Bolsheviks in St. Petersburg.

Create the USSR – The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Capital is moved to Moscow.

The USSR

Tsar Nicolas II and his family are murdered July 1918.

Lenin dies 1924. Power struggle

between Trotsky & Stalin.

Stalin wins.

Josef Stalin (1879-1953) Described as ruthless Wanted to make Russia

a modern industrial power.

Believed in collectivization: the belief that all land, means of production, and distribution of such should be left up to the government.

Stalin’s “Great Purge”

Stalin gets rid of all competition.

Stalin executes all of the other leaders of the October 1917 revolution.

Trotsky is exiled and eventually assassinated in 1940.

Stalin’s rule, continued

Propaganda and censors.

They literally re-write history.

Stalin’s 5-year plan

Farms are “collectivized” to finance new industry.

Must meet a gov’t quota.

Starvation in the Ukraine section of the USSR.

Between executions & starvation Stalin is responsible for several million deaths.

USSR

The USSR was lead by the Communist Party until 1989.

-ISMS Socialism: You have 2 cows. Give 1 cow to your neighbor. Communism: You have 2 cows. Give both cows to the

government, and they may give you some of the milk. Fascism: You have 2 cows. You give all of the milk to the

government, and the government sells it. Nazism: You have 2 cows. The government shoots you and

takes both cows.

Anarchism: You have 2 cows. Keep both of the cows, shoot the government agent, and steal another cow.

Capitalism: You have 2 cows. Sell one cow and buy a bull. Surrealism: You have 2 giraffes. The government makes

you take harmonic lessons.

Other Russian terms you should know

Pravda: the official propaganda tool of the Communist Party.

Propaganda: language or advertising that tries to persuade you to do something/change

“The Internationale”: the Communist national anthem.

Kremlin: the official headquarters of the party.

KGB: the secret police

Why are we discussing this?

Animal Farm = USSR Mr. Jones - Tzar Nicholas II Old Major = Marx/Lenin Snowball = Trotsky Napoleon = Stalin The pigs = The Communist Party Boxer & the animals = the workers of

Russia Dogs = KGB/Secret Police

Animal Farm by George Orwell

An allegory illustrating the way Stalin betrayed the principals of the Russian Revolution.

George Orwell is campaigning against Stalin’s Totalitarian government.

Written in 1944, during WWII, when the UK and USA allied with Stalin to defeat Hitler.

TERMS

Allegory - a story in which the characters, setting and events stand for abstract or moral concepts

Fable – a short mean to teach a moral – usually uses animals

Utopia – an ideal society or perfect existence for man or earth

Terms (cont) Totalitarianism – government in which one political party

aims at total control over people– Organized violence or police terror – force used to crush

opposition– Censorship – only official versions of information are

allowed– State control over individual - demanding everyone

unquestionably loyal to state– Single strong leader – glorified or deified. Elevated to

god-like status– State control over society - business, education, family,

housing, religion– Ideology of state – glorified aims of state used to justify

everything– Dictatorship – one party rules with absolute control

Is it still relevant today?

You decide.