Animal Farm
Background and History
Russian Society
Russia was in an
appalling state of
poverty while the Czar
lived in luxury. There
was tremendous
dissatisfaction.
Czar Nicholas II
A poor leader at best, compared to western
leaders
Cruel - sometimes brutal with opponents
Sometimes kind - hired students as spies to
make $
Believed he was the unquestionable leader
of Russia appointed by God.
Had unarmed protesters murdered in the
streets in 1905.
Karl Marx:
The Father of Communism
Marx believed that the private ownership of
land must be abolished.
Believed in “Communal” way of life where
everyone shares in prosperity.
Invented Communism
“Workers of the world unite", take over
gov't
Dies before Russian Revolution
Communism: All people are equal. The
Government owns everything, the people
own the government.
Lenin
Lenin adopted Marx’s ideas. He believed
that the bourgeoisie (middle class)
exploited the workers and must
therefore be overthrown.
Lenin understood the emotional impact
of simple, powerful slogans like workers
of the world unite.
Changed Russia’s name to the USSR.
It is believed Lenin ordered Nicholas II
murdered.
When Lenin died, there was a power
struggle between Trotsky and Stalin.
Leon Trotsky
One of the leaders of "October
Revolution“ along with Lenin and
Stalin
 Believed in “pure” communism,
followed Marx
Trotsky was a brilliant speaker. With
Lenin he succeeded in overthrowing
the government in October 1917.
Lenin was the President, Trotsky the
Commissar for Foreign Affairs.
Trotsky
Wanted to improve life for
all in Russia
Chased away by Lenin's
KGB (Lenin's secret police)
Trotsky favored world
revolution.
Commissar
Former name of a head of
a government department
in the Soviet Union. Like
Secretary of State Colin
Powell
Civil War
From 1918 –1921 there was
civil war. Foreign countries
including Britain, France,
Poland and USA were alarmed
at the spread of communism
but the Red Army (the
Bolsheviks) led by Trotsky
proved successful.
Joseph Stalin
Average speaker, not educated like Trotsky
Did not exactly follow Marx's ideas
Continually opposed Trotsky
Craved power, willing to kill for power
Used KGB, allowed church, and
propagandized
Benefited from the fact that education was
controlled
Propaganda Department
of Stalin’s government
Worked for Stalin to support
his image
Lied to convince the people to
follow Stalin
Stalin takes Control
In his sinister way, Stalin secured his
power base, and engineered the
permanent exile of Trotsky in 1929.
The exiled Trotsky was still very
useful to Stalin as he now had
Trotsky to blame for all the problems
and difficulties that Russia suffered.
Politburo :
This was the policy-making
body of the Communist party’s
Central Committee.
In reality it was merely a force
to carry out Stalin’s orders
and secure his position as
dictator.
Cheka/OGPU/NKVD/KGB
These were the various
names/initials given to the
secret police during Stalin’s
dictatorship.
KGB - Secret Police
Not really police, but forced all
to support Stalin
Used force, often killed entire
families for disobedience
Totally loyal, part of Lenin's
power, even over army
Religion
Marx said religion was the
"Opiate of the people" and a lie.
Religion was tolerated because
people would work and not
complain.
Stalin knew religion would stop
violent revolutions.
Dedicated, but tricked
communist supporters
People believed Stalin because he
was "Communist"
Many stayed loyal after it was
obvious Stalin a tyrant
Betrayed by Stalin who ignored and
killed them
Overall details of Russian
Revolution
Supposed to fix
problems from Czar
Life was even worse
long after revolution
Stalin made Czar look
like a nice guy
Kulaks
These were the land-owning
peasants who did not want
their farms to be
collectivized after the
revolution.
From 1929, Stalin began to
exterminate them as a class.
5 Year Plans
From 1927-1932, new
economic plans,
called the five-year
plans, were
introduced. The
purpose was to
improve industry
Germany and Great Britain
 Stalin negotiated with both Germany
and Great Britain.
 The Russo-German pact of August 1939
allowed Russia to occupy eastern Poland
while Germany occupied the rest.
 On 22 June, 1941, Germany attacked
her ally Russia without warning. Thus the
unholy alliance between Nazism and
Communism fell apart and Russia formed
an alliance with Britain and the USA.
Cold War begins
The Tehran conference in
1943 presented the Soviet
Union, Britain and America as
allies. However, by the end of
the Second World War, the
Soviet Union became an
enemy of its allies as the Cold
War intensified.
Animal Farm &
Historical Parallels
 Old Major: Representative of Marxism. Parallel
with Vladimir Lenin, leader of the November 1912
Revolution.
 Farmer Jones: Representative of the “old order.”
Parallel with Czar Nicolas II.
 Moses, the Raven: Representative of organized
religion (i.e. Sugar Candy Mountain”). Parallel
with the Patriarch (leader) of the Russian
Orthodox Church.
 Napoleon: Represents the new revolutionary
order. Parallel with Joseph Stalin.
Animal Farm &
Historical Parallels (cont.)
 Snowball: Represents defending and spreading
the revolution. Parallels Leon Trotsky, leader of
the Red Army.
 Squealer: Spreads all of Napoleon's propaganda,
including using demonstrations (sheep). Parallel
with Pravda, the official newspaper of the Soviet
government.
 Napoleon’s Dogs: Protect Napoleon, carry out
executions, enforces his decrees. Parallel with the
Cheka and KGB (Soviet secret police).
Animal Farm &
Historical Parallels (cont.)
 Pilkington and Foxwood Farm: Becomes friend
and ally of Napoleon and Animal Farm. Parallel
with Churchill (prime minister) and England.
 Fredrick and Pinchfield Farm: Represents
competition with Animal Farm. Parallel with Hitler
(Fuhrer) and Nazi Germany.
 Boxer: Represented the workforce. Parallel the
Russian proletariat (working class).
 Mollie, the cart horse: Represents the luxury of the
“old order”. Parallels the Russian bourgeoisie
(middle class).
Animal Farm &
Historical Parallels (cont.)
 Mr. Whymper, the broker: Represents “outsiders”
who support the rebellion at Animal farm.
Parallels foreign agents of the Comintern, an
acronym for the Communist Internationale,
created to spread the revolution.
 Pigeons: Were sent to other farms to spread the
rebellion from Animal Farm. Parallel with the
Communist Internationale, also called the
Comintern.
 4 Young Pigs: Redirect Napoleon's ideas and are
executed. Parallel with the White Russian Army.
Events of Animal Farm
and their Historical Parallels
 Battle of Cowshed
Attempt by the humans to reclaim Animal Farm
and crush the animals’ rebellion. Parallels the British
invasion of Russia at Arcangel aimed at removing
Lenin and the revolutionary government.
 Chasing Away Farmer Jones
Riding the farm of all human control. Represents
the end of the “old order”. Parallels the removal
and execution of Nicholas and his family.
Events of Animal Farm
and their Historical Parallels
 Napoleon takes over the farm
Napolean succeeds Old Major, the pig who had
inspired the animals to revolt. Parallels Stalin
becoming Soviet dictator in 1926.
 Building the windmill
Creating economic self-sufficiency for the farm.
Parallels with Stalin’s 5-Year Plan (NEP)
Events of Animal Farm
and their Historical Parallels
 Selling the wood
Wood from Animal Farm was sold to Frederick who
paid in counterfeit money. Parallels Nazi-Soviet
pact.
 Battle of Windmill
 Attack led by the humans to destroy the windmill
built by the animals. Parallel with the Battle of
Stalingrad (German invasion of Russia during
WWII).
Events of Animal Farm
and their Historical Parallels
 Old Major’s Skull
Was dug up and placed in a prominent place in
the farmyard. Parallels Lenin’s embalmed body
placed on display in Red Square (Lenin’s Tomb).
 Hoof and horn on the flag
Animal Farm flies a green flag with a hoof and
horn. Parallels the Soviet flag with the hammer and
sickle.
Events of Animal Farm
and their Historical Parallels
 Confessions/Executions
Confessions of animals (chickens, pigs) to crimes
against Animal Farm. Executions of those animals
carried out by Napoleon’s dogs. Parallels Stalin’s
purges of 1936-38.
 Final Scene of Animal Farm
Meeting of pigs and men. Animals watching can’t tell
the difference between them. Parallels the Tehran
Conference of 1942 between Franklin Roosevelt,
Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. This conference
made concessions to the Soviet Union, as well as
supporting the independence of Iran.
The Author: George Orwell
His Early life
 Originally Eric Arthur Blair
 Wanted a “manly, English, country
sounding ring”
 Lived in India as a child- lonely- made up
stories
 Did not go to university
 Worked for the Indian Imperial Police
Writing Career
 Returned to
England after
illness
 Started writing
newspaper
columns, novels,
essays, and radio
broadcasts
Politics
 His views were affected
by fighting the Spanish
civil war.
 Viewed socialists,
communists and fascists
as self serving and
repressive
 Supported England in
WWII
Animal Farm
 Orwell spoke his
mind.
 Criticised the
soviet union
 At first no-one
would publish his
novel.
How it came about
 Once, he saw a boy whipping a horse.
 “It struck me that if only such animals
became aware of their strength we
should have no power over them, and
that men exploit animals in the same
way as the rich exploit the worker”. (From
Orwell’s Preface to Ukrainian translation
of ‘Animal Farm’)