Animal Farm
Notes

Satire –

Animal Farm is a satirical novel that warns against the dangers of _________________

Compares its main characters to key players in the Russian Revolution.
What is the Russian Revolution?

In 1917, the workers in Russia overthrew the czar (__________) and formed a
provisional (________________) government.

Until this time, Russia had an extreme class system in which _________ of the
population was poor.
Czar Nicholas II

Became Czar in 1894

Absolute __________; unlimited ___________

___________ personality

Ignored __________ of the people

Often left wife, Czarina Alexandra, and her advisor Rasputin in charge.
The People

Majority of Russians were ___________ and ___________________

Most peasants did not own the land they farmed

Factory workers endured _______________, low pay, and ___________ working
conditions
February Revolution

Russia was doing poorly in WWI

Faced severe ________ shortages, ___________, and protests

February 23-24, 1917: Peaceful demonstrations asking for “____________________”
turned violent
1
Animal Farm
Notes

Riots forced Czar Nicholas II to _____________ the throne.

Provisional government put into place

The PROBLEM:
1. Provisional government ________________ the war
2. Peasants still without _______________.
October Revolution

Bolshevik Party gains support of _________________ with promise of ___________

Led by Vladamir Lenin, with slogans such as “____________, _____________, and
_____________” the Bolsheviks take over the provisional government

Lenin redistributes land to the peasants
1918

Russia officially pulls out of WWI

Bolsheviks order the _________________ of Czar Nicholas II and his family

Russia shifts from the rule of __________ to the rule of a _________
Rise of Communism

Communism comes from a theory by Karl Marx and says that all people should be
____________ and there should be no ___________. Everyone should work for the
good of the ___________ and wealth would be equally ___________ amongst all
citizens.
The Years Following

The Communist Party wins a civil war and Russia is renamed the Union of Social Soviet
Republics (USSR)

1926: _____________________ takes over as the leader of the USSR a few years after
Lenin’s death

Russia emerges as one of the world’s ______________
2
Animal Farm
Notes
3
Animal Farm
Notes
Key Players in Communism
Karl Marx

German philosopher and economist

Developed theory of _____________, from which Communism is formed

Encourages society with no social __________
Vladimir Lenin

Leader of Bolshevik party that overthrew provisional government

Ruthless, but __________

Made several social changes before being wounded in ______________________

Never fully recovered
Leon Trotsky

Worked alongside Vladimir Lenin during the Russian Revolution

Was put in charge of “________________”

Pushed out of office when ________ took over

Exiled to ________________
Joseph Stalin

Was not a key player in the revolution, but rose to power after

One of the most ______________ dictators in history

1930’s – conducted purges, killing “enemies of the people”
Who’s Who?





Mr. Jones = Czar Nicolas II
Old Major = Karl Marx
Snowball = Leon Trotsky
Napoleon = Joseph Stalin
Squealer = news media
4
Animal Farm
Notes



Pigs = loyal followers of Stalin
Dogs = Police; military
Boxer = working class
Symbolism
 Farmhouse = the Kremlin (Czar’s home)
 Gun/Flag = overthrow of government
 Battle of Cowshed – Russian Civil War
 Sugarcandy Mountain = heaven
 Ribbons & Sugar = luxuries from the old life
 Windmill = Soviet industry
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