On October 24, 1917…
• The Bolshevik Political
Party staged on armed
insurrection against the
Provisional Government
in an uprising that
became known as the
Russian Revolution.
• The Revolution brought
the Vladimir Lenin and
his Communists to
power.
Basics of Communism
• Marx claimed it to be
completely unfair, that in
capitalism the world is
ruled by rich people (who
only make up about 5 % of
the society).
• Marx`s vision was to let
the people who really are
the great majority rule: the
middle and working class.
German Philosopher: Karl Marx
The
Eastern
Block
AKA:
The Iron
Curtain
AKA:
The
USSR
and its
satellite
countries
• Communism is
basically the
revolution of the
proletariat (poor,
working class)
against the
bourgeoisie
(middleclass
landholders who
conform to social
conventions and
traditions because
they are
profitable).
Russian Revolution leader: Vladimir Lenin
• 1. ALL citizens are the
same. no one superior or
inferior – regardless of
race, cultural
background, gender, or
religion you have.
• 2. Everybody must be
treated equally especially in terms of
money and wealth.
Communism wants every
citizens to have the same
salary
• 3. Same salaries are
something good,
because every job is
worth the same.
Cleaning public toilets
is not worth less than a
being a business
executive. Our society
needs BOTH of them.
A young Joseph Stalin:
Raised by and abusive
and alcoholic father
Lenin’s
mummified
body is on
display in a
mausoleum
• 4. Everything (especially the economy) is ruled
by the government. In comparison to capitalism
and a free market, in communism all the
money and all the companies belong to the
state. This way the government can make
sure, that everybody gets treated equally.
One job: Give Lenin’s body its yearly
bath and rubberized coating…
• 5. The
government
also decides
what job you
have. This
depends
always, which
jobs are needed
the most. So,
one year you
could work as a
teacher, and a
other year as a
bus driver –
qualifications
considered of
course.
Leon Trotsky: Another
Leader of the Russian
Revolution of 1917
• 6. The government must
make sure that every
single citizen gets every
kind of social support:
education, health care,
etc. These are all paid
for by taxes.
• 7. Religion is a
“private affair” –
everyone is
allowed to
practice the
religions of their
choice…
Religion is Great. I can use it to
control to help control the masses!
Praise be to…Me!
In the dystopic
science fiction
novel 1984,
George Orwell
models events
and characters on
what happened in
Russia under
Stalin
Stalin: Big Brother
Trotsky: Goldstein
•After the revolution, Lenin
leads while Stalin and Trotsky
try to build followings
•Stalin takes over. Trotsky is the
minister of the armed forces –
until he is deemed an enemy
and driven out
•Trotsky travelled around
speaking against Stalin, telling
the leaders of the world that
Stalin was a brutal dictator who
perverted true communism.
•Trotsky is eventually hunted
down in Mexico and killed with
an ice axe to the head (he lived
for a couple days – dying of
brain damage)
• Stalin’s policies were directly against many of
Lenin’s ideas
• Stalin makes a non-aggression treaty with
Hitler – Hitler breaks it and invades the USSR
• Stalin agrees to help the Allies (US/England)
Stalin serves as
the model for
Macbeth in
Patrick Stewart’s
version of the play
• Political enemies, artists, educators,
scholars, scientists were sent to prison
camps known as gulags or were
executed – this was known as The Purge
And for
Chancellor
Adam Sutler
in V for
Vendetta
• His own wife disagreed dared to mention a
national famine and ended up dead of a
“self inflicted” gunshot wound
• “Confessions” were beaten out of people
• Force was favored over reasoning. Dead men
are not problems.
• Troops returning from World War II were sent to
prison camps so they wouldn’t reveal that life
was better in other countries
• He let his own son die in a Allied prison camp so
it wouldn’t appear that he favored anyone
• He utilized massive amounts of propaganda
• Schools taught about his life, his economic,
philosophies, and religious theories
• He had has history rewritten so as to appear a
hero.
• Stalin was viewed and loved as a strong
protector and father figure for the whole
country
• He was a major ally of the US and Britain
after Germany invaded Russia
• Under his rule, more Russians died than
people during the Holocaust. 20 – 60
million people are executed, starved to
death, exiled, or imprisoned
• Stalin rules with
iron fist, but he is
well loved by many
in Russia
• His body is
displayed with
Lenin’s until his
successor
releases details of
Stalin’s rule and
his reputation gets
damaged…a little.
The Ice Pick that
killed Trotsky