Question

the russian revolution was complex! but here is a brief overview of the key players and events. the russian revolution of 1917 in which the russian tsar, nicholas ii, was overthrown, and the worlds first communist regime was established. in his dystopian novel, orwell creates fictional characters (who happen to be cleverly disguised as animals) who represent the actual people and events of the russian revolution. in the mid - 1800s, the capitalist system in europe was thriving, unfortunately, at the expense of its people. workers conditions in 1847, a workers group called the communist league, commissioned karl marx and friedrich engels, both german philosophers, to come up with a plan to organize and improve the workers situations. their plan came to be known as the communist manifesto, which argues that capitalism is unstable and revolution by the underclass is inevitable. it argues that social classes and uneven distribution of wealth will not disappear without revolution. from marxs ideas, for it was engels himself who gave credit to marx for the manifesto, a political party called the bolshevik party was formed, led by vladimir lenin. at this time, russia was led by tsar nicholas ii, nicknamed nicholas the bloody, whose oppression and violent executions terrorized the poor, discontented populace. after a series of rebellions, in october 1917, the bolsheviks had enough - they led a revolution and successfully overthrew the tsarist regime and set up the new government of the union of soviet socialist republics, led by lenin. in 1924, lenin died, and sparked a bitter battle between leon trotsky, a strong follower of marxist theory, and joseph stalin, head of the communist party. stalin gained control, expelled trotsky from the communist party, and ran him out of the country into permanent exile. in 1940, trotsky was assassinated in mexico. stalin worked to establish rapid economic and industrial growth. however, this rapid growth was not well planned, and resulted in the famine of 1932 - 1933, which resulted in the deaths of millions. at the new, unopposed russian leader, stalin, gained power and strength, and used his influence to purge the country of all who opposed him. the secret police (which would later become the kgb) that he established, randomly arrested, tortured, and executed anyone who caused a problem for stalin. during the 1930s, stalin led the great purge, which led to the execution or deportation of millions, including a large number of ethnic minorities. in 1939, stalin entered a pact with nazi germany. after the nazis violated the pact in 1941, the soviets joined the allies to eject hitler. this totalitarian regime dispelled freedom, forced labor, and caused general morose, and would remain such under stalins control until his death in 1953. the u.s.s.r was officially dissolved in 1991. from http://cooperrussianrevolution.wikispaces.com then answer these... 1) what does the word dystopian mean? (you may use a dictionary for this) 2) what is a novella? 3) what is the difference between a capitalist and a socialist society? 4) it says here that the communist manifesto argues that revolution by the underclass is inevitable. who do you think, is this underclass? 5) do you agree with the findings of this manifesto? that the only way to get rid of uneven levels of wealth in society is through revolution? explain your answer. 6) was tsar nicholas ii a fair ruler in russia? quote to substantiate your answer. 7) what type of political system was set up by lenin when he overthrew the tsar? (pick one of the terms from the worksheet) 8) what was stalins key focus when he came to power? was it successful? why or why not? 9) in your opinion, was stalin a fair leader? why or why not? 10) did stalin adhere to the principles of communism, for which he claimed to stand? explain your answer fully.

Answer:

1. Brief Explanations:

• Question 1: The word "dystopian" refers to a society that is the opposite of a utopia, characterized by suffering, injustice, and often totalitarian - like control.
• Question 2: A novella is a short - novel, shorter than a full - length novel but longer than a short story.
• Question 3: In a capitalist society, the means of production are privately owned, and there is a focus on profit - making. In a socialist society, the means of production are often owned collectively or by the state, and there is an emphasis on equality and social welfare.
• Question 4: The Communist Manifesto argues that revolution by the underclass is inevitable as it is a response to the unequal distribution of wealth in capitalist societies. Those who agree might point to historical class struggles, while those who disagree might argue that reformist measures can address inequality.
• Question 5: Uneven levels of wealth in society can lead to revolution as the poor may rise up against the wealthy elite who control resources. This has been seen in many historical uprisings.
• Question 6: Tsar Nicholas II was not a fair ruler. He was an autocrat who suppressed political opposition, and his rule was marked by economic hardships for the common people. Examples include the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1905.
• Question 7: Lenin overthrew the Tsar's regime through a series of revolutionary activities, including leading the Bolshevik Party. Key terms from the previous worksheet could include "Bolsheviks", "revolution", "proletariat".
• Question 8: Stalin's key focus when he came to power was on rapid industrialization and centralizing control. His methods included forced - labor camps (Gulags) and purging political opponents. Whether it was successful is debatable. On one hand, the Soviet Union industrialized quickly, but on the other hand, it came at a great human cost.
• Question 9: Stalin was not a fair leader. His Great Purge led to the execution or deportation of millions of people, and his rule was characterized by totalitarian control.
• Question 10: Stalin did not adhere to the principles of communism as he established a totalitarian regime. Communism advocates for a class - less society with equal distribution of wealth and power, but Stalin's rule was marked by a cult of personality and suppression of freedoms.

1. Answer:

• Question 1: A dystopian society is one that is characterized by suffering, injustice, and often oppressive control.
• Question 2: A novella is a short - novel, shorter than a full - length novel but longer than a short story.
• Question 3: In a capitalist society, the means of production are privately owned, and profit - making is a key goal. In a socialist society, the means of production are often owned collectively or by the state, and there is an emphasis on equality and social welfare.
• Question 4: Those who agree with the Communist Manifesto's view that revolution by the underclass is inevitable might point to historical class struggles and the exploitation of the working class. Those who disagree might argue that reformist measures can address inequality without revolution.
• Question 5: Uneven levels of wealth in society can lead to revolution as the poor may feel oppressed and rise up against the wealthy elite.
• Question 6: Tsar Nicholas II was not a fair ruler. He suppressed political opposition and his rule was marked by economic hardships for the common people.
• Question 7: Lenin overthrew the Tsar's regime through revolutionary activities, and key terms could be "Bolsheviks", "revolution", "proletariat".
• Question 8: Stalin's key focus was on rapid industrialization and centralizing control. Whether it was successful is debatable as it led to industrial growth but at a great human cost.
• Question 9: Stalin was not a fair leader due to his Great Purge and totalitarian control.
• Question 10: Stalin did not adhere to the principles of communism as his rule was totalitarian, contrary to the ideals of a class - less, equal society.