Essays On Communism

In the minds of the public, espionage is often the result of financial considerations. A government employee, possibly living beyond his or her means spies in exchange for money. The recent case of Robert Hanssen is one such example. This is certainly not the only motivation for spying, however.In the 1930s, the Soviets established a […]

At the height of death and destruction in the twentieth century, Joseph Stalin’s named is mentioned only behind that of Adolf Hitler.  Upon his death in 1953, mixed emotions flowed as result of his actions (Roberts 2003). It ranged from the ideal cult figure to the most benign of dictators.Stalin received a hale of praises […]

Latin America has a history, in only the previous century, of being an area of the world where dreams are kindled by revolutionaries talking of long away countries where democracy can work. Detached from the rest of the world, it gives the impression of a parallel universe – or so it would seem from the […]

Between 1928 and 1939, millions people died as a result of the purges, a number that has been frequently debated and reconsidered, a crucial aspect being the huge difference between official figures and numbers put forward by historians such as Robert Conquest, who states that “the total number of deaths caused by the Soviet regime’s […]

In this essay, I am going to be discussing and comparing the differences and similarities of three major dictators in Europe in the 1930s that had major influences in the events leading up to World War II. These were Joseph Stalin (dictator of former USSR), Benito Mussolini (dictator of Italy) and Adolph Hitler (dictator of […]

Lenin was born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov in 1870. At this time Russia was under rule by the Tsar who ruled Russia autocratically.Lenin was scared at an early age by witnessing the execution of his brother who was hanged for treason; he tried to assassinate the Tsar Alexander III.At an early age, in his early twenties […]

Purges refer to “cleansing out”. Purges regularly took place in Russia especially when the leaders wanted to reshape the party or exercise more control.Three phases in the purges of 1930’s can be identified 1. Chistka of 1932-35. 20% of the party was expelled non-violently. 2. Show trials Prominent old Bolsheviks were publicly tried and executed. […]

I think that Lenin was the more important figure in Russian history. Fundamentally Stalin would not have been able to do what Lenin did, and he would not have been able to do what he himself did where it not for Lenin. Stalin did actually do far more than Lenin did, but there are some […]

Stalin came to power in 1928 after cleverly outsmarting his political opponents by playing them off against each other, while he remained an unlikely source of leader until only he remained. Stalin changed the economic footing of Russia enormously. Industrialization, the development of industry was massive. After 13 years, production figures for almost all products […]

Stalin came into power very controversially when Lenin died. Before Lenin had died he wrote a letter saying that he had serious worries that if Stalin came into power he would let the power go to his head. Stalin still managed to become head of the communist party after a big struggle for power with […]

1. Lenin knew that sooner or later he was going to die, and after his death had a fair idea that either Stalin or Trotsky would succeed him. Source A extracts parts of Lenin’s testaments that show his opinion of these two powers at this point. He obviously liked Trotsky and in most aspects saw […]

In this investigation, I will look at the different types of propaganda that were used by the Bolsheviks in the Civil War. To do this, I will look at two different posters that encompass the main types of propaganda used. These posters are “Have You Enrolled as a Volunteer?” and another one depicting Trotsky as […]

Stalin’s economic policies were successful to an extent, especially when looking at the increases in production of heavy industry. However they also failed in several important areas such as agriculture, meaning the overall success was limited. Also, when evaluated in terms of the effects on the people of the Soviet Union, the policies had, in […]

By the time of Josef Stalin’s death in 1953, the face and structure of Russia had changed forever. Two leaders had interpreted Marxism in different and apparently opposite ways and the country still bore the scars. There is an almost romantic stereotype which dominates traditional history of the Soviet Union, which is perhaps best exemplified […]

When answering this question there are 3 main factors to consider: Stalin’s strengths, Trotsky’s weaknesses, and wildcard factors (luck or chance). Trotsky inadvertently plotted his own downfall, he was simply unequipped for politics and the power struggle, and his place was on the battlefield in a military uniform. Trotsky was an amazing orator but had […]

When the Russian Revolution began in 1917, Lenin returned from his exile abroad to put into action his plans for the Bolsheviks. He managed to win the Civil War and seize power despite initially holding only a small area of the country due to a combination of the Red’s own organization and the failings of […]

The period between 1917 and 1945 saw several major changes in the relationship between the USA and Russia. Although traditionally the two countries were had had a harmonious relationship, it had been clear for some time before the Russian Revolutions that interests were diverging. The next 28 years saw the relationship between the two on […]

Old Major Old Major is the inspiration which fuels the Revolution and the book. According to one interpretation, he could be based upon both Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. As a socialist, George Orwell may have agreed with much of Marx, and even respected aspects of Lenin. According to this interpretation, the satire in Animal […]

“In the essay Why I Write, Orwell explains that all the serious work he wrote since the Spanish Civil War in 1936 was “written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism. ” Indeed, Nineteen Eighty-Four is an anti-totalitarian cautionary tale about the betrayal of a revolution by its defenders. He already had stated […]

Debate: Lenin, Tyrant or Savior? The debate is still going on between high profile historians as to whether or not Lenin was a Tyrant or a Savior. It is hard to just take one side, as it is not clear cut. To understand better why it is so hard to put Lenin under one of […]

Karl Marx has greatly influenced the creation of the modern world and was one of the first revolutionary communist. Through his literary works and philosophies he helped to inspire many 20th century communist regimes including the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and North Korea. Marx’s ideas did not end at communism; his religious ideology also helped […]

When the USSR began supplying weapons and ‘volunteers’ to the Spanish Republic during their Civil War, it seemed as if Stalin was coming to the aid of international communism to defeat Franco. However, most modern historians believe this view is too simplistic and that the USSR’s aid was more motivated by the opportunity to advance […]