Political Science Essays

In the past century, Latin America has been a breeding ground for revolutionary leaders who speak of distant lands where democracy can flourish. Despite being isolated from the rest of the world, it evokes a sense of a separate universe, as reflected in The House of Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel, which […]

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. […]

My belief is that Lenin had a greater impact on Russian history, as Stalin’s accomplishments were built upon those of Lenin. Consequently, the leadership and guidance provided by Lenin was crucial for both figures. Despite the fact that Lenin was responsible for bringing about the establishment of communism and maintaining it during the Civil War, […]

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 […]

Despite Lenin’s warning of potential abuse of power, Stalin controversially seized control after his death. He engaged in a power struggle with Trotsky and eventually convinced the Communist Party that he was the legitimate leader. After winning, Stalin ousted Trotsky from the political party and eventually had him killed by one of his agents. Stalin’s […]

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 […]

Upon the commencement of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin came back from his overseas exile to implement his strategies for the Bolsheviks. Despite holding only a small area of the country initially, the Bolsheviks managed to win the Civil War and seize power. This was due to the Red’s own organization and the failure […]

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 […]

Stalin’s support of the Spanish Republic during their Civil War, through the supply of weapons and ‘volunteers’, appeared to be an effort to assist international communism in defeating Franco. Many contemporary historians argue that the perspective that the USSR provided aid to support the Spanish Republic solely out of ideological solidarity is too simplistic. Instead, […]

The year 1917 was a turbulent year for russian politics with two revolutions occuring within the space of seven months, of the two the most significant was the bolshevik revolution, led by a prominant marxist Vladimir Ilyach Ulyanov, the skilled and dedicated political activist. Vladimir was born on th 22 of april 1870 to a […]

It is arguable whether or not the Americans should have entered Vietnam. Because of the cold war (mainly between Russia and America), Americans have hated Communism. Communism is the belief that nations shouldn’t exist as separate countries, and the world can live in peace as one. When they saw Communism spread from Russia, through China, […]