1. Historical Background
Animal Farm
Historical Background

2. Fable vs. Satire
The novel may appear as a simple fable (a brief story told to teach a lesson using animals); however, the book can be read as a satire on the attempts made by humans to create a perfect society in an imperfect world.
Revolution took place in Russia in 1917

3. 19th Century
Philosopher Karl Marx ( ) envisioned a classless society
Wrote The Communist Manifesto; Marx predicted a revolution of the proletariats (the class of workers, esp. industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive) against capitalists who exploited their labor for profit.

4. Old Major’s Speech in Chapter 1
Marx’s theories of class struggle
Animals represent workers (Proletariats) and humans represent opposing class (Capitalists)

5. The Romanov family
Czar Nicholas took throne in 1894 after his father died
Married Princess Alexandra the same year (daughter of Queen Victoria)
Five children: four girls (including Anastasia) and finally a son Alexsei (hemophiliac)

6. World War I
World War I began in 1914, and Czar Nicholas Romanov took control of the army in 1915.
Left matters to Czarina Alexandra and her advisor Rasputin. Discontent spread throughout Russia. The army was tired of war, and food shortages worsened.

7. Who was Rasputin?
A peasant who claimed powers of healing and prediction
Rasputin was able to help with Alexsei’s hemophilia
Many people disapproved of Czarina’s relationship with Rasputin
Eventually he was murdered

8. Russian Revolution of 1917
Russia suffered devastating losses in the war
30,000 people killed a month
Czar was abdicated
His family was killed. Anastasia???

9. Communist Party Takes Control
Led by Vladimir Lenin
Communism is the control of goods and services (commodities) through a government that produces only to serve the people.
It is total equality. Communism is abolition of private property, meaning that resources (minerals, coal, oil) and production (factories, plants, refineries), are owned in common by the people.
There are generally no taxes except on a few extremely wealthy individuals.
It is a government mainly for the working class and the common people.
Housing is also generally free along with health care. Eventually wages and pay from working are eliminated and people are taught to work for the common good.

10. What is the problem with communism?
Human nature
Impossible for every man to be equal; we all have different strengths
No motivation
Greedy leaders

11. Civil War in Russia
Anti-Bolsheviks (Whites) wage war against the Bolsheviks (Reds)
Red Army led by Trotsky defeated the Whites
Battle of Cowshed in novel is civil war between Reds and Whites
Lenin died in 1924 (his body entombed in glass coffin like Old Major’s skull is placed on display)

12. Struggle for Power Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin struggle for control
Trotsky exiled
Stalin denounced Trotsky as a traitor (Napoleon vs. Snowball)
Eventually killed with ice pick?
Stalin takes over