1. Background History

2.  Last Emperor of Russia–  Russia led to economic and political collapse under his rule  Ousted from power in 1917-his entire family including 5 children and his wife were assassinated

3.  German Philosopher who developed “Marxism” which was a government based on what is best for the majority of people not just the rich and upper class  Believed in revolutions against corrupt governing  Believed in pure communism and his ideas led to the forming of the Soviet Union after the Czar was ousted and murdered

4.  Revolutionary leader that led to ousting of Czar Nicholas II  Removed from power after making remarks against Joseph Stalin (who was not in official power yet)  Stalin had him assassinated

5.  Russian Marxist Revolutionary  Creator of Soviet Communist Party  Founder of the USSR  Head of Bolsheviks  Presided over Russia during the transformation from country ruled by Czars to communist country

6.  Rose to power after Lenin’s death  Assassinated Trotsky to get rid of any challenges  Did not follow Marxism, but began a reign of terror that resulted in the deaths of 20+ million people  Orchestrated a mass famine in Ukraine killing 5 million  Made a pact with Hitler (Hitler did not honor it, duh!)

7.  Proletariat-(in Marxist theory) the class of workers, especially industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive.  Bolsheviks- a. a member of the more radical majority of the Social Democratic party, 1903– 17, advocating immediate and forceful seizure of power by the proletariat.the  b. (after 1918) a member of the Russian Communist party.

8.  Socialism- a system of that advocates the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.  Communism- 1. a system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. 2. a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self- perpetuating political party.

9.  Born in British colonized India 1903  Became a famous journalist  Critical of Stalin  Published Animal Farm in 1945—an allegory of the corruption of Socialism/Communism  Other famous novel: 1984 – prophetic vision of the results of totalitarianism (absolute control by the state )