1. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Background Notes:
Russian History

2. Early History Origins: tribal, nomadic people both north and south
Scandinavian invasion: Vikings (862 AD)
Mongol invasion 1223 – Genghis Khan
Muscovite (from Moscow) princes:
Daniel Nevsky (1263)
Ivan the Great (1462)
Ivan the Terrible (1533)

3. Russification
Attempt to unify vast areas of Russia by requiring Russian language and emphasizing Russian culture

4. The Romanovs 1613 – Michael Romanov elected tsar
Romanov mission: make Russia great European power; problem:
Economically and culturally backward
Success depended on suffering of people
Method of control (Law Code of 1649) froze residency and social status of populace

5. Romanovs

6. Peter the Great (1682)
Catherine the Great (1762)
Alexander I (1801)
Nicholas I
Alexander II – eased censorship (assassinated 1881)
Alexander III – increased authoritarianism

7. Czar Nicholas

8. Nicholas II: The Last Emperor
Married Alexandra (German princess; granddaughter of England’s Queen Victoria)
Four daughters, then son (Alexei)-had hemophilia
Rasputin – peasant pilgrim, “mystic” believed by Alexandra to have healing power on son; held power over Alexandra

9. Rasputin

10. Russia under Nicholas Maintained autocratic government
Ineffective ruler
Drove to develop industry
Rapid economic growth but workers suffered
War with Japan (defeated)
Revolution of 1905
Bloody Sunday

11. Created Duma to appease
People demanded more
Limited power

12. Russia and WWI
Russia allied with West to stop German domination of Europe
Nicholas needed on front to command army
Alexandra left to rule (Rasputin influenced)
Food shortages; strikes broke out
Army mutinied
Nicholas forced to abdicate

13. Death of Romanovs Family eventually taken prisoner
Killed in Siberia probably under order of Lenin in 1918

14. The Communists Took over 1917
Philosophy based on writings of Karl Marx (Communist Manifesto)
Became “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” (Soviet Union)
Theory of Socialist society: 3 groups (working class, peasantry, white collar intelligentsia) coexist harmoniously and lay foundation for Communist Utopia

15. Lenin

16. Life under Communists
Bolsheviks (militant faction of socialist movement) gained control
Vladimir Lenin – first Bolshevik leader
White Russians (loyal to czar)– fought against Bolshevik “Red Army”
Red Army led by Leon Trotsky defeated White Russians
Trotsky given powerful position in Lenin’s government

17. Trotsky

18. Struggle for Power Lenin dies (natural causes)
Struggle for power between Trotsky and Joseph Stalin (party’s general secretary)
Stalin takes over
Trotsky exiled
Trotsky assassinated in Mexico under orders from Stalin

19. Stalin

20. Stalin Cruel leader Removed anyone he didn’t trust Sent to labor camps
/3 of Central Committee executed
: 1 million people shot; 2 million died in camps (Purges)

21. Stalin’s Relationship with Hitler
Initial cooperation
Nazi expansion – Stalin sought alliance w/France & England
Secret negotiations w/Germany
Continued anti-German talks w/Allies
Signed non-aggression pact w/Hitler (possible expansionist thoughts for himself), shocking Allies

22. 1939: Germany invades Poland (begins WWII)
Stalin invades Poland from East
Stalin deports thousands of Poles to Siberia
Stalin takes Finland and parts of Baltic
June 22, 1941 – Germany invades USSR

23. Stalin enters the war on the side of the Allies
January, 1943 – Germans DEFEATED in Battle of Stalingrad (turning point in war)
Soviets continue pushing Germans back toward Germany
U.S. troops move toward Germany from the west

24. Soviets/U.S. meet in Berlin; Nazis are defeated
War ends 5/8/1945

25. Post War USSR Stalin dies 1953 Kruschev Breshnev Gorbechev
Communist rule collapses in 1991; primary surviving state: Russia

27. “-isms” Socialism: you have two cows. Give one to your neighbor
“-isms” Socialism: you have two cows. Give one to your neighbor. Communism: you have two cows. Give both cows to the government, and they may give you some of the milk. Fascism: you have two cows. You give all the milk to the government, and they sell it. Nazism: you have two cows. The government shoots you and takes both of the cows. Anarchism: you have two cows. Keep both of the cows, shoot the government agent, and steal another cow. Capitalism: You have two cows. Sell one cow and buy a bull.