PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD Lara Ballantyne Mr. Swan Due September 22, 2010 Vladimir Lenin  Proletariat Dictatorship

KEY FACTS Also known as Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov Adopted the false name of Lenin after going into exile Born in 1870; died in 1924 at the age of 54 Older brother was hanged in 1887 for being a part of a Social Revolutionary terrorist group Had a lasting impact on Lenin Joined a Marxist group in St. Petersburg in 1895 Upon returning to Russia, he was arrested and then exiled to Siberia from 1897-1900 After finishing his exile period, Lenin left Russia and continued his revolutionary activities

LENIN & PROLETARIAT DICTATORSHIP In the early 20th century, Lenin became fascinated by the ideas set forth by Karl Marx His ideas suggested that a revolution by the proletariat (working class) was inevitable once their labour began to bring more wealth for the bourgeoisie (middle class) This revolution would lead to a classless society governed by the proletariat Lenin reformed Marx’s ideas by saying that the revolution, when it occurred, should be controlled by an elite Marxist group whose main purpose was revolutionary activity Opposing ideas proposed by Lenin led to a schism in the Russian Social Democratic Party  the Bolsheviks (“the majority”) led by Lenin and their rivals, the Mensheviks (“the minority”) The formation of a Provisional Government in Russia during WWI provided the oppourtunity for Lenin to spread his ideas and power to the nation He appealed to the working class to gain power and support by promising to redistribute the land to peasants and to give workers control over industrial areas

LENIN & PROLETARIAT DICTATORSHIP CONT. On November 6, 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power of Russia by taking over trains and electrical plants, as well as the Winter Palace and renamed themselves the Communist Party Ability to seize power was due in part to the outbreak of the Russian Civil War Once in control, Lenin and the Communists wreaked havoc and terror over Russia and this period was known as “Red Terror” Responsible for countless heinous crimes Tens of thousands were massacred for opposing the Bolsheviks or simply for being a member of the wrong class, as Lenin thought it best to “cleanse the Russian land of any harmful insects, swindler-fleas, wealthy bugs and so on and so on” Murder of Tsar Nicolas II and his entire family Massive seizures of food supplies from peasants  this led to a terrible famine in 1921, in which an estimated 5 million people died Exiled all political opposition, including the Mensheviks A number of failures of behalf on Lenin, including the famine of 1921, led to the gradual defeat of Lenin’s party and showed that despite all of Lenin’s policies, Russia was not ready for pure Marxism in an economic sense Lenin’s death in 1924 led to the rise of Joseph Stalin, despite his warnings against him The “Red Terror”

IMPORTANCE OF LENIN TO WORLD HISTORY Lenin’s actions and beliefs had a large influence on Stalin, who later went on to pervert Leninism, as it came to be called, and use similar violent means to rise to power in the Soviet Union following Lenin’s death Lenin’s work as a revolutionary lay the foundation for Communism in Russia, that would later endure in the country for almost 70 years Lenin’s writings were very highly regarded after his death in the Soviet Union as works of philosophical genius It is important to note that many of his writings were no where near this perception  high regard was due to propaganda The relentless pursuits made by Lenin make him one of the most notable and significant figures of the 20th century, even though what he stood for, and his means to his ends were less than respectable to say the least Overall, while Lenin may not have accomplished greatness for Russia in the early 20th century, he certainly played a significant role in paving the way for a Communist society in Russia through his implementation of dictatorship by the proletariat by means of the Bolshevik party His power and practices influenced the way that Russia would be governed for years to come

BIBLIOGRAPHY "SparkNotes: Vladimir Lenin: Study & Essay." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 17 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/lenin/study.html>. "Vladimir Ilich Lenin — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 18 Sept. 2010. <http://www.history.com/topics/vladimir-ilich-lenin>. "Vladimir Lenin - Google Search." Google Images. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. <http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1242&bih=716&q=vladimir lenin&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g9g-m1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=>. Haberman, Arthur, and Adrian Shubert. "Individuals in History: Lenin." The West and the World: Contacts, Conflicts, Connections. Toronto: Gage Learning Corporation, 2002. 346. Print.