1. Animal Farm & Russian Revolution: A Historical Backdrop

2. Animal Farm can be called an allegory.
An allegory is a story that includes characters, setting, etc. that have both literal and figurative meanings.

3. Literal and Figurative Meaning in Animal Farm
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory. Therefore, the novel has both a literal and figurative meaning.
On the surface, Animal Farm tells the story of farm animals who are tired of obeying the orders of a cruel master. This is the story’s literal meaning.
A pig is a pig.
It is important to understand that Animal Farm also has a figurative meaning. This novel also tells the story of Soviet Russia during the Russian Revolution.
A pig is a political leader.

4. Russian tsars lived in a magnificent palace called the Kremlin.
Tsar Nicholas II
Tsar Nicholas II was Russia’s last czar. He was part of the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for over 300 years!
Russian tsars lived in a magnificent palace called the Kremlin.
Tsar Nicholas was narrow-minded and incompetent. He was an autocrat – a self-appointed ruler who holds all the political power.
In Animal Farm …
Mr. Jones = Tsar Nicholas II

5. Privatized Farms and Industry (owned by aristocracy)
Power
Powerless
Wealth
Poor
1 man
TSAR
Aristocracy
Military
Agriculture
Industry
– Proletariat –
Workers from
Privatized Farms and Industry
(owned by aristocracy)
Millions of People
Russia under
Tsar Nicholas II

6. Monarchy Under Tsar Nicholas II
Russia lagged behind other modernized countries in:
Industrialization
Government
Education

7. Karl Marx
Marx believed the workers (proletarians) were the true producers of wealth. But the capitalists (bourgeoisie) owned the means of production – land and industry. Therefore, the capitalists made huge profits while the workers earned just enough to survive. Not fair!
Marx called for “workers of the world” to unite against their capitalist oppressors.
Marx believed that eventually the proletariat would become so numerous and so impoverished that they would rise up against the capitalist system throughout the world.
In Animal Farm …
Old Major = Karl Marx

8. Monarchy Under Tsar Nicholas II
Majority of population faced poverty, hunger, and unemployment
WWI
Lost territory from war
Food & resources going to troops

9. Monarchy Under Tsar Nicholas II
In March 1917, there were food riots and army mutinies in Petrograd (a Russian city). Revolts led by hungry workers erupted across Russia
1917 – Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown; Tsar Nicholas couldn’t cope with the difficult situation, so he abdicated the throne.

10. The Russian Revolution
Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin proceeded to structure a Communist country as envisioned by Karl Marx.

11. Communism Envisioned by Karl Marx Collectively Owned Agriculture
No Man
Self-governance
Collectively Owned Agriculture
Collectively Owned Industry
Mandatory Military Service
For All Citizens
Power
Wealth
Communism
Envisioned by
Karl Marx

12. Communism Envisioned by Karl Marx
The communists hoped that after updating their country’s industry, agriculture, & military, a populace of educated people could successfully govern themselves and collectively own the combined wealth of their nation.

13. Communism Envisioned by Karl Marx
It was a utopian type dream where a classless society provided all its citizens with a comfortable and meaningful life.

14. Transitional Rule Under Vladimir Lenin Lenin Communist Party
1 man
Power
Wealth
Lenin
Transitional Rule
Under
Vladimir Lenin
Communist Party
Agriculture Modernization
Industry Modernization
Military Modernization
Powerless
Poor
Workers are quickly absorbed
Into Agriculture, Industry, and Military
Millions of People

15. The Russian Revolution
Soviets gain popular support by promising:
Land
Bread
Peace
Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin

16. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
Their main goals were as follows:
Modernize industry and agriculture
Get rid of the aristocracy (middle & upper classes)

17. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
(Lenin’s goals continued…)
Provide adequate food, shelter, and medical services to the poor
Educate the population in the ways of Communism
Strengthen their military

18. Leon Trotsky
Trotsky was a brilliant intellectual and speaker who organized the Red Army and led it to victory against the White Armies in the Civil War of
Trotsky and Stalin disagreed on Russia’s future. Trotsky wanted the Communist revolution to be worldwide. Stalin wanted to protect the Soviet Union from outside forces (keep communism in the USSR).
Stalin defeated Trotsky at the Communist Party Congress in 1927 and gained control of the secret police.
Trotsky was chased away by the KGB (secret police) and fled to Mexico City, where a Soviet agent killed him with an axe in 1940.
In Animal Farm …
Snowball = Leon Trotsky

19. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
1918: The Red Army, led by Leon Trotsky, identified and executed suspected anti-communists.

20. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
Civil War erupted between the Communists and their opposition

21. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
1922: Lenin died before he could see a new Russia emerge.
A power struggle developed between Trotsky and Stalin.

22. Transitional Rule Under Lenin
Trotsky was run out of the country by Stalin whose powers lie in his infamous secret police or “cheka” (KGB).

23. Government Farms and Industry
Power
Powerless
Wealth
Poor
1 man
Stalin
Secret Police
(KGB)
Military
Agriculture
Industry
– Proletariat –
Workers from
Government Farms and Industry
(owned by Stalin)
Millions of People
Communist Rule
Under
Joseph Stalin

24. Joseph Stalin
While most Russian leaders belonged to the middle-class, Joseph Stalin was born into the peasant class.
Unlike Trotsky, Stalin was not well-educated and could not discuss Marxist theory on a sophisticated level.
Stalin was named General Secretary of the Communist Party in He was in charge of dull paperwork for the Communist party.
Though this position seemed unimportant, Stalin used his position as secretary to gain supporters for his future rise to power. He eventually defeated Trotsky in the struggle for power.
In Animal Farm …
Napoleon = Joseph Stalin

25. Communist Rule Under Stalin
The Russia that Stalin developed was renamed the Soviet Union, and was not the same country that Lenin had hoped for.

26. Under Joseph Stalin, the country fell under totalitarianism – a form of government with strong central rule that tries to control individual freedoms.
Stalin instituted the “Five Years Plan” to increase economic growth, but ordered farms to give most of their produce to the government.
Peasants often slaughtered their animals and burned down their farm buildings rather than give them to the Soviets!
Peasants who opposed Stalin were sent to labor camps, deported, or executed.
The Five-Year Plan created a man-made famine. Five million people starved to death or were executed as a result!

27. Moscow Purge Trials
By 1936, Stalin began to use what would become known as the Moscow Purge Trials to control workers.
High ranking officials were arrested, forced to confess to false charges, and then executed
About 70% of the Party leadership became victims of the Great Purge.
These trials served as an example of what would happen to people if they opposed Stalin.
Stalin was seen as protecting Russia

28. Communist Rule Under Stalin
Stalin maintained power by using political and social terror.
KGB, Cheka, and system of spies

29. Communist Rule Under Stalin
In addition to his campaign of terror, Stalin also controlled all media sources.
Stalin could effectively rewrite history to suit his political/military needs.

34. Although exact figures cannot be determined, some historians have estimated that Joseph Stalin may have killed as many as 20 million people!
To put this into perspective, consider the fact that Adolf Hitler is believed to have killed 11 million people in the Holocaust!

35. Other Connections

36. Propaganda in Stalin's government; Pravda newspaper
worked for Stalin to support his image
used any lie to convince the people to follow Stalin
benefited from the fact that education was controlled
In Animal Farm …
Squealer = Pravda Newspaper

37. Moses the Raven = Religion
Marx said it's the "opiate of the people" to make them easy to manipulate
used to make people not complain and do their work
later, religion was tolerated because people would work
Stalin knew religion could stop violent revolutions- even against him
In Animal Farm …
Moses the Raven = Religion

38. Vain, selfish people in Russia and world
some people didn't care about revolution
only thought about themselves
went to other countries that offered more for them
In Animal Farm …
Mollie = Vain, selfish people

39. Dedicated, but tricked communist supporters
people believed Stalin because he was "Communist"
many stayed loyal after it was obvious that Stalin was a tyrant
they were betrayed by Stalin who ignored and killed them
In Animal Farm …
Boxer = Dedicated, tricked supporters

40. Skeptical people in Russia and outside Russia
weren't sure revolution would change anything
realized that a crazy leader can call himself communist
knew that communism wouldn't work with power hungry leaders
In Animal Farm …
Benjamin = skeptics

41. Germany and England world powers didn’t trust revolution
Germany makes treaty, Russia exits World War I in 1917
Hitler attacks Soviet Union in World War II; Russians win at Battle of Stalingrad
England too busy to help at first
In Animal Farm …
Mr. Frederick and Mr. Pilkington = Germany and England