Joseph Stalin
"Death solves all problems - no man, no problem."
Childhood and Early life
Stalin's childhood was mostly spend in poverty, similar to most Russians during the end of the nineteenth century. His date of birth is on the 21st of December, 1879 in Gori, Georgia. By birth, he was named Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. Stalin's father was a cobbler, and mother a maid.
At age of15, Stalin studied in the Tiflis Theological Seminary with a scholarship, which was located in the capital of Georgia. In the school, he started to get involved in multiple revolutionary movements against the monarchs of Russia. At the same age, he became a member of a secretive revolutionary organization which went by the name of Messame Dassy. As a member of this organization, he was exposed to the Marx's ideologies. Unfortunately, this organization got uncovered and this inevitably caused Stalin's expulsion from the Seminary. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Stalin in the Russian Revolution
After his expulsion, he now had more time to take part in even more revolutionary activities. In 1903, he learnt of the division in the Social Democratic Labor Party in Russia, and from that he decided to become part of the faction lead by Lenin, the faction went by the name of the Bolsheviks. Once he became part of the party, he worked very hard to oppose their enemies, namely the Mensheviks and Tsar Nicholar II. In the year of 1912, he was appointed as the editor of Pravda, which was the newspaper publishers for the Communist Party in Russia.
5 years later, the Bolsheviks were once again divided under the leardership of Trotsky and Stalin himself. This resulted in many arguments over decisions made within the party itself. Stalin also attempted to complain to Lenin about Trotsky's actions to no avail as Lenin felt that Trotsky would one day become a better leader. Such arguments between the two of them started to build up more and more tension after Lenin passed away. This resulted in many disagreements between Stalin himself and other potential leaders in the party, such as Trotsky and Zinoveiv. Stalin initiated a compaigning against Trotsky and at the end Trotsky was expelled from the party. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Stalin’s Dictatorship
Stalin then attained a lot of power over the Soviet Union, and in 1928, he announced his five-year plans to the citizens of Russia. He focused on heavy industries which were required to create a strong and stable base for the future of the country's industrial growth. The policies that Stalin has put forth were especially popular for the lower working classes of the society as his main emphasis were towards the idea of collectivization of agriculture which appeared benficial for those of the poor working class.
During the Second World War approximately 3.3 million people were sent out to Siberia and the Central Asian Republics. This was due to the fact that Stalin wanted to resist the rule of the soviets, and wanted to join forces with the Germas who were invading during those times. These large deportations resulted in a signficant impact on his people and was also significant in regards to the serparatist movements. During that moment in time, Russia recorded eight hundred thousand prisoners were executed because they were charged of political or criminal offenses, and approxmately half that numer were killed in the kulak forced resettlement. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Significance to Animal farm
Childhood and Early life
Stalin's childhood was mostly spend in poverty, similar to most Russians during the end of the nineteenth century. His date of birth is on the 21st of December, 1879 in Gori, Georgia. By birth, he was named Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. Stalin's father was a cobbler, and mother a maid.
At age of15, Stalin studied in the Tiflis Theological Seminary with a scholarship, which was located in the capital of Georgia. In the school, he started to get involved in multiple revolutionary movements against the monarchs of Russia. At the same age, he became a member of a secretive revolutionary organization which went by the name of Messame Dassy. As a member of this organization, he was exposed to the Marx's ideologies. Unfortunately, this organization got uncovered and this inevitably caused Stalin's expulsion from the Seminary. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Stalin in the Russian Revolution
After his expulsion, he now had more time to take part in even more revolutionary activities. In 1903, he learnt of the division in the Social Democratic Labor Party in Russia, and from that he decided to become part of the faction lead by Lenin, the faction went by the name of the Bolsheviks. Once he became part of the party, he worked very hard to oppose their enemies, namely the Mensheviks and Tsar Nicholar II. In the year of 1912, he was appointed as the editor of Pravda, which was the newspaper publishers for the Communist Party in Russia.
5 years later, the Bolsheviks were once again divided under the leardership of Trotsky and Stalin himself. This resulted in many arguments over decisions made within the party itself. Stalin also attempted to complain to Lenin about Trotsky's actions to no avail as Lenin felt that Trotsky would one day become a better leader. Such arguments between the two of them started to build up more and more tension after Lenin passed away. This resulted in many disagreements between Stalin himself and other potential leaders in the party, such as Trotsky and Zinoveiv. Stalin initiated a compaigning against Trotsky and at the end Trotsky was expelled from the party. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Stalin’s Dictatorship
Stalin then attained a lot of power over the Soviet Union, and in 1928, he announced his five-year plans to the citizens of Russia. He focused on heavy industries which were required to create a strong and stable base for the future of the country's industrial growth. The policies that Stalin has put forth were especially popular for the lower working classes of the society as his main emphasis were towards the idea of collectivization of agriculture which appeared benficial for those of the poor working class.
During the Second World War approximately 3.3 million people were sent out to Siberia and the Central Asian Republics. This was due to the fact that Stalin wanted to resist the rule of the soviets, and wanted to join forces with the Germas who were invading during those times. These large deportations resulted in a signficant impact on his people and was also significant in regards to the serparatist movements. During that moment in time, Russia recorded eight hundred thousand prisoners were executed because they were charged of political or criminal offenses, and approxmately half that numer were killed in the kulak forced resettlement. (The Famous People Website, 2013)
Significance to Animal farm
Russian Revolution1. After the Russian Revolution there were two leaders, Trotsky and Stalin.
2. Stalin saw the Kulak as their ultimate enemy. 3. Stalin gained support from the Bolshevik party to empower himself as the dictator. 4. Stalin killed Trotsky when he thought he was threatening his authority. 5. Stalin made a 5-year plan to create a good base for future industrial growth. 6. Stalin turned the original idea of communism into his own dictatorship. 7. Stalin made the pesants worked to death. 8. Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Germany and trusted Hitler to honor the terms. He was deceived, and Germany invaded the Soviet Union. |
Animal Farm1. After the revolution there are two leaders, Snowball and Napoleon.
"Pre-eminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon." Chapter 2, Page 10 2. Napoleon points out that human is their only enemy in the seven commandments. " Four legs good, two legs bad." Chapter 3, Page 24 3. Napoleon raises up the puppies into his followers and uses them to exile Snowball. "As soon as they were weaned Napoleon took himself responsible for their education." 4. When Snowball becomes equally powerful as Napoleon himself, he uses his dogs to run him off. "At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball." 5. Napoleon made a 3-year for the animals to build a windmill."On the third Sunday after Snowball's expulsion, the animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all" Chapter 5, page 42 6. Napoleon took Old Major’s idea of equality and turned it into a complete leadership on his own. "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." 7. Napoleon worked Boxer to death. "There lay Boxer, between the shafts of the cart, his neck stretched out, unable even to raise his head" Chapter 9, Page 86 8. Napoleon sold timber to Mr.Frederick, who decieved him by paying for the wood with false bank notes. |
Analysis
Napoleon is the representative of Stalin and in comparison to Snowball (Trotsky), he was not an intellectual nor an idealist. He was more a pragmatist, he does not really care about the process, but only the outcome. In Animal Farm, the most significant scene on Napoleon would most likely be when Snowball was arguing with him. Napoleon disagrees on his windmill plan not because it is bad but it is the fact that he is afraid that Snowball would stand out better than him to the animals. Just the same as it was during the Russian Revolution, when Napoleon feels like Snowball was too much of a threat, he exiles Snowball out of the farm with his dogs (followers), he is a person who uses cruelty more than intelligence to solve problems. Looking back at when he first hid the puppies with him, it also reflects on his cunning personality. Coming back, after he exiled Snowball, he decides to use his idea again and trick the gullible animals that it was actually his idea. This shows how Stalin was not as intelligent as Trotsky and he often relied on others to gain his power. Looking at the name Napoleon, it reflects on the real Napoleon who was also a very cruel dictator. Hence it is foreshadowing that Napoleon from Animal Farm would also become one in the end. Overall, Napoleon appears to be an opportunist more than an idealist who really wants the best for its people. He only wants power for himself who is obviously not Old Major’s real inheritor.
I believe this representative is very successful because throughout the novel, Orwell used very powerful parallels to the Russian Revolution to show that Napoleon is Stalin. Not only that, Orwell effectively describes Napoleon as a negative figure in the scenes that he appears in. For example, at the start of the novel when Napoleon hid the milk, it is the first sign of Napoleon’s selfishness and it also foreshadows that Napoleon will sooner or later turn into a hypocrisy. Moving on, when it reaches to the end of the novel. It clearly shows that Napoleon turned Old major’s idea of equality into a perversion which is not what all the animals expected in the first place. His unfaithful actions proves that he has turned into a hypocrisy, along with all the criticisms from Orwell, it strongly allow readers to fins him as a negative character and achieve the aim of the novel.
1. Tangient LLC. (2013). pdA-Animal Farm. Retrieved March 25th, 2013, from http://pda-animalfarm.wikispaces.com/home
2. The Famous People website. (2013). Joseph Stalin. Retrieved March 25th, 2013, from http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/joseph-stalin-51.php