Descriptions of the real players as they relate to the events in Animal Farm by Orwell

1. THE RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION
THE REAL PLAYERS
described as they
correspond to characters in
ANIMAL FARM

2. Czar Nicholas II
• King like -
• Russia starved while he lived in ultimate
luxury
• Had really really bad advisors
• Obsessed with WWI
• Brutal with opponents
• Sometimes practiced random kindness
• Fooled into thinking the Russian world was
perfect and Russian people loved him
• People were afraid to be honest with him

3. Karl Marx
• Wrote Communist Manifesto
• Envisions a world where basic needs are
met and people work together for the
greater good
• "workers of the world unite" dies before
Russian Revolution
• Ideas go on to influence the world

4. Communism
• As planned = all people equal
• Government owns everything
• People own the Government
• So…in theory, everyone owns everything
• All needs met & all people contribute
• UTOPIA – relies on the goodness within
• Perfect in theory – Has never worked in practice
• WHY? The greed and corruption of a few paired
with the ignorance and willingness to follow of
many.

5. LENIN
• Leader of Russian Revolution - Adopted
the Communist Ideal
• Recognized the value of Propaganda and
emotional appeals
• Recognized the need for a better Russia
• Changed Russia to USSR
• Had two trusted men—Stalin and Trotsky
• DIED and power struggle ensued

6. Leon Trotsky
• Intellectual – idealist – well educated
• Great speaker with Great plans
• Brutal but only with his enemies
• Pure communist true to Marx’s ideas
• Wanted to improve life for all in Russia
• Leader with Stalin in Revolution
• Forced out of USSR by Stalin
• Assassinated in Mexico by Stalin’s KGB

7. Joseph Stalin
• Changed his name to Stalin or Steele
• not a good speaker, not educated
• BRUTAL – ERRATIC – CRUEL - PARANOID
• didn't follow and stay true to Marx's ideas
• Power hungry - killed all that opposed him
• used KGB against the people
• allowed ―church‖ but propagandized it
• Minimum of 15 million deaths attributed to
Stalin – counting starvation upward of 33 mil
• Hated to be questioned about anything

8. KGB
• Secret Police – Highest most feared force in
USSR
• Often killed entire families for disobedience or for
even the hint of questioning Stalin’s practices
• MILLIONS died or disappeared at the hands of
KGB
• The great PURGE
• IF KGB showed up – People died
• Controlled people and enforced Stalin’s rule
through fear.

9. Religion in the Revolution
• Marx called religion an "Opiate of the people"
• Marx and Lenin said it was a lure to keep the masses
in check so he did not include it in the Communist plan
• In revolution it was used to make people not complain
and do their work – THEN IT WAS OUTLAWED
• Stalin allowed some aspects and altered others to
Stalin’s needs because it made people work more with
hope. Again—Lured people into complacency w/
promise of greater reward
• Stalin promoted non-belief then used the church to
promote himself when needed
• Stalin knew religion would stop violent revolutions
pacify the masses with ―afterlife‖

10. Pravda Newspaper
• Propaganda department of Lenin's
government
• 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
• PROPAGANDA MACHINE

11. Bourgeois Society
• Lenin blamed this group for demise of Russia
and the plight of the Russian people
• Lenin said this group is the reason Communism
is needed in the world
• Wealthy, vain, spoiled, selfish, educated but
UNeducated people in Russia and world
• Only concerned with their own comfort and
trivial matters (gossip-who’s wearing what-
what’s fashionable-what’s conventional, etc…)
• Most went to other countries to escape the
ugliness of the revolution

12. Believers/Workers in USSR
• Dedicated, but tricked communist
supporters
• Gave everything they had to the cause
• Believed in Stalin because he was
"Communist"
• many stayed loyal after it was obvious
Stalin a tyrant
• betrayed by Stalin who ignored and killed
them

13. Skeptic/Apathetic Poor
• Skeptical down trodden people in Russia
• Knew revolution would not change their
condition of life
• Realized their leaders were not true
Communist
• Born poor and hungry – Died poor and
hungry
• No hope

14. The Ignorant Masses
• Believed anything – Questioned nothing
• Willing to go along with what they are told
• Extreme respect for use of power
• Do not think – only need to ―belong‖
• Follow one dogma after another
• Repeat what they are told without thought
• Will get behind anything with a slogan

15. FIVE YEAR PLAN 1928
Stalin set high targets for production to ―protect‖ the USSR
and to industrialize his farms. He demanded:
• 111% increase in coal production,
• 200% increase in iron production
• 335% increase in electric power.
Eventually, factory workers who did not perform well or
were sick were killed or sent to camps in undesirable places
to work.
Skilled workers disappeared and common laborers
increased. The country failed and the helpless people
starved. -- Stalin and his generals lived in luxury and power.

16. NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE 411 TO RECOGNIZE THE
ALLEGORY and SATIRE….
ANIMAL FARM
By
GEORGE ORWELL

17. NOW, READ CHAPTER ONE
AND TWO
Graduate Orientation to the Learning Management System