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English I - Animal Farm

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Animal Farm 
Leaders, Ideas, and the Secret Police
English I

Directions:  In order to more deeply understand George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, it will be helpful for you to have some background knowledge of key figures, ideas, and institutions from the Russian Revolution. In class you were asked to consider the following topics: Power, Corruption, Leadership, Rebellion, and an Ideal Society (Utopia).

 

These topics will apply as you learn more about the people and theories below. To find books about the people and related topics see the Animal Farm IMC Booklist.

Karl Marx


1. Who was Karl Marx?


2. What were his views regarding capitalism and society’s classes? (Hint:  look under heading “Das Kapital”)


3. What influence did Marx have on world politics?

 

Karl Marx – World Book

Marxism Overview – Student Resources

Communism

Communism – World Book

Principles of Communism

Communism - GVRL Topic Overview

    

4. What is the basic philosophy of communism?

    5.  On what points did Lenin and Marx agree/disagree? (see heading “Lenin’s Contributions”)

    6.  Were Communist governments truly democratic, as claimed by its leaders? Explain. (see heading: Communist Party State)

    7.     How fair was the centrally planned economy to the total population?

    8.   What did communism look like under Lenin?

    9.     What did communism look like under Stalin?

Vladimir Lenin

    10.  Describe Lenin as a leader.  What qualities did he have that propelled him to the top during the Russian Revolution?

Vladimir Lenin - Student Resources

Lenin – World Book

Vladimir Lenin - BBC

Leon Trotsky

    11. What qualities did Trotsky possess that kept him from leading after Lenin’s death?

    12. Describe the conflict between Stalin and Trotsky and how was it resolved?

Trotsky – World Book

 

Leon Trotsky – BBC

Trotsky - Student Resources 

 
 

 Josef Stalin

    13. Describe Stalin as a leader.  Did he use or abuse power?  Explain.

    14. How did Stalin help and hurt the Soviet citizens and the USSR during his reign as leader of the Soviet Union?

Stalin – World Book

Stalin - GVRL

Joseph Stalin – BBC

The History Place – Genocide in the 20th Century

 Secret Police 

    15.  Read the articles.  From your reading, list the jobs of the secret police under Stalin. What tactics did they use?  What was their main purpose?

The KGB – GVRL

Gulag – World Book

KGB - Encyclopedia Britannica

NKVD - World Book

 PROPAGANDA

16. What was the main purpose of the propaganda released by the the new Communist party in the Soviet Union?

 
17. What were some of the most common tactics of the propagandists?

18. How did the propaganda shape the Soviet Union?

 

Soviet Posters

Soviet Posters - 1917

The Russian Revolution Through Propaganda