Introduction
Two major revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917 largely shaped further development of the country and its global political position. In March 1917, the communists managed to remove Tsar Nicholas II fro the throne, and in November 1917, the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government, finally changing the country into a communist state and creating the U.S.S.R. Later, the U.S.S.R. developed into a totalitarian state under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Orwell’s allegorical work Animal Farm serves to highlight the key aspects of the Russian 1917 revolution and Stalin’s harsh role that followed suit.
Causes
The key long-term cause of the 1917 Revolutions was the class system that existed in the country under the monarchy. Until 1861, the vast majority of the country’s population were peasants that were owned by the affluent upper class. In 1861, they were freed but remained poor nonetheless. The industrialization created a new class – the working men – who were heavily exploited due to the harsh economic conditions. Their working and economic conditions were significantly worse than in other countries, which led to protests and increased the people’s dislike towards the monarchy (Goff et al. 139). In Orwell’s Animal Farm, the monarchy is represented by Mr. Jones, whereas most of the animals represent the working class or the peasants. By portraying the society in this way, Orwell highlights the inequality and oppression that were characteristic of the Russian society of the time.
Another significant long-term cause of the Russian revolution was the tsar’s military failures in Japan and the events of the Bloody Sunday, which showed Nicholas II as an unstable ruler. He was unable to address the people’s struggles and did nothing to support the low and middle classes, which led to public disapproval of his rule and the monarchy in general. Similarly, in the Animal Farm, Mr. Jones fails to fulfill the need of his animals and care for them while reaping the benefits in the form of money and food. The old Major’s words serve to outline the conflict between the monarchy and the Bolsheviks: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing […] Yet he is lord of all the animals” (Orwell 2). The development of the Marxist ideology that would treat all human beings as equal and abolish class distinction was exactly what the society of the time was willing to create.
The main short-term cause of the revolution was the World War I (Hodge & Cambridge par. 5). The war resulted in significant demographic and economic struggles that further impaired the position of poor peasants and the working class. The peasants were especially outraged at the military losses, as farming without young working men was barely possible, while the working class was upset at the closing of the Putilov plant in February 1922. Orwell shows farm animals experiencing the same problems that were pertaining to Russian society of the time, including poverty and hunger.
Both the long-term and the short-term causes of the revolution contributed to the public outrage and diminished the people’s belief in the monarchy. People wanted to build a new society, one that Orwell represents in the Major’s animalism teachings. Marxism became the primary ideology behind the revolution as it stressed the idea of all men being equals and deserving equal rights. Using this idea, Lenin and Trotsky were able to gather supporters in order to overthrow the monarchy and the temporary government, just like old Major and Snowball did in the Animal Farm. However, the idea of a Marxist state soon developed into a totalitarian rule once Joseph Stalin (Napoleon) came to power.
Stalin’s Totalitarian Rule
After Lenin’s death and the extradition of Trotsky from the country, Stalin took sole control of the U.S.S.R. (Goff et al. 147). Unlike Lenin or Trotsky, who were genuinely invested in the Marxist ideology, Stalin sought to increase his personal power and abolish all opposition. This is described in the Animal Farm through the image of Napoleon and his dogs. Orwell’s description of nine enormous dogs driving Snowball out of the barn is a metaphor of Stalin’s opposition with Trotsky that ended in Trotsky’s exile in 1940 (16). The dogs are then used by Napoleon to silence any opposition and hunt down animals that do not obey his rule, just like Stalin’s repressions in the U.S.S.R. worked to support the new totalitarian rule. Stalin’s ascend to power largely relied on the success of the Communist ideology. However, whereas Lenin and Trotsky convinced people that Communism would bring freedom from oppression and establish equality, Stalin’s rule was centered around power, not equality or freedom. Stalin’s repressions served to hold the opposition in fear and to avoid political competition, thus supporting the formation of the totalitarian state.
Conclusion
Overall, the Russian 1917 Revolution was a crucial step in the country’s development, as it marked the end of the monarchy and the beginning of a Communist rule. The reasons for the revolution included poor economic conditions, poverty, hunger, and the loss of people’s faith in the monarchy. People believed that Communism would bring freedom and equality; however, Stalin’s rule was famous for repressions that served to support totalitarianism. Orwell’s Animal Farm is useful in studying the causes and development of the 1917 Revolution in Russia. Through metaphors, Orwell highlighted the failures of both the monarchy and the Communist rule, thus contributing to the exploration of the revolution.
Works Cited
Goff, Richard, et al., The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History. 7th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2008.
Hodge, Mark, and Elle Cambridge. “Red Revolt: What Was the Russian Revolution of 1917, Why Did It Happen and Who Were Trotsky and Lenin?”The Sun. 2017. Web.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. 1945. Web.