Term Paper on "Western Civilization 1917, Workers, Soldiers and Sailors"

Term Paper 3 pages (1260 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Western Civilization

1917, workers, soldiers and sailors from Petrograd rebel against the Czarist government. The Red Guards occupy the key buildings, main government institutions and surround the Winter Palace, headquarter of the provisional government. Thus, the Great Socialist Revolution began.

In 1945, George Orwell writes a satirical allegory of the Russian Revolution, particularly directed at Stalin's regime. Many events and persons, especially from Russia, but not only, have a correspondent in the book. Also, the book is a political analysis of regimes instituted trough revolutions and maintained through fear.

Throughout the history, some group always seemed to be "more equal than the others" as Orwell states in his book. Examples from history are numerous.

The French revolution, based on the ideas of "Liberte Egalite Fraternite" and on improving the states of the masses oppressed by the nobility, does not achieve its goals in the end, because of the greed of the leaders, leading to dictatorship and the Napoleonic Wars.

Of course, a classic example of "animals that are more equal than other" is the Nazi theory of the superior race (the Arian race, or the master race) opposed to the inferior races (the Untermenschen) like the Jews, the Gypsies and the Slavs.

Yet another example would be the treatment of the North American Native Indians by European colonists. Although claiming to be coming in the New World to evade tyranny and oppression (either religious or political), the end up by considering superior to the native Americans, and by oppressing them.

2. In the book, Napoleon and Snowball were the allegoric correspondents of Stalin and Trotsky. They fight together at first for the success of the revolution, but in the end the differences of opinion and the corruption that absolute power brings makes them enemies. Another example could be that of Hitler and his revolutionary friend Ernst Rohm. Rohm who, much like Snowball, plays an important role in Hitler's ascension to power, by organizing the special SA (Sturmabteilung) troopers, a paramilitary organization which at its height amounted to 3 million members. While Hitler's ascension to power continued, Ernst Rohm began to prove a nuisance, as he harbored other plans than Hitler. At last on the night of June 30th 1934, named the "night of the long knives" the SA was decapitated as Ernst Rohm and the main body of SA officers was killed. The "dogs" used by Hitler to get rid of an embarrassing ally and potential rival, who had his own ideas for the future of Germany, was the newly formed SS.

Another example is that of Hitler and Stalin themselves. Allies at first, when their interests coincided, even if their doctrines were opposed, they end up hating each other.

3. Most of the animals in Orwell's book have o real life correspondent, a person connected with the Russian revolution. For instance, Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm represents the last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II. Same as Mr. Jones, Czar Nicholas was a poor leader, especially compared with the western rulers, and this was proved mostly during theGreat War (WWI). And same as Jones, the Czar lost his country trough the "Great socialist revolution of October." Like his novel counterpart, the Czar was never to regain his power, and died as a victim of the communists.

The Old Major, the initiator of the ideas of the revolution and its theoretician represents Karl Marx. Its concept of "Animalism" represents the Communist doctrine. Same as the Old Major, Marx died before the revolution, and never lived to see what has become of his dream.

Squealer, the manipulative and talkative pig represents the propaganda service which worked for Stalin. It supported Napoleon's image and transformed him into an icon, as it did for Stalin. The propaganda service was responsible for making… READ MORE

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