The Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks were a revolutionary party, committed to the ideas of Karl Marx.’[10], although they later became a member of a wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Worker’s Party. [11] During the Second Congress of the Social Democratic Labour Party, a Marxist revolutionary party in 1903 [12], leaders Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov debated as to whether it would be more suitable to have a large party of activists (Martov) or have a smaller party of professional revolutionaries with supporters on the sidelines (Lenin) during the next protest.
At the end of the debate, Martov had won the vote 28-23. Enraged, Lenin formed a faction with his supporters, and named themselves Bolsheviks, while those loyal to Martov became known as Mensheviks.[13]
During a protest in February 1917, officials of the Czar’s were convinced by the activists, including the Bolsheviks themselves to put their guns aside and help overthrow Czar Nicolas II. This was known as the ‘February Revolution’[14]. During this time, the Bolsheviks were still a ‘minor’ organisation within Russia, due to the fact that played a small part in the 1905 Revolution because of their leaders living in exile, their unsuccessful plan to capture control of the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1911, and Stalin’s attempt to raise money for the organisation with bank robberies, attributed to suspicions of being a Russian spy during World War I.[13] Although in a few months time, the Bolsheviks would eventually become the government of Russia.
Following the overthrow of the Czar, proper elections were delayed, and the Provisional Government took charge of the decision making in Russia. They chose to do acts such as postponing land reforms and remaining in World War I, which caused the Provisional Government to become progressively despised by the denizens of Russia. This allowed the Bolsheviks to encourage the citizens to stand up and seize the power and land from the Provisional Government. In July 1917, the workers challenged and fought the Provisional Government, but were defeated, with Lenin forced to go into hiding. Nonetheless, in late August, soldiers of the Provisional Government began to gradually support the workers, and in October, a precipitous insurrection against the Provisional Government was formed. Along with other revolutionary groups and armed workers known as the Red Guards, they took over telegraph offices, the state bank and railroad stations, and stormed into the Winter Palace under the orders of the Soviet’s Military Revolutionary Committee and arrested the Provisional Government. Hence, the Bolsheviks, renamed themselves as the Soviets and was proclaimed the new government of Russia.
Why did Orwell choose to represent the event or character in the way he did?
In the book, like the Bolsheviks, the pigs convinced the animals, to overturn their current leader. All the while making it seem natural that the pigs would take over animal farm after Jones, as the Bolsheviks did. They were smart and cunning, ordering the other farm animals around but doing very little on their own.
How successful was he?
I thought that most parts of about the Bolsheviks were included, but with the Bolsheviks being a former revolutionary party, it would’ve been harder to represent that with the pigs on the farm.
What were the links between the evidence you have found and the text?
On page 5, it was Old Major who had planted the seed of rebellion into the farm animals’ minds, “That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!” As the Bolsheviks had also first convinced the citizens of Russia to overthrow the Czar, and eventually the Provisional Government. Later, on page 24, ‘Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of ‘Beasts of England’. (page 24) This shows how the Bolsheviks had also looked for more supporters during before the October Revolution, which they planned thoroughly, as the pigs did in Animal Farm.
At the end of the debate, Martov had won the vote 28-23. Enraged, Lenin formed a faction with his supporters, and named themselves Bolsheviks, while those loyal to Martov became known as Mensheviks.[13]
During a protest in February 1917, officials of the Czar’s were convinced by the activists, including the Bolsheviks themselves to put their guns aside and help overthrow Czar Nicolas II. This was known as the ‘February Revolution’[14]. During this time, the Bolsheviks were still a ‘minor’ organisation within Russia, due to the fact that played a small part in the 1905 Revolution because of their leaders living in exile, their unsuccessful plan to capture control of the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1911, and Stalin’s attempt to raise money for the organisation with bank robberies, attributed to suspicions of being a Russian spy during World War I.[13] Although in a few months time, the Bolsheviks would eventually become the government of Russia.
Following the overthrow of the Czar, proper elections were delayed, and the Provisional Government took charge of the decision making in Russia. They chose to do acts such as postponing land reforms and remaining in World War I, which caused the Provisional Government to become progressively despised by the denizens of Russia. This allowed the Bolsheviks to encourage the citizens to stand up and seize the power and land from the Provisional Government. In July 1917, the workers challenged and fought the Provisional Government, but were defeated, with Lenin forced to go into hiding. Nonetheless, in late August, soldiers of the Provisional Government began to gradually support the workers, and in October, a precipitous insurrection against the Provisional Government was formed. Along with other revolutionary groups and armed workers known as the Red Guards, they took over telegraph offices, the state bank and railroad stations, and stormed into the Winter Palace under the orders of the Soviet’s Military Revolutionary Committee and arrested the Provisional Government. Hence, the Bolsheviks, renamed themselves as the Soviets and was proclaimed the new government of Russia.
Why did Orwell choose to represent the event or character in the way he did?
In the book, like the Bolsheviks, the pigs convinced the animals, to overturn their current leader. All the while making it seem natural that the pigs would take over animal farm after Jones, as the Bolsheviks did. They were smart and cunning, ordering the other farm animals around but doing very little on their own.
How successful was he?
I thought that most parts of about the Bolsheviks were included, but with the Bolsheviks being a former revolutionary party, it would’ve been harder to represent that with the pigs on the farm.
What were the links between the evidence you have found and the text?
On page 5, it was Old Major who had planted the seed of rebellion into the farm animals’ minds, “That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!” As the Bolsheviks had also first convinced the citizens of Russia to overthrow the Czar, and eventually the Provisional Government. Later, on page 24, ‘Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of ‘Beasts of England’. (page 24) This shows how the Bolsheviks had also looked for more supporters during before the October Revolution, which they planned thoroughly, as the pigs did in Animal Farm.