Expliquez comment la Russie est devenue un État communiste sous Lénine? (document en anglais)

Explain how Russia became a communist state under Lenin

In March 1917, the Tsar had lost control of Russia. There were bread riots, strikes and the army refused to give orders. In March 1917, the tsar Nicholas II abdicated and a provisional government was set up by Alexander Kerensky. However, on the night of the 24-25th of November 1917, Lenin and his Bolsheviks (Russian communist) stormed the winter Palace which was the official place of residence for the Russian monarchs. He also took over the control of the government. The communist era was now about to begin.

Firstly, Lenin replaced Kerensky because he offered the people what they were asking for, which meant “Peace, Land and Bread”. The war from 1914-1918 had caused a great suffering and the population wanted an end for it. Moreover, Lenin had formed a Bolshevik government and passed new laws that gained the support of people. For example, all classes and class divisions were abolished and the general title of citizen of the Russian Republic was established, all ranks and grades in the army were eradicated and the army of the Russian Republic consisted of free and equal citizens. Private property was eliminated and shared between the people. Furthermore, factories, mines, railways and banks became the property of the state. Also, women’s rights were improved offering them the right for divorce, free education as well as the right to vote. Peace was as well negotiated with Germany in 1918.

During his communist dictatorship, Lenin used force to keep power by several different ways. Firstly, the Cheka, a secret police, asked local soviets to seek out, arrest and shoot immediately all agents of enemy spies, speculators, organisers of revolts and buyers or sellers of arms. Additionally, after the elections of 1918, the Bolsheviks won only 175 seats out of 707 in the assembly, so when they met for the 1st time, Lenin ordered the Red Guards to close it down. He also installed a strict censorship of newspapers and magazines with harsh punishments. Between 1918 and 1921, Russia suffered a terrible civil war. This war composed the “Reds” who were the Bolsheviks and the “whites” who were made up of all Lenin’s opponents. The Whites were supported by Britain, France, USA and Japan. After the victory of the reds in 1921, Russia changed its name into USSR (Union of soviets socialist Republics). Lenin created the Red Army which was led by Trotsky. He also employed the policy of “war communism” which stated that everyone between 16 and 60 was obliged to work unless they were ill or pregnant. People were sent to seize food and anyone considered being an opponent was arrested and shot by the Cheka. The Tsar and his family were also shot by Lenin; this denied the “whites” an alternative ruler.

After the civil war, Russia faced a mutiny among the sailors at the naval base at Kronstadt near Petrograd, for they demanded a new revolution. The Red Army, led by Trotsky was sent into crush it. After 7 years of war, Russia faced a crisis in 1921. There had been a great famine and under communism you still had to motivate for work. Therefore, Lenin introduced the NEP (New Economic Policy). This was more capitalist than communist. During this period, people were encouraged to produce more and more in order for them to keep their money. Moreover, shops, small factories and trades began to flourish.

In conclusion, in 1918, a social revolutionary called Dora Kaplan had fired several shots at Lenin. Due to these injuries, Lenin died in January 1924. He had been ruthless and didn’t always follow the communist path. He also had laid communist foundations for Stalin to continue.

What is meant by Totalitarianism?

The term “totalitarianism” was first used in Italy in May 1923 as a term of abuse against Mussolini’s Fascist government. In England in 1929, the term was also used to describe both Stalin and Hitler. There are 6 main features of a totalitarian regime which were evident in Hitler’s regime. These were: a fixed ideology, a single mass party, a police control based upon terror, total control over the media, over the arms and over the economy.

Firstly, during the Totalitarian regime of Hitler, a fixed ideology was the main feature. For example, in 1933 the Nazi party was considered as the only legal party in Germany. The Nazi ideology was enforced by the censorship of school books and newspapers. Germans had to read and hear only what the Nazis wanted them to read and hear. Hitler also burned all the undesirable books such as the ones made by Jews or the anti-Nazis. Radio broadcasts, manipulation and propaganda posters were used to diffuse Hitler’s ideas. Moreover, children were brainwashed to accept the ideas of Nazism. Boys were trained to become soldiers whereas the girls were trained to become the mothers of Germany.

A single, mass party is another feature of Totalitarianism under Hitler. In 1933, Hitler passed the Enabling Act. Although, this act at the beginning it wasn’t a law. Hitler forced through the Reichstag by banning the members of the opposition parties. It gave him the power to pass all the laws without consulting the Reichstag. Also, as said before, the Nazi Party was considered as the only legal political party. During the same year, the local government was under the hands of the Nazi party officials and there were no more local elections as well as Trade Union. Hitler wanted the all his resources would be made in Germany and not imported from the foreign countries. For example, rubber wasn’t exported from India anymore but made synthetically in German industries.

Additionally, there was a police control based upon terror during this period. During this time, Hitler used the SA. This was an armed, uniformed and disciplined force created by Hitler in 1921 and they were called the Storm Troopers. The SA were directed to keep order at the party meetings and then used to break up the opponent’s meetings. Hitler also used the SS to keep power since 1926. The SS members swore a personal loyalty to Hitler and were the successors of the SA and were the ones in charge of the concentration camps. Furthermore, Hitler used the Gestapo, the German state secret Police and the Gestapo would arrest people merely on the road, mostly the Jews and send them to concentration camps. The concentration and death camps (1941) were places where Hitler deported the Jews, homosexuals, non-Aryans and all the other people that he didn’t like.

Hitler also had a total control over the media during his regime. Dr Joseph Goebbels was named minister of propaganda and had the duty to control the newspapers and radios. In addition, huge bonfires were made of the Jew and anti-Nazi books that were taken from schools and libraries. People

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