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1. Communism
Karl Marx – Jewish/German, founder of communism. Wrote
Communist Manifesto. 1848
1. All of human history is class struggle: a conflict between an
ownership class which controls production and a lower class
which produces the labor for goods. (rich vs. poor)
2. Capitalism - "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie", believing it to be
run by the wealthy classes purely for their own benefit… the
rich control/own production and exploit the poor for profit.
3. Capitalism would eventually produce internal tensions which
would lead to its self-destruction and replacement by a new
system: socialism……. Workers take control, share the wealth
4. eventually socialism would evolve into a stateless, classless
society called communism (no nationalities).

2. communism
5. workers, poor people, slaves, non-owners should carry out
organized revolutionary action to destroy capitalism and bring about
social-economic change. (violent revolution to create communism)
6. Then there will be pure communism, no classes, no religion, no
racism, no sexism, no nations, no profits, no private property, just a
dictatorship of workers living in pure equality

3. Communist theory on structure of capitalism
Aristocracy : owners
of production.
Wealthy, hereditary,
exploit everybody
else
Bourgeoisie : assist the
aristocracy as managers of
production. Middle
class, some
wealth, administrate for the
aristocracy
Proletarian : majority lower class, provide
labor for production, poor, no real
property, manual workers

4. Aristocracy
• Traditionally landowners. In modern times they are
business/factory owners…... Or corporations
• Use religion, racism, etc….. to control people (ex: high ranking
priests are youngest sons of aristocratic families)
• Will fight with each other for greed (source of most wars)

5. Bourgeoisie
• Upper-middle class …. middle class, some wealth, spoiled, assist
the aristocracy in controlling production and exploiting the
proletarians. (ex: managers, educated professionals)
• Will try to stop a proletarian (communist) revolution
• Believe in lies like capitalism, democracy, patriotism, religion
• Think they can become aristocrats one day
•

6. Proletarians
• Wage workers. Perform labor that creates products for the wealthy
to sell at the market. (factory workers)
• Oppressed people like indians, slaves, minorities, poor people.
• Poor farmers who work to produce food that someone else
owns, but own little or no land

7. Communism
• Most of history, the proletarian revolutions never fully succeeded (ex: ancient
Rome, plebs vs. patricians) or French and American revolutions ….. because the
bourgeoisie would always replace the aristocracy as the new owners of
production as soon as the revolution would happen and the old aristocracy were
destroyed
• In Mexico and Latin America, Hidalgo a poor Indian priest starts a revolution
against the Spanish monarchy, but as soon as the revolution happens the
bourgeoisie middle class (Santa Anna & Simon Bolivar) replaces the Spanish
aristocracy as the new owners of production , so proletarians fail to seize control

8. Communism
• Proletarian revolutions didn’t work because most proletarians
were unable to read or communicate with each other
• Proletarian revolutions didn’t work because most proletarians
were spread out over long distances on farms in rural areas and
couldn’t communicate or organize very well. Outsmarted by
bourgeoisie whenever there is a revolution
• Industrialization occurs starting 1750 – early 1900’s
• Now many proletarians can read, and live and work close
together in urban cities and factories, So they can communicate
& organize
• Now a true proletarian communist revolution can occur !!!!!

9. “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to loose but
your chains !” -Karl Marx

11. Russia – Japan War 1905
• Russia & Japan compete for imperial control of Manchuria and Korea
• Russia looses in a small war to Japan, Czar looks like a weak idiot, so the
communists try to start a revolution, peacfull protesters also protest for
more rights.
• Bloody Sunday - Czar´s soldiers shoot protesters, arrest and kill many
communists.

14. Czar Nicholas II, Romanov Dynasty
• Czar Nicholas II - 1894-1917 last Russian Czar, industry was
slowly getting bigger, bringing more poor farmers (proletarians) to
the cities to work in factories. Horrible working conditions.
• Absolute monarchy (autocracy) would not allow reforms or
democratic changes to government

15. Rasputin
• Rasputin – the mad monk. Supposedly a ‘holy man’ with
psychic healing powers. Had a lot of charisma
• Became a celebrity psychic healer among aristocratic women
in Russia in the early 1900’s
• Was really an alcoholic pervert who manipulated his
customers to get sex, $$$, and power
• Was introduced to the Czarina (queen) and supposedly healed
her sick son Alexi who had hemophilia
• From then on Rasputin is always at the palace manipulating
the royal family

16. Rasputin

17. Rasputin

19. WW1 Occurs
• 4,000,000 Russian soldiers dead in the first year, people angry
• Russia has a famine, Russia is loosing the war, loosing territory

20. Czar Steps Down 1917
• Just like in 1905, there are protests, strikes, and demonstrations
• Czar orders his police to shoot protesters, but the police refuse
• The Duma reappear (parliament) Czar has no real power
• provisional government continues to fight against German invaders, loosing
the support of soldiers and civilians who want to quit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukGfxhJMv
L4

21. Communist Revolution Starts
• Vladimir Lenin – Leader of Bolsheviks (violent revolutionary communists) returns
to Russia and starts revolution. 1917
• Lenin was sent to Russia by Germany to cause chaos in Russia.
• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed with Germany as soon as Bolsheviks take power.
Communists focus on destroying anyone who is against communism.

22. Russian Revolution, Civil War 1917-1921
• Red Army – Communists, Soviets, Bolsheviks. Led by Lenin and Trotsky.
Proletarian workers, some peasants, some ex-soldiers, Jews
• White Army – All others opposed to communism. Several groups. Some
are loyal to the Czar, others loyal to the Duma, others just want
democracy. Orthodox Christian Church, aristocrats ,Bourgeois, & Kulaks
• Foreign intervention - Some countries send small forces to help different
White Army forces. (U.S., England, Poland, France, Japan)

23. Transforming Russia into a Communist Country
• Russia is now U.S.S.R. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
• Totalitarian – total government control of everything
• Example: imagine permanent state of total war
• Nationalization - government takes control of all major
businesses…. Banks, industrial
production, communication, transportation, media, education, chu
rches, agriculture, etc….
• Communal lifestyles - takes away private property, no more
individualism, everything is done in groups
• Arrest and execution of anti-communists
• U.S.S.R. encourages and supports communists revolutions
wherever possible worldwide

24. Rise of Joseph Stalin
• Lenin has a stroke in 1922, Stalin and Trotsky (both are communist leaders)
compete for power in the communist party. Stalin wins
• Stalin is a former bank robber and ex-convict (was in prison before 1917) ,
ruthless, executes many rivals in the communist party. Originally from Georgia
• Stalin has total control of the Communist party by 1928 Kills millions of
Russians, kills anyone seen as a threat to communism or his own dictatorship
• .

26. Leon Trotsky
• Lev Bronstein (Jewish name) changes it to Leon Trotsky
• One of the leaders of the communist revolution in Russia
• Commands the Red Army, responsible for more than 1 million deaths
• After Lenin´s death, Stalin and Trotsky compete for power
• Trotsky flees to Mexico City and has an affair with Frida
• Stalin sends assassins to Mexico City and kills Trotsky
• Stalin removes Trotsky from photos with Lenin, arrests his family, re-writes history
about Trotsky´s role in the revolution

27. Soviet Union

28. Soviet Union Industry

29. Soviet Union Population