TO WHAT EXTENT DID
LENIN EFFECTIVELY
IMPLEMENT
COMMUNISM IN THE
SOVIET UNION BETWEEN
1917 AND 1924?
Own Research Task 2021
St. Peter’s College
College
Ananda Saravanja
0
,CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
REVIEW OF LITERATURE..............................................................................................................................5
SOURCE A: WAR COMMUNISM UNDER LENIN.....................................................................................................5
SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................5
EVALUATION OF SOURCE........................................................................................................................................6
SOURCE B: THE RED TERROR...........................................................................................................................7
SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................8
EVALUATION OF SOURCE:.......................................................................................................................................9
SOURCE C: LENIN'S NEW ECONOMIC POLICY: WHAT IT WAS AND HOW IT CHANGED THE SOVIET UNION........................11
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................11
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................12
SOURCE D: AUTHORITARIANISM......................................................................................................................13
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................13
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................14
SOURCE E: THE RED TERROR FROM A SOVIET CITIZEN’S PERSPECTIVE......................................................................14
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................14
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................15
SOURCE F: THE SCISSOR CRISIS......................................................................................................................15
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................15
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................16
SOURCE G: LENIN’S NEW ECONOMIC POLICY, A SUMMARY..................................................................................16
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................16
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................17
SOURCE H: THE TAMBOV REBELLIONS..............................................................................................................18
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................18
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................19
SOURCE I: LENIN’S HANGING ORDER...............................................................................................................19
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................19
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................20
SOURCE J: THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO..................................................................................................20
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................20
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................21
SOURCE K: LENIN’S POLICIES..........................................................................................................................22
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................22
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................22
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................24
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................34
REFERENCE LIST.........................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE A..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE B..................................................................................................................................................36
1
,SOURCE C..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE D.................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE E..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE F..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE G.................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE H.................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE I...................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE J...................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE K..................................................................................................................................................37
2
, Introduction
Pre-revolutionary Russia was in a state of social, economic and political unrest and decay.
The atrocious leadership of the Tsar monarchy plummeted the majority peasant and
proletariat populations of the country into poverty, while a small percentage of bourgeoisie,
clergy and nobles maintained luxurious living conditions (Trueman, 2015). This, in
combination with pressures from World War I, caused much civil unrest among the Soviet
lower-class, and thus, pro-socialist political groups were established and widely supported
by the people (Trueman, 2015). The 1917 February and October Revolutions secured
Vladimir Lenin’s position of power in the Bolshevik Party, and although he was not officially
elected as Russia’s leader until 1922, he had considerable control and power over the
Soviet Union from 1917 to 1924 (Trueman, 2015).
Lenin’s rise to power in 1917 marked the beginnings of the ‘communist’ regime in Russia.
Lenin’s rule has received widespread criticism by historians and general society to have
been brutally violent and destructive, having resulted in millions of deaths attributed to
famines, police brutality and poor living conditions. Because Lenin self-identified as a
communist and had the intention of creating a communist nation, this method of violent,
overpowering rule has been attributed to communism as a political theory. Consequently,
the general view of communism has lost traction. The common opinion of it, after the
ruthless leadership of Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, is that communism – in and
of itself – is inherently destructive, violent and exploitative. Communism has therefore
been deemed to be synonymous with authoritarian regimes, and the economic downfalls
of modern ‘communist’ countries, such as Cuba, are attributed to their communist policies.
This ultimately tarnishes the image of communism as an ideology and political theory.
This essay aims to critically analyse the accuracy of this popularised belief – that
communism is synonymous with authoritarianism. To determine this, the analysis of
Vladimir Lenin’s rule over the Soviet Union, as an example of a ‘communist’ regime, is
required. It is therefore argued that Lenin was successful in implementing communism in
the Soviet Union to a lesser extent. And considering this, it is confirmed that the economic
and humanitarian downfalls of the Soviet Union were not caused by communism as a
destructive economic system, but rather by the authoritarian power that Lenin established
for himself in three deciding instances of his leadership. Hence, this conjointly indicates
3
LENIN EFFECTIVELY
IMPLEMENT
COMMUNISM IN THE
SOVIET UNION BETWEEN
1917 AND 1924?
Own Research Task 2021
St. Peter’s College
College
Ananda Saravanja
0
,CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
REVIEW OF LITERATURE..............................................................................................................................5
SOURCE A: WAR COMMUNISM UNDER LENIN.....................................................................................................5
SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................5
EVALUATION OF SOURCE........................................................................................................................................6
SOURCE B: THE RED TERROR...........................................................................................................................7
SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................8
EVALUATION OF SOURCE:.......................................................................................................................................9
SOURCE C: LENIN'S NEW ECONOMIC POLICY: WHAT IT WAS AND HOW IT CHANGED THE SOVIET UNION........................11
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................11
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................12
SOURCE D: AUTHORITARIANISM......................................................................................................................13
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................13
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................14
SOURCE E: THE RED TERROR FROM A SOVIET CITIZEN’S PERSPECTIVE......................................................................14
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................14
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................15
SOURCE F: THE SCISSOR CRISIS......................................................................................................................15
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................15
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................16
SOURCE G: LENIN’S NEW ECONOMIC POLICY, A SUMMARY..................................................................................16
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................16
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................17
SOURCE H: THE TAMBOV REBELLIONS..............................................................................................................18
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................18
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................19
SOURCE I: LENIN’S HANGING ORDER...............................................................................................................19
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................19
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................20
SOURCE J: THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO..................................................................................................20
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................20
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................21
SOURCE K: LENIN’S POLICIES..........................................................................................................................22
SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................22
EVALUATION OF SOURCE......................................................................................................................................22
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................24
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................34
REFERENCE LIST.........................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE A..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE B..................................................................................................................................................36
1
,SOURCE C..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE D.................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE E..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE F..................................................................................................................................................36
SOURCE G.................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE H.................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE I...................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE J...................................................................................................................................................37
SOURCE K..................................................................................................................................................37
2
, Introduction
Pre-revolutionary Russia was in a state of social, economic and political unrest and decay.
The atrocious leadership of the Tsar monarchy plummeted the majority peasant and
proletariat populations of the country into poverty, while a small percentage of bourgeoisie,
clergy and nobles maintained luxurious living conditions (Trueman, 2015). This, in
combination with pressures from World War I, caused much civil unrest among the Soviet
lower-class, and thus, pro-socialist political groups were established and widely supported
by the people (Trueman, 2015). The 1917 February and October Revolutions secured
Vladimir Lenin’s position of power in the Bolshevik Party, and although he was not officially
elected as Russia’s leader until 1922, he had considerable control and power over the
Soviet Union from 1917 to 1924 (Trueman, 2015).
Lenin’s rise to power in 1917 marked the beginnings of the ‘communist’ regime in Russia.
Lenin’s rule has received widespread criticism by historians and general society to have
been brutally violent and destructive, having resulted in millions of deaths attributed to
famines, police brutality and poor living conditions. Because Lenin self-identified as a
communist and had the intention of creating a communist nation, this method of violent,
overpowering rule has been attributed to communism as a political theory. Consequently,
the general view of communism has lost traction. The common opinion of it, after the
ruthless leadership of Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, is that communism – in and
of itself – is inherently destructive, violent and exploitative. Communism has therefore
been deemed to be synonymous with authoritarian regimes, and the economic downfalls
of modern ‘communist’ countries, such as Cuba, are attributed to their communist policies.
This ultimately tarnishes the image of communism as an ideology and political theory.
This essay aims to critically analyse the accuracy of this popularised belief – that
communism is synonymous with authoritarianism. To determine this, the analysis of
Vladimir Lenin’s rule over the Soviet Union, as an example of a ‘communist’ regime, is
required. It is therefore argued that Lenin was successful in implementing communism in
the Soviet Union to a lesser extent. And considering this, it is confirmed that the economic
and humanitarian downfalls of the Soviet Union were not caused by communism as a
destructive economic system, but rather by the authoritarian power that Lenin established
for himself in three deciding instances of his leadership. Hence, this conjointly indicates
3
