Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution



Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution Name ________________________________

English Date _____________ Class _____________

I.

In 1848 a German philosopher named _____________________________ published a pamphlet titled _____________________________. It explained how and why there would soon be revolution all over Europe- because the _____________________________ people lived under (____________________________) rewarded the rich owners and bosses more and more and the _____________________________ less and less. The revolution would come when (1) all workers knew that the bosses and owners were their ____________________________; (2) and all workers were their ____________________________. Marx said the revolution would lead to a new kind of society in which: (3) No one would seem _____________________________ from anyone else in the way s/he looked or acted; (4) no one would live in _____________________________ at the expense of others; (5) workers would be ____________________________ and work hard for the good of all; (6) torture, _________________________ and other types of cruelty would be prohibited; and (7) all workers would be ________________________. At socialist conferences all over Europe Marx lectured, and everyone sang _____________________________, which urged workers to unite and be joyful because the revolution was coming. _____________________________ would be overthrown, and the workers would create a world of peace, brotherhood and plenty.

Animal Farm

Who on Animal Farm is the philosopher of revolution? ____________________________

What were the principles called that they followed? ________________________________

Who were the “comrades” who sought freedom and equality? ______________________

What’s the title of the song they sang? ______________________________________________

II.

Marx died before it happened. In the Russian Empire the rich and powerful nobles and _____________________________ under _____________________________ terribly neglected the needs of the people, most of whom were _____________________________, little better off than serfs. In the cities, the poor were often _____________________________ in factories. The _____________________________ Church supported the rich and powerful, providing the people with the consolations of _____________________________, and helped keep the lid on rebellion. Russia went to war against Germany in WWI, 1914-1918, and suffered greatly under corrupt and incompetent leaders. Millions died. A million or more ________________________ deserted, returned to the city and merged with a million ________________________ who had no work. It led to the _____________________________ of 1917; the Czar abdicated and was later ____________________________; many fled to other parts of Russia or Europe. The leaders of the Revolution were not workers themselves, but members of a special class called the _____________________________. They were much better educated than the average worker, and were members of the _____________________________ wing of the _____________________________. Three leaders emerged: ________________________, who died soon; _____________________________, a fine speaker and writer; and _____________________________, a rough forceful man who knew how to impose his will on others. They created a constitution based on Marx’ ideas of hard work, no cruelty, equality, etc.

Animal Farm

Who stands for the Czar and the landowners? ________________________________________

Who are the neglected peasants and workers? _________________________________________

Who represents the Church, promising magical rewards? ______________________________

What’s the actual revolution in this novel? _____________________________________________

Who’s Stalin (the willful, aggressive one)? _____________________________________________

Who’s Trotsky (the intellectual, planner, good speaker)? ______________________________

III.

Even so, the _____________________________ and _____________________________ gained much greater privileges than the average workers, who were asked to work very hard to transform Russia into a great, successful _____________________________ nation. The model of a hero was the tireless, strong Russian worker, who was not well _____________________________ but could do the work of ten. Those who didn’t contribute to the new systems of industry and agriculture were persecuted; ________________________ died or were killed in the 1920s. Those who loved luxury and frivolity (Petit bourgeoisie) were despised. The elderly generation probably saw the Revolution as just one more example of trouble, and didn’t have much hope. (Indeed, millions of peasants were left to die for refusing to give up their land and live on _____________________________.) Most of the younger generation went along with everything enthusiastically, caught up in revolutionary fervor at patriotic meetings and parades. It was the State’s policy not to publicize negative things like _____________________________ and _____________________________, but to explain things at assemblies and through the press in a positive way – even to lie: This is called _____________________________. Some were trained to be excellent propagandists as their profession. Education projects taught basic literacy; committees were formed everywhere to involve the people; but both these things were used mainly to _____________________________ people, and “tame” any rebelliousness in them. The Communist Party revived Russia’s _____________________________ (Cheka or KGB) to spy on people or frighten them. Now the rule in Communism was that each would work according to his ________________________ but be “paid” according to his _______________________. But in fact the _____________________________, especially the ________________________, always got more. This was rationalized as necessary for the good of the State. All together, the workers were called the _____________________________; Party leaders became a _____________________________.

Animal Farm

Who are the intelligentsia? ________________________________________________

Which animal stands for the strong tireless Russian worker? ___________________________

Who stands for those who love luxury and frivolity? ___________________________________

Who represents the elderly generation for whom all this is nothing new? __________________________

Who’s the chief propagandist on the farm? _________________________________________

What did their education projects teach? ___________________________________________

Who mentored the committees? _________________________________________

What rebellious or wild ones did the committees work to tame? _______________________

Who were the “secret police” on Animal Farm? _________________________________________

Who was “paid” the most though they didn’t do any physical work? ___________________

IV.

As WWI ended, other countries ridiculed what was happening in Russia. But because radicals in the U.S. and U.K. especially, spoke glowingly about the ___________________________, leaders in these countries became alarmed. They charged Communist Russia with brutality and finally joined the former leaders of Czarist Russia to fight the Communists in the Russian _____________________________ (1918-1921.) Comrade ________________________ commanded the Red Army; they were ruthless! Millions died, many fled, the ________________________ won. Rebellions in the cities would be few and minor from then on; the ________________________ however, would be a problem until the 1930s when they were again killed in large numbers. No country would invade Russia again until ________________________ did in WWII. Russia, now part of a ________________________ of states called the _____________________________ determined to become a ________________________ and _________________________ power.

Animal Farm

Who ridiculed the animals and their efforts? __________________________________________

What did these people finally do? ____________________________________________

What was the name of the great battle fought? _________________________________________

Who was the animals’ brave “general” in the battle? ____________________________________

What rewards were give to those who fought well? _____________________________________

V.

Throughout the 1920s the Communist Party, led by what was called the _____________________________ of the _____________________________, worked to transform the Soviet economy, but met with mixed success. They had little ________________________. It had to be built up, but without ________________________ owners and financing. Agriculture had to be _____________________________ into large ________________________ run by the State. Those who couldn’t work hard or exhibited traits of the ______________ ___________________________, were reviled; many fled. The Soviet Union had no relations or trade with other countries, and suffered from bitter winters and famine. ________________________ concentrated on theories and ideas while ________________________ led the bureaucracy making bonds with lesser leaders, creating everywhere supporters who’d always go along with his views. Stalin also expanded the _____________________________ into a major force to quash his foes. Ultimately, blaming ________________________ for all sorts of failures, Stalin was able to oust and exile him in 1928, and engineer his _____________________________ in 1940. A few Soviet operatives were sent out of the country: Some were spies and some tried to stir up revolution elsewhere; others spread lies about how successful the Soviet Union was. Loyalty and obedience to the Communist Party and ________________________ came more and more to replace courage and accomplishments as Soviet society’s virtues.

Animal Farm

Who makes up the Dictatorship of the Proletariat on AF? ______________________________

What item symbolizes the attempt to build up industry? _______________________________

What animal, who later fled, represents the petit bourgeoisie? _________________________

Who concentrated on ideas and theories? ______________________________________

Who controls the dogs and uses them against others? ______________________________

Who is blamed for all failures on AF and chased out? ________________________________

VI.

Because the economy was faltering, Lenin in 1921 started the NEP, ____________________________

_________________________________, which Stalin expanded. It restored aspects of ___________________________ including small business, private trade, wages, taxes instead of requisitions. This led to the first __________________________________________, 1928-1933. After disastrous ___________________________ harvests, the Soviet Union had to trade with other countries. This was done through _____________________________________ who were shown special ___________________________ and ____________________________ that falsely portrayed Russia as __________________________________. To justify these policies, as well as the ouster of Trotsky and increased power of the Party, Soviet leaders relied on ______________________________, and purposely __________________________ the ideas of Marxism. For instance, Marx said revolutions would occur naturally all over the world for Communism was an ___________________________________ thing. No individual _______________________ should pursue nationalism and great military power to control other nations. But Stalin preached “Socialism in one country first,” and that country should become a strong one able to “export” revolution. Also, Marx spoke of ________________________, but Stalin changed that to “__________________________ from the top,” meaning that since the top people in the Central Committee and Politburo had some input, their decisions reaching down to the people were automatically __________________________. And for all problems and failures they always had __________________________ to blame, until the 1930s and again the 1950s when they also blamed “the Jews.” By the late 1920s the outside world, including the U.S. and the U.K. had withdrawn their support from Russia’s _____________________________________ and accepted that the Soviet Union was achieving industrialization and solving its social problems.

Animal Farm

Though the animals are hungry, the pigs do what with some of the food? ____________________________

Who is the intermediary between AF and the others? __________________________________

What’s one false thing he’s shown or told? ______________________________________________

What’s one AF commandment or “idea” the pigs have now changed? __________________________

Nationalism and military values are symbolized on AF by the ______________________________ and the ________________________

VII.

When the crop failed, the Soviet Union traded raw materials for grain; when it succeeded, they traded grain for _______________________ _______________________ which was used to build up industry. The people remained ______________________________, but this was covered up by _______________________________. The failure of the Five Year Plan was blamed on _______________________________ even though he hadn’t been in the country in five years. The Party even rewrote __________________________: People who hadn’t even been in the ___________________________ but who were now loyal and obedient were written up as ____________________. Real heroes who were now thought to be disobedient were __________________________ and all references to their names or deeds were _____________________________ from such records as history books. _________________________ even argued that Trotsky had been a _________________________ from the very start, because he had reactionary ________________________. Stalin began to see __________________________ everywhere and ultimately accused millions of __________________________ Party members of being in league with ___________________________. Thousands of prominent people were also accused. Many actually ___________________________ to crimes they hadn’t committed – either to save their families or because of _______________________. Millions were executed by the ________________________________________ or similar authorities, or left to rot in Gulag _______________________________________. These were the _________________________ _______________________ of 1934-1936; its survivors lived in fear. The Soviet Union was now a ______________________________________ state run by Stalin and his cronies with the indispensable help of the KGB. In this way Stalin kept his grip on everything – like a _____________________; he even lived in the Czar’s ___________________________ as did many of his followers. The new art called _________________________________ was used to uphold Stalinist ideas.

Animal Farm

Who’s blamed for the collapse of the windmill? _________________________________________

What’s one fact from history the pigs changed? __________________________________________

Who confesses to crimes they didn’t commit? __________________________________________

What changed about the pigs’ living quarters? _________________________________________

Who wrote new rules (supporting “social realism”?) __________________________________

VIII.

After the _______________________, rituals like the parades of Mayday; and symbols like the great Red _______________________, the flag with the ______________________________ and ___________________________, and military medals, became almost religious in nature. Stalin became like a _______________________. The Soviet Union increased its trade with, and drew diplomatically close to, ____________________________ and the United Kingdom. Now Germany was controlled, from 1933, by the ________________________ under _________________________, and Nazism preaches against Communism and in favor of __________________________ and _________________________________. Stalin therefore spoke harshly about Germany and sought the UK as a natural __________________. He also feared Germany might one day ____________________ Russia, because Germany needed its vast agricultural lands and natural resources. Then, without warning, in ____________________, the two countries signed the _________________________-_____________________________ Pact, a treaty vowing no aggression between the two and economic and military cooperation (for instance, after Germany seized _____________________, the Soviet Union was supposed to get part of it.) But less than three years later ___________________ broke the pact and invaded the _________________________________. Despite incredible human ___________________________, including millions dead, cities and industrial centers devastated, the SU prevailed against Germany which was forced to retreat. At the time of Germany’s invasion, _______________________ probably suffered a mental breakdown; later his health was often in question. Since the people saw him as a ______________________, they feared for his life, despite the fact they had to work even harder to ________________________ the SU.

Animal Farm

What are the two symbols on Animal Farm’s flag? ______________________________________

What is Animal Farm’s ritual color? ___________________________________

Which farm represents Germany? __________________________________

Which character represents Hitler? ____________________________________

Which farm represents the United Kingdom? ____________________________________

Who represents UK’s leader? ___________________________________

What pact does Animal Farm enter and for what? ______________________________________________

Which animal’s health becomes an issue? _______________________________________

What is actually wrong with this comrade’s health? ____________________________________

What represents the animals’ history (where they see their past depicted?) _____________________

**X.

Toward the end of WWII Stalin was regarded by Roosevelt (U.S.) and Churchill (U.K.) as a ________________________________ in world affairs. At the Tehran Conference (__________________) for example, they made many political agreements regarding the post-war world. Stalin was accepted as a great _____________________________________, though ___________________________ was always suspicious of him. In many ways, the SU leadership came to resemble the leadership of the Western ______________________________: in importance, clout, attention paid by the international community, even dress and sophistication.

Animal Farm

Who is visiting the pig leadership at the end of the book? ______________________________

In Ch. 2 what is Jones doing to show that the old rulers are horrible? ___________________

Now what are the pigs and guests doing to show they’re all the same? _________________

IX.

In the post-war SU, tremendous effort had to be made to _________________________. And yet, many of the returning veterans, including those who had suffered in German prison camps – instead of receiving generous rewards – were ______________________________ and either __________________________ or sent to the Gulag. They were suspected of ____________________________ to foreign ideas, therefore ___________________________; or perhaps they were worn out and no longer ____________________________. Because it controlled most of the countries in Eastern _________________________________, the SU began to prosper (it took over other countries’ factories, raw materials, and agricultural output.) It kept a huge _____________________________, threatening the ________________________. It solidified its institutions: the military, Communist Party, industrial sector. It even supported the ___________________________________________ Church again, so long as the Church caused no difficulties. (Perhaps it was felt that some people would benefit from the ______________________________ of religion.) Stalin died in __________________ just as he was launching another ____________________________.

Animal Farm

Instead of being rewarded, what great comrade is “executed”? _________________________

Who returned to once again promise life beyond death? _______________________________

What name is given to “heaven” in this story? ___________________________________________

**X (10) is deliberately before IX (9) because Animal Farm reverses the historical events: The meeting with other farmers (countries) in Ch. X really took place, in history, before the end of WWII – the Tehran Conference.

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