Stalin: From Rags to Ruler
Early Years
Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili in 1878 Gori, Georgia (BBC, n.d.)., He was the fourth of three other already deceased children. Stalin grew up in impoverished conditions; his father was a drunkard who made boots and reportedly abused Stalin, and his mother a laundress. As an adolescent, Stalin was able to attend a Georgian Orthodox Church on a scholarship. (Simkin, 2013). During his time there, he read the writings of Karl Marx, and gained a keen interest in revolutionary movements. Stalin received an expulsion from the seminary after only one year of studies, for disrespecting his teachers and reading prohibited works.
Becoming Dictator
After his expulsion from school, Stalin became involved in underground political movements, participating in various rallies and protests. He soon joined Bolshevism, the precursor of Russian communism. In 1912, Vladimir Lenin, one of the founders of Bolshevism, chose Stalin to join the Bolshevik’s Central Committee. As the years progressed the Bolsheviks assumed sovereignty in Russia, overthrowing Czar Nicholas II, and establishing the Soviet Union of which Lenin ruled. Stalin continued climbing up the political ladder, and in 1922 was appointed General Secretary of the Bolshevik’s Central Committee (1). Stalin tactfully gathered information on every party member, demoting those he thought untrustworthy, and promoting those he believed dependable. Following Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin continued to outmaneuver his opponents as General Secretary, removing such members as Leon Trotsky and Lev Kamenev. In 1928, Stalin became the de facto ruler of the Soviet Union.
Being Dictator
Upon his jurisdiction, Stalin industrialized the Soviet Union. He started a development plan, which insinuated the government’s control over the economy and Soviet Cultivation (1). Many (millions) farmers did not comply with the development plan and were unwilling to give up their land, causing Stalin to order their exile or murder. In addition, the enforced cultivation of land resulted in famine across the board--millions died of hunger. Stalin reigned by means of fear. He initiated his own secret police force, which spied on citizens and removed anybody that potentially opposed of him. Stalin sent people to forced labor camps, and ordered the killings of millions. In the late 1930s, he orchestrated the Great Purge, a set of organized events intending to literally purge the Soviet Union from Stalin’s traitors. Stalin was able to establish a culture similar to that of a cult. He had historical works, art, music centered around him (1). Entire cities were even renamed after him.
Napoleon: The Pig with all the Power
In Animal Farm, Stalin is represented by the pig character, Napoleon. Similarities between Stalin and Napoleon can be pinpointed straight from the beginning of the novel when we are first introduced to Napoleon, until the end when he ultimately takes over the farm.
Napoleon & Stalin: Both Dictators
A major similarity between Stalin and Napoleon is their way of rule, which brings up such events like the Great Purge. Of course, both Napoleon and Stalin have utmost control over their grounds, whether they be the farm or an entire unification. Stalin made it his goal to eliminate anyone who was potentially against him. In doing so, he hired the communist secret police force, the KGB, to work undercover in removing his opposers, as well as give him protection. In Animal Farm, Napoleon uses the puppies he raised and brainwashed as his guard dogs, who act as his bodyguards that attack and or kill any animal that defies him. Napoleon uses his dogs to remove Snowball fro the farm and strengthen his authority, just as Stain utilized his police force to secure his power. During the Great Purge, Stalin administered sending millions of citizens to concentration camps, and expelled or even sentenced to death those who went against him, just as in Animal Farm the guiltily animals confess their wrongdoings to Napoleon. ‘When they had finished their confession the dogs promptly tore their throats out...confess.’ (56)
Napoleon & Stalin: Both have a Trotsky
Another parallel between Stalin and Napoleon is the contact they make with their opponents. That is, Napoleon’s rivalry with Snowball, who is a metaphorical character of Leon Trotsky, and the feud between Trotsky and Stalin. Throughout the novel, Snowball and Napoleon constantly disagree with each other and struggle for power, similar to Trotsky and Stalin’s longstanding vendetta against each other. The main conflict between the two raised in the novel is their dispute about the windmill. Snowball proposes a three year plan to build a windmill on the farm, ‘which could be made to operate a dynamo and supply the farm with electrical power.’ (page 32). Napoleon is completely against the idea, though in the novel never actually gives a reason for his disagreement. In fact, he secretly examines Snowball’s plans, ‘..then suddenly he lifted his leg, urinated over the plans..word,’ (33), a measure animals will take to mark their territory. The windmill incident is symbolic of the Soviet Five Year Plans, the concepts of which were originally developed by Trotsky and later instigated by Stalin, who after exiling Trotsky claimed them to be his own proposals. In addition, the exile and murder of Trotsky ordered by Stalin is comparable to Napoleon banishing Snowball from the farm.
Orwell's Portrayal of Stalin
In terms of character, I think that author George Orwell chose to represent Stalin as a pig because of the demeanor that is often associated with them. Pigs have been scientifically proven to be the smartest domestic animals (NBC News, n.d.)., even more so than dogs or cats. They are also commonly identified as being greedy, due to their physical appearance and the amount that they consume. This is an ideal combination for portraying a maximal dictator like Stalin. His brains and well thought out tactics led to his power, and he was able to destroy anyone who threatened his authority. Also, he lived in wealth and luxuries compared to the society he ran, in which the proletariats suffered in labor. I think that Orwell successfully characterized Napoleon in that among all of the characters in the novel, he is the most metaphorically similar to his equivalent, Stalin. This is emphasized through Orwell’s ability to accurately correspond the story’s plot line to the actual historical events that took place, but without blatantly revealing their connection to each other. For example, illustrating Stalin’s secret police as Napoleon’s dog force, and representing the 5 Year Plans of industrialization with the plans to construct a windmill on the farm.