One of the greatest empire of the History. Communism was the ideological foundation of Soviet Union.

1. CommunismCommunism
Soviet Empire and Utopian DreamsSoviet Empire and Utopian Dreams

2. 19911917
20071848
The History of Communism was defined by the interests, needsThe History of Communism was defined by the interests, needs
and goals of the Soviet Union for most of the 20th Centuryand goals of the Soviet Union for most of the 20th Century.
Russian
Revolution
Fall of
USSR
……but there was more to Communism thanbut there was more to Communism than
just the USSRjust the USSR. Hugo Chavez

3. Marxism :Marxism :
Karl MarxKarl Marx, 1818-1883, 1818-1883
The theory behind Comunism
““Workers of the World, Unite ! YouWorkers of the World, Unite ! You
have nothing to lose but your chains !”have nothing to lose but your chains !”
Classical Economist, Philosopher and Journalist
•History is shaped by “Class Struggle”“Class Struggle”
•New productive technologies create new social
groups who eventually have a Revolution !
•Ancient--->Feudal --->Capitalist--->Socialist--->
•Capitalists exploit workers by taking “surplus value”“surplus value”
• History has scientific laws just like nature
•Revolution was coming soon !
Friedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels:
Supported Marx’s writings
and political activity $$$

4. RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 !RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 !
““ Ten Days That Shook The World ”Ten Days That Shook The World ”
Tsar Nicholas IITsar Nicholas II
“ The“ The
Unlucky”Unlucky”
WWI Exhausts Russia
Democrats, Liberals and
Moderate Socialists overthrow
Tsar in February, 1917
BolsheviksBolsheviks & AnarchistsAnarchists
topple Provisional
Government in October
Lenin creates the Red Guards & CHEKACHEKA secret police - launches ““
Red Terror”Red Terror” against “ Class Enemies”. Tsarist “ Whites”“ Whites” fight back

5. “Former Classes”
“Rich” Peasants & Middle-
Class
Capitalists & Priests
Nobility & White Guards
Poor and “ Middle”
Peasants
Workers
Bolshevik Party“ Soviet People”
“Enemies of the People”

6. “Iron Felix” Dzerzhinsky
The first Soviet Secret Police
were known as “The CHEKA”
All-Russian Extraordinary
Commission for Combating
Counter-revolution & Sabotage
Used Terrorism, Torture,
Assassination and Espionage
Had its own special elite military
units and concentration camps
Separate from regular criminal
police ( MVD) and military
intelligence (GRU)
Spied on everyone
Answered only to the leadership
of the Bolshevik Party
Known by many names - GPU,
OGPU, NKVD, MGB and KGB
CHEKA -KGB
badge

7. Party Members
Local, Provincial, Regional, Republic
Party Officials ( “Nomenklatura”Nomenklatura” )
Central Committee
Secretariat
Politburo
Leader Power was rigidlyPower was rigidly
centralized in acentralized in a
pyramidpyramid
Discipline wasDiscipline was
harshharsh

8. Lenin set down the brutal rules
for the Soviet System.
Stalin built that system into a
global power
Lenin was willing to share
power & tolerate some debate
inside the Party.
Stalin insisted on absolute
obedience and all the power.
Lenin took great risks to spread
Communist Revolution.
Stalin wanted security and power
for the Soviet Union even if it
harmed the chances for
Communist revolution
elsewhere.

9. Lenin’s death set off a fearsome power struggle between
Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky with terrible
consequences for the Russian people….

10. Lenin’s death set off a fearsome power struggle between
Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky with terrible
consequences for the Russian people….