Russian - Revolution to Communism

Aim: What were the effects of the Russian Revolution? Do they matter today?

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Lesson Overview:

Item	Approx Time
Do Now	3-5 Min
Mini Lesson	15-20 Min
Activity	15 Min
Discussion	5-7 Min

Marxism & Communism & Socialism

German philosopher Karl Marx is considered to one of the most influential thinkers of all time. Marx wrote in the 19th century, a time of tremendous upheaval in the social and political fabric of Europe. Marx wrote at a time during which the excesses of the new Industrial Revolution were most prominent, and his ideas revolutionized thinking about capitalism and its relation to business, individuals, states and the environment.

He wrote several books including his most famous; "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital" in which include some of the following concepts:

Materialism

The motivating idea behind Marx's philosophy was the idea of materialism. Materialists believe that it is the material conditions of the world, for instance, the structure of the economy and the distribution of wealth, that give rise to ideas such as who "should" lead and "deserves" to earn what they earn. This idea is contrary to idealism, which states that it is ideas that give rise to material reality.

Exploitation

Marx believed that the real danger of capitalism was that it exploited workers. Marxists have since developed his theory to explore how capitalism also exploits the planet and its natural resources. According to Marx, capitalists exploit laborers by paying them less than they are worth -- the excess labor of the laborer is what becomes the capitalists' profits. This "surplus labor" is exploited by the capitalist who also forces the laborer into unfitting and unfair working conditions -- something that was much more obvious and severe during the 19th century Marx was writing.

Alienation

Marx believed that workers were alienated in several ways. Marx highlighted four elements from which the worker is alienated: the product, the act of producing, himself and others. The main idea behind alienation is that one of the effects of the worker's exploitation by the capitalist is that he is not able to live as he otherwise naturally would. This alienation is a kind of separation or removal from how life "naturally" should be. Capitalism, for Marx, is a perversion that separates man from what he makes and how he makes it as well as he would otherwise "naturally" be as a human and how he would relate to others.

Revolution

Marx believed that, eventually, workers would unite and overthrow the capitalist ruling class. He thought that the bourgeois-capitalist ruling structure would give way to a revolution led by workers who would replace the order with a more fair system. Marx did not exactly call this "communism," and the "communist" states that emerged after Marx -- the Soviet Union, North Korea, the People's Republic of China -- in no way resembled what Marx was talking about. Marx sought a radically democratic order based on collective decision-making and the shared used of the means of production -- that is, the land, labor, and capital that goes in to producing things.

Marx's Overall Theory of Economics & Society:

He believed that the state institution and the capitalistic structure were tools of the bourgeois (people who owned the factories or were the ruling class) to support their own interests at the expense of the proletariat, or working class. He believed that the proletariat, which has massively superior numbers, should rise up to over throw the system and create a classless society.

Socialism (Economics)

Socialism calls for government control of the means of production (ie nationalization of key industries) and the distribution of resources in an egalitarian manner to citizens seeking to ensure that everyone can meet basic needs.

Communism & Marxism

Communism (and Marxism, which is another term for Communism) is essentially a hard core form of socialism where the entire economy is controlled by the government, there is little or no private property, etc. In practice communist states have tended to be dictatorships and totalitarian (whomever runs the government runs, well, everything, including all political, social, and economic aspects of the society.

The Russian Revolution

Causes:

Throughout the 19th century, Russian Czars attempted to westernize and industrialize, without also importing French Revolution liberal ideas. They were mostly unsuccessful, and many Russian liberals called for reform. In response, the Czars became harsh and oppressive. A rigid social class system added to this problem by denying the majority peasant class most basic rights. The peasant class, composed of both farmers and urban workers, were mostly poor, overworked, and hungry, which would lead them to support liberal ideas that promised better living conditions.

A small revolution in 1905 forced Czar Nicholas II to enact some minor reforms, however, these did not last. Finally, as Russia suffered through many defeats during World War I, and the country faced shortages in food, fuel and housing, the people began to revolt. The czar was forced from power in March of 1917, and a provisional government was setup. In November, after this government had been slow in reacting to the country's problems, a group known as the Bolsheviks, took control of the country. This is known as the Bolshevik or Communist Revolution, as the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, later renamed themselves Communists.

. Effects:

Russia became the first country to base its government on the writings of Karl Marx. By 1922, Lenin and the Communists had retaken most of the old Russian Empire and renamed it the Soviet Union. Initially, the Communists fulfilled their revolutionary promises by improving basic living conditions, and ending Russia's involvement in World War I, but ultimately failed to provide a government of equal rights and participation.

Classwork & Homework

Lesson Video: Russian Revolution Timeline

Homework: Work on Turning Point Project