joseph stalin (1879-1953)
Throughout George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Napoleon is anthropomorphized as one of history’s most notorious dictators, Joseph Stalin. In the novella, Napoleon uses many of the same tactics as Stalin to obtain power. Both figures resort to extensive measures in order to secure their position as dictator; spreading lies about their opponents as well as embracing the insidious nature of political propaganda and ideological indoctrination makes a sharp contrast to Snowball/Trotsky, whom genuinely acts in compliance with Old Major’s utopian values and in the best interests of the animals on the farm.
Born on December 18th, 1879, in Gori, Georgia, Joseph Stalin (originally Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) was born to a family living in impoverished conditions. As a devout Russian Orthodox Christian, his mother suggested that he go into a seminary to become a priest. Though Stalin only stayed in the seminary for a year, he came into contact with a secret organization that supported Georgian independence from Russia. As some of the members involved were socialists, he was introduced to the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Because of this, he decided to join the group in 1898.
Owing to his four years in exile, Stalin did not play an integral role in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs. As Vladimir Lenin denounced the provisional government in April 1917, the fledging Soviet government subsequently underwent a turbulent period as various individuals vied for position and control. In 1922, Stalin was appointed to the position of general secretary of the Communist Party. Although he was never as good as Lenin as an orator or as intellectual as Leon Trotsky, Stalin excelled in mundane operations of the revolution- calling meetings, publishing leaflets in addition to organizing strikes and demonstrations. However, it was through his new post did he gain control over all party member appointments, hence allowing him to build his base and manipulating these processes to consolidate his grip over the Russian Communist Party. By the time anyone realized what he had done, Lenin, who was gravely ill, was helpless to regain control from Stalin.
After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin embarked on a rapid and radical mission to reorganize the Communist Party and exercise personal control over the Soviet Union. This was achieved through the means of instigating his own reign of terror (widely referred to as The Great Purge) as well as exterminating rivals (including Leon Trotsky and Old Bolshevik party members) after impetuous public trials. From the 1920s-1930s, Stalin managed to reverse Bolshevik agrarian policies by collectivizing the farms, as he believed that collectivism would accelerate food production. However, on the contrary, a widespread famine occurred subsequent to this, and “the peasants resented losing their land and working for the state.” (biography.com: n.d.) Moreover, millions were either killed in forced labour, or starved during the ensuing famine. It was also during this time when Stalin met in motion rapid industrialization that initially achieved huge successes, but in the long run cost millions of lives and vast damage to the environment.
Alarmed by the Nazi party’s rapid rise and expansion, Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in 1939, despite their diametrically opposed ideologies. Publicly, this pact guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other, and that any disputes was to be handled in an amicable manner. Though the pact was intended to last ten years, in essence, it lasted for less than two. (Rosenburg: n.d.)
Born on December 18th, 1879, in Gori, Georgia, Joseph Stalin (originally Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) was born to a family living in impoverished conditions. As a devout Russian Orthodox Christian, his mother suggested that he go into a seminary to become a priest. Though Stalin only stayed in the seminary for a year, he came into contact with a secret organization that supported Georgian independence from Russia. As some of the members involved were socialists, he was introduced to the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Because of this, he decided to join the group in 1898.
Owing to his four years in exile, Stalin did not play an integral role in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs. As Vladimir Lenin denounced the provisional government in April 1917, the fledging Soviet government subsequently underwent a turbulent period as various individuals vied for position and control. In 1922, Stalin was appointed to the position of general secretary of the Communist Party. Although he was never as good as Lenin as an orator or as intellectual as Leon Trotsky, Stalin excelled in mundane operations of the revolution- calling meetings, publishing leaflets in addition to organizing strikes and demonstrations. However, it was through his new post did he gain control over all party member appointments, hence allowing him to build his base and manipulating these processes to consolidate his grip over the Russian Communist Party. By the time anyone realized what he had done, Lenin, who was gravely ill, was helpless to regain control from Stalin.
After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin embarked on a rapid and radical mission to reorganize the Communist Party and exercise personal control over the Soviet Union. This was achieved through the means of instigating his own reign of terror (widely referred to as The Great Purge) as well as exterminating rivals (including Leon Trotsky and Old Bolshevik party members) after impetuous public trials. From the 1920s-1930s, Stalin managed to reverse Bolshevik agrarian policies by collectivizing the farms, as he believed that collectivism would accelerate food production. However, on the contrary, a widespread famine occurred subsequent to this, and “the peasants resented losing their land and working for the state.” (biography.com: n.d.) Moreover, millions were either killed in forced labour, or starved during the ensuing famine. It was also during this time when Stalin met in motion rapid industrialization that initially achieved huge successes, but in the long run cost millions of lives and vast damage to the environment.
Alarmed by the Nazi party’s rapid rise and expansion, Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in 1939, despite their diametrically opposed ideologies. Publicly, this pact guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other, and that any disputes was to be handled in an amicable manner. Though the pact was intended to last ten years, in essence, it lasted for less than two. (Rosenburg: n.d.)
PARALLELS BETWEEN STALIN AND NAPOLEON
NAME
In this context, it is significant that Orwell chose the name “Napoleon” for the pig who represents Stalin in Animal Farm. (Wilks: 2011) The French Revolution of 1789, like the Russian Revolution of 1917, had started out with an enthusiastic vision of human equality. In France, however, the revolution was ultimately taken over and betrayed by Napoleon Bonaparte, a military dictator who proclaimed himself emperor and assumed power over France. Since the Bolshevik leaders were educated men who “knew their history,” they feared that their own revolution might fall victim to what they called “Bonapartism.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 64) However, who among them would play the role of Bonaparte? Who could equal Napoleon as a military genius and a charismatic orator? Who, like Napoleon, talked grandiosely of conquering Europe and imposing a new order on it? Who shared Napoleon’s ambition for hunger for power? The obvious answer in every case was leon Trotsky, as he was renowned for being the architect of the Red Army as well as the apostle of world revolution. Because “Stalin struct most Communists as a modest and self-effacing man, reassuringly dull, inarticulate but good at paperwork, he was able to garner support and defeat Trotsky in the struggle for power.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 65) Few expected him to become Soviet emperor far more tyrannical than Napoleon Bonaparte. Though it is patently obvious that Orwell directly modeled Napoleon on Stalin, the reference to Bonaparte allows the reader to see that Napoleon (the pig) can represent any of the dictators and political tyrants in world history.
NAPOLEON
Stalin’s rise to power was a combination of two factors: his ability to manipulate situations and “getting his own way” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 9), as well as the failure of others to prevent him from taking power. As Trotsky continuously failed to take advantage of opportunities that would have helped him to “crush” Stalin politically, Stalin, on the other hand, maneuvered himself into a stronger position within the party by allying with Zinoviev and Kamenev (whom are not represented by any animal throughout the novella), thus successfully eliminating the strongest opponent in his path (Trotsky) to power. (The History Connection: n.d.) Though Snowball does not actually “waste opportunities” in the novel, Napoleon’s sly, political thinking and strong pragmatic qualities ultimately out-rules Snowball’s strong sense of “humanity.” This is clearly indicated when Napoleon sees the puppies and takes “them away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education.” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 22) While Napoleon claims that “the education of the young was more important than anything that could be done for those who were already grown up,” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 22) he clandestinely trains the puppies into an aggressive and obedient guard force that can be used whenever his authority is questioned. In this, it is clear that Napoleon is more of a pragmatic leader than Snowball; he knows that being a leader requires a strong force that is feared by the community. With this force, Napoleon can manipulate the animals on the farm and force them into deference. Napoleon is also aided by his proponent Squealer, who convinces the animals that the tasks in hand are beneficial for the the whole animal community. As “Napoleon rarely appeared in public,” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 50) Squealer becomes Napoleon’s medium of communication with the masses, and, given the formers persuasiveness and ability to manipulate, ensures a smooth transition into power for the latter. Not only does this show that Napoleon’s power is derived from his own prestige, through distance and separation, he heightens his importance and hence, a larger emphasis is made on class stratification.
Chapter nine in Animal Farm serves as the climax for the novella’s embodiment of betrayal/exploitation of the lower classes, as Boxer, the most hardworking horse on the farm, is sent off to the knacker’s. Through this example, Orwell shows that the inevitable decline in living standards for the working class is a direct consequence of the corruption of the ruling class. In the coming pages, the hypocrisy of the pigs becomes increasingly apparent as the profit earned (as a consequence to Boxer’s death) allowed the pigs to have “acquired the money to buy themselves another case of whisky.” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 84) In this, Orwell draws parallels with the pigs’ actions and Mr Jones’ behavior- the selling out of the working class for the benefit of the ruling elite. Conversely, though the narrator’s identity remains unknown over the course of the novel, the writing style in this section is reflective of the pigs’ attitude towards Boxer’s death: simple and unsentimental, effectively showing the gradual loss of dignity as one becomes driven by power. Although the betrayal of Boxer does not link specifically to one definite event of the Russian Revolution, the eventual deterioration of living standards for the working class reflects on the gradual decrease in quality of life for the common man in the Soviet Union.
As Stalin first rose to power, one of his first decisions as leader of the Soviet Union was to initiate the “Five Year Plans,” the first of which was accepted in 1928 and applied for the years 1929-1933. Part of his Five-Year Plan was his decision to collectivize agriculture. In the utopian mindset that crop output could be increased by simply moving to larger-scale mechanized farm/bringing peasantry under control, the plan failed miserably and subsequently resulted in a massive drop in quality of living for the peasants. While there are still historical debates about the degree to which Stalin’s plans had led to the widespread famine of 1931-1932, it is clear, however, that Stalin, engrossed with the power of his authority, did little to help the people.
Parallel to Animal Farm, we find that “the animals worked like slaves” under Napoleon’s dictatorship. (Orwell, 2008, pg. 40) Though the neighbouring humans “held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later, and, above all, that the windmill would be a failure”, they had still “developed a certain respect for the efficiency with which the animals were managing their own affairs. (Orwell, 2008, pg. 44) Because the degree of the famine had been constrained to such a degree, even Napoleon “was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known,” and that “it was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world.” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 50)
The floundering of Napoleon’s policies corresponds to the failure of Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans- they were a mere, radical attempt to propel the Soviet Union into the industrial age. While the total of thirteen Five-Year-Plans did in fact, modernize Russia, it was at an appalling human cost and resulted in widespread famine and a serious deterioration of living standards of the Russian common man. In turn, Stalin’s policy that forbade negative press from revealing the full consequences of the Five-Year-Plans had blinded the international community for decades.
Chapter nine in Animal Farm serves as the climax for the novella’s embodiment of betrayal/exploitation of the lower classes, as Boxer, the most hardworking horse on the farm, is sent off to the knacker’s. Through this example, Orwell shows that the inevitable decline in living standards for the working class is a direct consequence of the corruption of the ruling class. In the coming pages, the hypocrisy of the pigs becomes increasingly apparent as the profit earned (as a consequence to Boxer’s death) allowed the pigs to have “acquired the money to buy themselves another case of whisky.” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 84) In this, Orwell draws parallels with the pigs’ actions and Mr Jones’ behavior- the selling out of the working class for the benefit of the ruling elite. Conversely, though the narrator’s identity remains unknown over the course of the novel, the writing style in this section is reflective of the pigs’ attitude towards Boxer’s death: simple and unsentimental, effectively showing the gradual loss of dignity as one becomes driven by power. Although the betrayal of Boxer does not link specifically to one definite event of the Russian Revolution, the eventual deterioration of living standards for the working class reflects on the gradual decrease in quality of life for the common man in the Soviet Union.
As Stalin first rose to power, one of his first decisions as leader of the Soviet Union was to initiate the “Five Year Plans,” the first of which was accepted in 1928 and applied for the years 1929-1933. Part of his Five-Year Plan was his decision to collectivize agriculture. In the utopian mindset that crop output could be increased by simply moving to larger-scale mechanized farm/bringing peasantry under control, the plan failed miserably and subsequently resulted in a massive drop in quality of living for the peasants. While there are still historical debates about the degree to which Stalin’s plans had led to the widespread famine of 1931-1932, it is clear, however, that Stalin, engrossed with the power of his authority, did little to help the people.
Parallel to Animal Farm, we find that “the animals worked like slaves” under Napoleon’s dictatorship. (Orwell, 2008, pg. 40) Though the neighbouring humans “held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later, and, above all, that the windmill would be a failure”, they had still “developed a certain respect for the efficiency with which the animals were managing their own affairs. (Orwell, 2008, pg. 44) Because the degree of the famine had been constrained to such a degree, even Napoleon “was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known,” and that “it was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world.” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 50)
The floundering of Napoleon’s policies corresponds to the failure of Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans- they were a mere, radical attempt to propel the Soviet Union into the industrial age. While the total of thirteen Five-Year-Plans did in fact, modernize Russia, it was at an appalling human cost and resulted in widespread famine and a serious deterioration of living standards of the Russian common man. In turn, Stalin’s policy that forbade negative press from revealing the full consequences of the Five-Year-Plans had blinded the international community for decades.
NAPOLEON AS STALIN: WAS ORWELL SUCCESSFUL?
Throughout the novella, Orwell has effectively portrayed Napoleon as a sinister pig who resembles much of one of the world’s most infamous dictators, Joseph Stalin. With anthropomorphism embodied in the structure of Animal Farm, Napoleon’s character is simply an amalgamation of the derogatory characteristics of a pig in addition to Stalin’s idiosyncrasies. As pigs are normally perceived as vicious, greedy animals who tend to be reified as stubborn, ignorant and conniving creatures, to suit the characteristics of the totalitarian ideology, Napoleon embodies all of these traits and somewhat “embraces” them in a derogatory manner throughout Orwell’s novella. This is an ideal combination for portraying a maximal dictator like Stalin. In this, Orwell demonstrates the risk of any communist regime; corruption is inevitable.
In this context, it is significant that Orwell chose the name “Napoleon” for the pig who represents Stalin in Animal Farm. (Wilks: 2011) The French Revolution of 1789, like the Russian Revolution of 1917, had started out with an enthusiastic vision of human equality. In France, however, the revolution was ultimately taken over and betrayed by Napoleon Bonaparte, a military dictator who proclaimed himself emperor and assumed power over France. Since the Bolshevik leaders were educated men who “knew their history,” they feared that their own revolution might fall victim to what they called “Bonapartism.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 64) Because “Stalin struck most Communists as a modest and self-effacing man, reassuringly dull, inarticulate but good at paperwork, he was able to garner support and defeat Trotsky in the struggle for power.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 65) Few expected him to become Soviet emperor far more tyrannical than Napoleon. Though it is patently obvious that Orwell directly modeled Napoleon on Stalin, the reference to Napoleon Bonaparte makes the reader see that Napoleon in Animal Farm can represent any of the dictators and political tyrants in world history. (Wilks: 2011)
On the other hand, through characterization, dialogue, political intentions as well as names and fur colour, Orwell has starkly juxtaposed the ineluctable differences between Snowball and Napoleon, subsequently effectively portraying the high levels of corruption and manipulation in Napoleon’s leadership. While the “snow” in Snowball’s name clearly signifies clarity and purity (as Snowball is very genuine with his leadership and does not have any secret incentives), as aforementioned, it also suggests vulnerability to sin and anything that is of a darker shade. Napoleon, on the other hand, is “the only Berkshire on the farm,” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 9) which may suggest that he is the most iniquitous animal on the farm, thus having a myriad of sinister motives (as the reader knows) behind all that is done on the farm.
In this context, it is significant that Orwell chose the name “Napoleon” for the pig who represents Stalin in Animal Farm. (Wilks: 2011) The French Revolution of 1789, like the Russian Revolution of 1917, had started out with an enthusiastic vision of human equality. In France, however, the revolution was ultimately taken over and betrayed by Napoleon Bonaparte, a military dictator who proclaimed himself emperor and assumed power over France. Since the Bolshevik leaders were educated men who “knew their history,” they feared that their own revolution might fall victim to what they called “Bonapartism.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 64) Because “Stalin struck most Communists as a modest and self-effacing man, reassuringly dull, inarticulate but good at paperwork, he was able to garner support and defeat Trotsky in the struggle for power.” (Rodden, 1999, pg. 65) Few expected him to become Soviet emperor far more tyrannical than Napoleon. Though it is patently obvious that Orwell directly modeled Napoleon on Stalin, the reference to Napoleon Bonaparte makes the reader see that Napoleon in Animal Farm can represent any of the dictators and political tyrants in world history. (Wilks: 2011)
On the other hand, through characterization, dialogue, political intentions as well as names and fur colour, Orwell has starkly juxtaposed the ineluctable differences between Snowball and Napoleon, subsequently effectively portraying the high levels of corruption and manipulation in Napoleon’s leadership. While the “snow” in Snowball’s name clearly signifies clarity and purity (as Snowball is very genuine with his leadership and does not have any secret incentives), as aforementioned, it also suggests vulnerability to sin and anything that is of a darker shade. Napoleon, on the other hand, is “the only Berkshire on the farm,” (Orwell, 2008, pg. 9) which may suggest that he is the most iniquitous animal on the farm, thus having a myriad of sinister motives (as the reader knows) behind all that is done on the farm.
One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. ― George Orwell, 1984