A radical attempts to change parts of a society. A leader revolutionizes an entire country. Few people can be called "saviors" (Gluzman), but Vladimir Lenin earned this title as well as others. Lenin not only addressed the problems of Russia, but also brought about a new era in Russian history. His actions can still be felt in modern times and will undoubtedly be felt for years to come.
Lenin was born in the small town of Simbirsk (it was later renamed Ulyanovsk in his honor). His birth name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. His father was a Russian official who fought for free universal education. Lenin had two siblings, a brother and a sister. His brother was arrested in 1887 in connection to a terrorist plan to kill the Tsar. He was hanged for this crime shortly after the arrest. The death of Lenin's brother is what drove him to revolution.
Soon after his brother's death, Lenin became interested in Marxism. He began to study the works of the philosopher and found that he agreed with many of them. At the same time, he was involved in many student protests and was arrested multiple times. He was expelled from Kazan University. His expulsion only drove him to study harder. He worked on his education on his own and was licensed to practice law by 1891. He had also mastered Greek, Latin, German, and French. Between his expulsion and his licensing for law, Lenin translated Marx's Communist Manifesto into Russian for the first time.
[...] He thought that their support of the war was like turning their backs on socialism and called it betrayal of the proletariat.” (Connor, P. 284). He went on to write a book called Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. He also arranged for the distribution of propaganda to Allied troops. These pamphlets called for the men to stop fighting for their countries to instead fight against their officers to start a socialist revolution. In September 1915, Tsar Nicholas II assumed control of the army fighting on the Eastern front. [...]
[...] Lenin participated in many different aspects of the revolution at this time. This included the newspaper that he helped to start called Iskra. He was also involved in the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. However it is around this time that a divide among supporters of the revolution becomes apparent. The party splits into two groups. Lenin led the Bolsheviks, which favored a violent uprising to accomplish the revolution. The other party was called the Mensheviks, who wanted a more peaceful and gradual path to change. [...]
[...] They believed that the Tsar should choose a family member who had the favor of the people. The Tsar attempted to persuade Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich to take the throne, but he refused each time. Lenin now saw his opportunity to make his dream a reality. He tried everything in his power to return to his homeland. The German Foreign Ministry, hoping to end the war with Russia, helped him achieve this goal. They put him and other Bolsheviks on a special train to Russia. [...]
[...] He issued orders to have Lenin arrested and to have the headquarters of the party taken over. One of Lenin's spies discovered the plan and quickly warned him. Lenin was smuggled out of the country to the safety of Finland, where the Helsinki chief of police protected him. While there, Lenin wrote a book outlining his plan for an ideal government in Russia. After the complete and utter failure of the summer offensive ordered by Kerensky, he replaced the supreme commander of the military. [...]
[...] Stalin was responsible for the initiation of the Terror.” This was a campaign in which anyone considered a threat to the party was hunted down and eradicated. Tens of thousands died because of this policy. Before he died, Lenin made it clear that he considered Stalin dangerous and thought there should be more opposition to his power. During his last days, Lenin dictated a last will that included a suggestion for members of the party to “consider a means of removing Stalin from this post.” Three days after writing this, Lenin had a final stroke which left him without the ability to speak or write. [...]
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