Example research essay topic: Leon Trotsky Karl Marx - 1,112 words

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George Orwell grew up a devout and dedicated socialist in the British colonies of India and even when he eventually studied and lived in England. He was loyal to the beliefs and followings of socialism's fathers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the authors of The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. However, when Orwell saw the ideals of Socialism turned into vicious Communism, taking advantage of and abusing the lower classes that it was intended to help, he could not turn a blind eye to the cruelties and hypocrisies of the totalitarian Communism under the dictatorial reign of Joseph Stalin. Therefore, Orwell wrote two greatest anti-Communist novels that solidified his place as an advocate of freedom and a committed opponent of Communist oppression. His loathing criticism is best portrayed and evident in his satirical and allegoric fable Animal Farm. Written between 1943 and 1944, it served as an enlightening call to freedom and fairness around the world with the Russian revolution serving as the perfect backdrop and storyline to convey his powerful message.

In February 1917, Czar Nicholas II, the monarch of Russia abdicated leaving Alexander Kerensky as the premier. However, about eight months later Kerensky was overthrown by Socialist/Communist revolutionists led by Vladimir Lenin, who quickly was self-appointed Chief Commissar of the new Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Almost immediately, as the country was war-torn, the chief allies of Lenin began jockeying for position and power in the newly formed state. Most notably including Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Gregory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev. The popular and charismatic Trotsky came into the forefront along with the intimidating and militant Stalin as the likely successors to Lenin's vast power. Upon Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin manipulated an alliance with Zinoviev and Kaminev against Trotsky.

Eventually Stalin stood supreme dictator of the USSR where Trotsky was exiled and eventually assassinated by Stalin's troops. These horrifying events became the wondrous plot and characters of Animal Farm. Mr. Jones, representing the capitalist monarch society in pre-rebellion Russia, has a functioning and standard farm in the countryside of England and it includes the typical animals and beasts of burden on such a farm, including pigs, horses, poultry, dogs, goats and other animals of the sort. In many ways the farm also mimics the countryside of Russia during its revolution with its poor and worsening conditions and irresponsible leaders. He works and uses the animals to sell the fruits of their labor so that he may survive and thrive in the capitalist society.

However, Old Major, a prize-winning boar has been around long enough to realize his and the other animals exploitation. He envisions and dreams of a socialist utopia for the animals. He assembles the animals to tell him of his dream and the pending rebellion against the harsh and devil human. He stirs and inspires the animals with his song Beasts of England. In the role of Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, Old Major enjoys a brief period of leadership controlling the revolution but fails to see the product of his vision, dying only three days after initially inciting his new comrades, an obvious pun on the Soviets word for friend.

Finally, after a brief period of planning and plotting, the animals, starving and freezing, break into the food storage and help themselves, when Mr. Jones discovers them, he, quite inebriated, begins to whip the animals in an attempt to hoard them back into their pens. Unexpectedly, the revolution spontaneously occurs as the animals have finally had too much and can stand no more. The revolt is extremely successful as Mr. Jones and his men are driven from the farm.

Following their victory, Napoleon and Snowball, two ambitious young pigs, emerge as the two new leaders in the new animal republic, evidently depicting the Communist combatants of Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Quickly, led by the pigs, reconstruction and establishment begins on the revolutionary Animal Farm, akin to post World War I Russia. The pigs, whom had hastily recognized themselves as the intelligent leaders of their comrades, formulated the fundamentals of success on Animal Farm with a philosophy called Animalism. Animalism, unbeknownst to them, was based upon the principles of Socialism, where each and every animal or comrade was treated equally and fairly in a classless and casteless society. Furthermore, with these moral standards put in place, the pigs drafted the Seven Commandments so that the comrades shall never forget and stray from their newfound benevolence and philanthropy and wrote them on the barn wall for all to see. The Commandments included: 1.

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7.

All animals are equal. The unintelligent animals, such as the sheep, were forced to turn the Seven Commandments into one maxim of Four legs good, two legs bad. The revolution and transition were completed, all seemed to be going well. The Soviets had aided in the allied victory of WWI and the farmers of the Soviet Union, the majority of the population, believed the Communist promises of equality and never before imagined welfare in which the results of the labor of all would be shared fairly by all. No more was starvation or deficiency in any area supposed to be a problem. Consequently, on Animal Farm, things are also going well.

The animals, working without a harsh master, worked harder and better than ever before. Their work brings pride, self-satisfaction and the largest harvest ever with every animal eating every meal like pigs and / or royalty. Everything seems to be flowing in the direction of happy Socialism as the peasants and workers are becoming richer, happier more equal to the formerly upper and superior classes. However, greed amongst the ranks of leaders would soon begin to ruin the thus far well regulated and fulfilled plan.

Snowball is courageous and successful in repelling the attack of Mr. Jones and his men and has begun to draw up plans for a fantastic windmill that will cut down on the labor and increase the end results as well as powering the barns with heat and electricity. His recent courage, innovation and charming persuasiveness delivered in the weekly Sunday debates are making him favored over the more rough and demanding, despite being less articulate, Napoleon. Finally the windmill comes down to a debate and vote at a Sunday meeting. Snowball closes with a brilliant and convincing speech that appears to have the vote in his favor. However, a...

Research essay sample on Leon Trotsky Karl Marx