Changes

Undoubtedly in the ranks of the turbulent 20th century’s decades a few names emerge as some of the most significant key revolutionaries known in the history of mankind: Lenin, Mandela, Stalin, Hitler, Mao to name a few. Yet some of them share and spread out that specific spirit able to spark a fire on a global scale, conquer minds and inspire millions of people effectively having them bent to their absolute will. But what does it take to be a true revolutionary and change the fate of those millions, to define the very course of the history itself and/or even shape entire countries? How does one bring down emblematic well-established ‘status quos’ and regimes to build one’s own upon former remains and ashes? What is it like to be a true visionary, to lead, inspire and motivate millions of people to follow you? __NOTOC__[[File: 683px-Lenin.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Vladimir Lenin]]In 1917, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (later known as alias Lenin as he solely nicknamed himself) seized control of Russia in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, created the Soviet Union and ruled it until his death in 1924. Lenin was one of the leading political figures in the course of the 20th century. He was the revolutionary thinker behind the USSR idea (a.k.a. The Great Soviet Union), fought to materialize it and masterminded the Bolshevik bloody takeover of power in Russia after Russia's withdrawal from World War One. And although Lenin died in his mid-50s's reign as the head of the newly created Soviet Union was brief, but his ideas influenced and marked influence stretched throughout the following generations’ fate, development and lives for quite many decades that came after20th century.

====Lenin’s Early Life====Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov was born on 22 April 1870 in Simbirsk on the Volga River into a well-educated family. He excelled at school and chose to pursue law studies and career. However, while he was at university his brother, Aleksandr Ulyanov, was involved with “Narodovoltsy” – a revolutionary terrorist society and in 1891 he was arrested and executed for taking part in an assassination plot against Tsar Alexander III. His brother's execution radicalized Vladimir. He turned his anger towards =the ruling Tsarist regime. His brother's execution along with his father’s death marked a turning point in his life and shaped his path in the future.[[File:Lenin-circa-1887.jpg|thumbnail|150px|left|Vladimir Lenin in 1887]] Soon after his brother execution, Lenin was expelled from the university for his active participation in student protests against the Tsarist regime. He was forced to continue his law studies as an external student at St. Petersburg University. Around this time he also became passionately interested in Karl Marx’s works. He joined Marxists groups when he was 21 and in essence became a professional revolutionary. Lenin became involved with various Marxist societies and radical groups and published his writings on politics and Marxism.

Lenin Almost all of his writing was born on 22 April 1870 in Simbirsk on the Volga River into a well-educated family. Once he excelled at school, he chose to pursue a law studies immediately banned and career. However, later in university, angered and influenced restricted by the cruel public execution of his brother (being a member of a revolutionary group himself) at the hands of the ruling Tsarist regime, Lenin became far more radical in his thinking.<ref>Lenin’s older brother - Aleksandr Ulyanov, was involved with “Narodovoltsy” – a revolutionary terrorist society and in 1891 he was arrested and executed for taking part in an assassination plot against Tsar Alexander III.</ref> That event, together with his father’s death, marked The only way to get a turning point in young Lenin’s life and broadly determined his path hold of the future revolutionary we know today. Shortly after these critical events, Lenin was expelled from the university for his active participation in student protests against Tsarist regime and writings was forced to continue his law studies as an external student at St. Petersburg University. Around that time he also became passionately interested in Karl Marx’s works. Unsurprisingly, even before concluding his education, young Lenin joined the Marxists groups at the age of 21 as to become a professional revolutionary. Lenin quickly got involved with Marxist societies and radical groups and even published several writings of his own. Almost all of pass them were immediately banned and restricted by the ruling regime, declared illegal and only passed hand from hand person to handperson. And because he His writings quickly caught the eye of the other Russian radicals, Lenin and he was declared an “enemy of the state” by the Russian police. He Tsarists police arrested him in St. Petersburg and imprisoned for a year for sedition. After his release, he was mercilessly chased by the Tsarists again arrested in 1897 for his radical views and ideas and soon he was arrested sent to exile in Siberia for three years. Lenin and exiled family were sent to Siberiawhere he lived in Shushenskoye. During his Siberian exile , Vladimir adopted the famous “Lenin” pseudonym himself – the nick-name he’s become best known for<ref>Throughout moniker “Lenin.” While in Siberia, Lenin regularly wrote with his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya. His exile did little to damper his life Lenin often used many different pseudonyms for work or for security reasons</ref> revolutionary zeal.

====Lenin - the Young Revolutionary= === Once Lenin was released, he continued to work on his views regarding social imbalance passionately and formed the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks would become the preeminent party of Russian Marxists shaped the future Communist Party.<ref>Initially establishing the so-called Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party and later – Communist Party.</ref> The synthesis of Lenin’s views combined with those of Karl Marx created what we now know as “Marxism-Leninism” or the basis of whole Communist doctrine throughout the 20th century. [[File:Vladimir_Lenin_plays_chess_with_Alexander_Bogdanov_during_a_visit_to_Maxim_Gorky_(April_,10_(23)_-_April,_17_(30)_1908).jpg|thumbnail|325px|left|Vladimir Lenin plays chess with Alexander Bogdanov in 1908]]His teachings attracted more and more passionate followers. Unsurprisingly, his writing unpopular with the Russian authorities. Vladimir argued in favor at total state ownership of all property, abolishing Tsarists privileges, equal rights for all and the elimination of unemployment. As the tension grew, Lenin decided to leave the country for security reasons and move to Western Europe. He spent there most of the subsequent 15 in self-imposed exile. After his move to Eastern Europe, he became a prominent member of the international revolutionary movement.

Once Lenin was releasedAway from Russia, he continued to passionately work on his views regarding social imbalance and formed the famous Bolsheviks group of supporters – a major faction of Russian Marxists, later shaping the whole Communist Party.<ref>Initially establishing the so-called Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party and later – Communist Party.</ref> The synthesis of Lenin’s views combined together with those of Karl Marx created what we now know as “Marxism-Leninism” or the basis of whole Communist doctrine throughout the 20th century. His teachings attracted more publish and won more passionate followers and were not popular with the Russian authorities at all – he was, after all, against the ruling Tsarist regime and class divisions in societyon his side. Vladimir aimed at total state ownership of goods, abolishing Tsarists privileges, equal rights for all and lack of workless personnel - even if that meant going to extremes like poets serving He published his newspaper “Iskra” (“Spark”) in army or getting involved Munich with peasant work. As the tension grewmotto “From Spark to Flame!” Aided by foreign funds, Lenin decided to leave actively challenged established the country for security reasons doctrine, policy, and move to Western Europe. He spent there most institution of the subsequent decade and a half and continued to play a key role also in the international revolutionary movementruling Tsarist regimes.

Away Lenin proved decisive and ruthless from Russia the very beginning. He neglected his fellow countrymen sufferings because he created his own propaganda means and won even more followers was focused on his sidecrushing any internal opposition or riots. <ref>E.g. published his legendary newspaper “Iskra” (“Spark”) in Munich with the motto “From Spark The Red Army or as it was also commonly referred to Flame!”</ref> Aided - The Great Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army - was raised by foreign funds, Lenin actively challenged Lenin’s Bolsheviks to oppose the various military collectively known as the established doctrine, policy and institution of White army during the ruling Tsarist regimesRussian Civil War. Vladimir quickly learntAfter 1922, that the real force Red Army was within transformed into the Army of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the proletariat – workers, soldiers and peasants – masses who would become his revolution’s weapons and dictatorship’s instruments laternew regime.

==World War I Fatigue== In 1917, exhausted by World War One, Russia was up for a change. It was the perfect chaos moment for Lenin to return home. He was additionally funded by the Germans who hoped that he would undermine the Russian war efforts. Instead of arrested and exiled again, Lenin was warmly welcomed home and supported by other radical thinkers (e.g. Leon Trotsky) he led the Bolsheviks in the bloody violent Red October Revolution. Lenin, much to his own surprise, effectively ended the Russian Empire rather easily and established the Soviet state that would soon become a global superpower. Masses loved him, he had won their full support and devotion with his speeches and “illegal” writings calling for a change. In the following almost three years of civil war, the Bolsheviks assumed total control of the country. Vladimir acted as the first head of this new socialistic regime and was the architect of the USSR itself. Lenin also commanded and led the famous Red Army - established immediately after the 1917 October Revolution. <ref>A.k.a. Red October or Bolshevik Revolution </ref>  Lenin proved decisive and ruthless from the very beginning: he neglected his fellow countrymen sufferings and mercilessly crushed any opposition or riots. The Red Army or as it was also commonly referred to - The Great Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army - was raised by Lenin’s Bolsheviks to oppose the various military collectively known as the White army during the Russian Civil War. After 1922 the Red Army became the army of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established by the new regime. In February 1946 it effectively transformed, embodied and led the Soviet Armed Forces or Soviet Army. Historically, the Red Army is also credited as being the decisive land force in the Allied victory in World War II during the operations on the Eastern Front.  =Lenin’s Cult of Personality====  Lenin had an amazing power over the crowds – he was a great powerful and gifted orator with truly inspirational power. From early age Vladimir was capable of effectively transmitting communicating complicated concepts and simplifying any complicated matter ideas to the masses until people lost their will and eventually got their minds enslavedhis audience. But make no mistake: some may celebrate Lenin as a defendant of workers’ rightscould effectively communicate with Russians who had limited education. Unfortunately, but he Lenin was much more decisive and prepared interested in building a country around his persona instead of trying to cause horrific mass suffering and sacrifice countless human improve the lives in the pursuit of Communist goalsRussian citizens. Lenin was fairly ruthless with any opposition to his rule. Millions of free-will poets, philosophers or priests lost their life lives or were forced to emigrate.<ref>Church The orthodox church was almost completely entirely banned.</ref> Lenin’s absolute authoritarian regime soon gained lots of opponents and he narrowly survived a few assassination attempts. In one of these attempts, Vladimir was severely wounded and his long term health was affected. However, Lenin was a true workaholic, which in effect further ruined his health. In May 1922 he suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He lost his power of speech and his right arm and leg were paralyzed. In December came another stroke. The third followed in March 1923 and turned him into a living corpse. Lenin died on 24 January 1924. His corpse was embalmed and emblematically placed in a mausoleum in his memoriam on Moscow's Red Square. St Petersburg was named Leningrad (The City of Lenin).  ==Conclusion==

If we measure greatness by the power of will Lenin’s authoritarian regime generated opposition, and the scale of damage, then Lenin was truly by all means one of the most remarkable politicianshe narrowly survived a few assassination attempts. He destroyed In one powerful empires to create another based on extreme violence. In many ways he defined the development of world history throughout the 20th century. Certainlythese attempts, Lenin was the founder of the idea and the guiding spirit of the Soviet Republics for many decades that followed - a communist philosopher, disciple of Karl Marxseverely wounded, a leader of the Bolshevik (Communist) Party and the mastermind of the 1917 Red October Revolutionhis long term health was affected. Some may consider him a defender, others - a tyrant; some call him a saint, many more – a devil. But all in all Lenin played an enormous role in the history of the 20th century. He applied communist ideas to real life 's injury and workaholic nature eroded his “experiment” forever changed the face of the worldhealth. Not only did In May 1922 he reshape all Russia but also had millions of people bent to his will, changing the very course of history in his own regard. Lenin was the first revolutionary dictator of the century with influence on suffered a global scalestroke from which he never fully recovered. He was not the last and paved the way for Stalin, Hitlerlost his power of speech, Mao and many others that followed as his Marxism-Leninism ideas right arm and works leg were refreshed and broadly adopted afterwards during the Cold Warparalyzed. NonethelessIn December, it took over 70 years he had another stroke. The third followed in March 1923 and millions of lives to put an end to Lenin’s era turned him into a living corpse. Lenin died on 24 January 1924. His body was embalmed and forced utopiaemblematically placed in a mausoleum on Moscow's Red Square. St Petersburg was renamed Leningrad in his honor.

=Bibliography===Conclusion====Lenin transformed himself from imprisoned radical to an absolute ruler in three decades. Lenin's shadow hung over the Soviet Union and Europe for another 70 years. While Lenin was remarkable orator and writer, his takeover of Russia was a fluke. In 1917, the Russian Empire was a disaster. It was led by the Romanov's who were unpopular, foolish and incompetent. World War I had also fatally weakened the Russian Empire. Lenin's revolution would have been quickly snuffed out if had occurred at any other time in Russian history. Lenin's timing could not have been better. Lenin's luck allowed him to become the first revolutionary dictator of the century with influence on a global scale. <div class="portal" style="width:85%;">

#http://www====Related DailyHistory.biography.com/people/vladimir-lenin-9379007#young-revolutionaryorg Articles====*[[Why did the Russian Romanov Dynasty collapse in 1917?]]*[[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?]]#http://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Ilich-Lenin*[[How did Winston Churchill become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in World War Two?]]#http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Vladimir_Ilyich_Lenin.aspx*[[How did Mussolini become Prime Minister of Italy?]]#http:<//www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Lenin-Vladimir.htmldiv>

====References====