I was watching Paul McCartney in Red Square one day on A&E and they interviewed Vladimir Putin when he was still the KGB head. He said, and I quote, "The Beatles music lead us to revolution. It helped bring about the fall of Communism. I got inspired and did some research as to how this could be possible. I wrote the following.
The Boleshevik Revolution
History shows that three things are needed for a revolution: money, media access, and intergovernmental agents. Vladimir Lenin had all three of these ingredients and with them took over control of the Russian government during the Boleshevik Revolution of 1917. Once Lenin had control of the country, he created the Communist Party. This form of government riegned in Russia until it’s ultimate demise the late 80’s. However, the tide of change began in the 60’s when the music of the rock band, The Beatles, reached Russia, via the black market, and set the minds of the young generation on the road to freedom from the oppression of Communism.
First, some brief historical information:
The Bolesheviks
During a convention of the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, Lenin and Martov had extremely different ideas as to how to organize the party. Lenin wanted a small party of activists with a large party of non-active supporters, while Martov thought there should be a large party of activists. Martov won the debate and Lenin split off to form a faction which became known as the Bolesheviks.
The Boleshiveks were subsequently banned from the country and went into hiding. However, the members still remained active and had strong supporters. Lenin was able to raise funds to distribute propaganda and issue small newspapers. He used this leverage to take control of the major unions in Russia. After a failed attempt by the Bolesheviks to take control over the party, the party ultimately split in 1912.
The Duma
On an omnious Sunday in 1905, the people of Russia marched to the Tsar’s palace to voice their greivances. The cossacks ordered the group to disband but the people were determined. The cossacked fired into the crowd and kill 500 men, women and children in cold blood. This event was a major factor leading to the revolution of 1905 causing Nicholas II to make concessions to his subjects. As a result of the revolution Nicholas II published the October Manifesto granting the freedom of conscience, speech, meeting and association to his people. He also established an organization called The Duma, a consultative body through which all laws must pass before they could become operative. The Duma had no real power but was put in place to pacifiy the masses. Which it did for a decade before the Bolesheviks took power. In 1917, Tsar Nicolas II ordered the Duma closed. This was his final fatal mistake.
The Revolution
Upon the closing of the Duma and the formation of a Provisional Government, the state was in upheaval. Men from different parties held different positions in the government and the armed forces. Two generals clashed about military policy. The Supreme Commander of the Russian Army took his forces and moved against the Prime Minister. The PM was forced to ask the Soviet and Red Guards to protect Petrograd. The Bolesheviks raised a private army and defended the city.
In October of 1917, the Boleshevik leaders gave orders to overthrow the provisional government. They did so with private army they recruited. The Soveits were successful and On October 26th, 1917 Vladimir Lenin was elected Chairman of the Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party and changed the name to the Communist Party.
The Three Ingredients
Money. Lenin spent a great deal of his time in exile raising funds for the Bolesheviks. In addition to private supporters, the Bolesheviks raided, robbed, or stole as their main source of income. Money is the first key ingredient. Without it you cannot get control of the media.
Media. The Bolesheviks used propoganda to push their agenda. They ran newspapers and printed literature which was distributed to the proletarieat, especially focusing on unions. In a time without television and the internet, the only information the general populous was getting was the propaganda. Propaganda was also distributed by the state. The state also attempted to control all media, thereby trying to control what the people saw, heard, felt (think freedom of conscience). Yet as we will see, ultimate censorship is impossible.
Intergovernmental agents. With out his government spies, Lenin would probably have been captured and killed. This action probably would not have stopped the revolution itself, however, maintaining his freedom gave him the access to continue pushing his agenda. It was the betrayal of the Supreme Commander by the General that was the final action to allow Lenin to ultimately take control with his Red Army. Had there not been turmoil in the government body and both the SC and General worked together, the Red Army would not have been assembled, or if it had been assembled, the Russian Army could probably have defeated them.
The Beatles Rule
Communism reigned in Russia until the late 1980’s. However, it was in the 1960’s when the Beatles music arrived in Russia that the people began to realize that this was not the life they wanted. Ironically, this goes back to media control and censorship. In the October Manifesto, Nick II gave the people ‘freedom conscience.’ He allowed them to think what they wanted to think. This is where he lost control of the massess. You cannot really control people unless you can control their thoughts and feelings. The Beatles music however is so true and real and powerful that it snapped the people awake and ultimately lead them to another revolution.
Now if I had written this much in college my grades would have been a lot better.