Propaganda in the Russian Revolution
Propaganda was used extensively during the Russian Revolution, and this was in order to keep the public supportive of the Communist Party and their actions. It was also relatively easy for Stalin and the Communist Party to use propaganda due to their totalitarian dictatorship which meant that they already had great control over mass communication. As a result, they could easily present messages, posters, and videos without being afraid of contradiction. A huge propaganda campaign occurred in 1921 to persuade the public about the benefits of socialism, and slogans, radio broadcasts, lectures, and posters were used on a large scale (Britannica, 2013). When persuading the uneducated people of Russia, the Communist Party used stories, simple slogans, half-truths and sometimes outright lies to persuade those who would believe anything due to their inability to understand complex arguments.
Propaganda Techniques
Author's intentions
Through his novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell was able to convey the ruthless use of propaganda by political leaders. He effectively demonstrated several propaganda techniques that were and are still commonly used in societies ruled by dictators, and wrote about them in a way that made it easier for the reader to understand and analyze that form of propaganda and how it is performed. With the vast examples of propaganda techniques provided in the novel, Orwell effectively demonstrated the way many autocrat leaders were able to maintain absolute control over the people. Orwell was also successful because he realistically represented several common techniques, and repeatedly used them throughout the novel. Basing some propaganda techniques on real events and people in the Russian Revolution also educated the reader on real life events as well as providing another viewpoint and way to look at the way a propagandist executed his plans. Since the novel was written in third person, Orwell was also able to successfully narrate in a manner which allowed the reader to understand both sides of the revolution. He showed how the working class were foolish and believed what the the propagandist said too easily, while also showing the immoral propagandist who twisted the truth to get what they wanted.