Lenin

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (April 22nd, 1870–January 21st, 1924) in Simbirsk, Russia, was a Russian Revolutionary, a communist politician, and the first head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic- the Soviet Union. He was the creator of Leninism, an extension of Marxist theory –the original form of communism created by Karl Marx. enin's maternal grandfather was a Jew. Lenin's Jewish ancestry is discussed in detail in Oxford University historian Robert Service's biography Lenin (Harvard University Press, 2000 [enin] was the great-grandson of Moishe Itskovich Blank and the grandson of Srul Moishevich Blank. At his baptism, Blank changed his name and patro-nymic to Aleksandr Dmitrievich... enin's Jewish origin on his maternal grandfather's side became, after his death, a matter of controversy between Lenin's sisters and Stalin. In a letter to Stalin, Anna, Lenin's elder sister, wrote: "It is probably no secret for you that the research on our grandfather shows that he came from a poor Jewish family, that he was, as his baptismal certificate says, the son of a 'Zhitomir burgher, Moishe Blank' and this fact could serve in combating anti-Semitism." urthermore, she claimed, that Lenin's Jewish origins were "further confirmation of the exceptional abilities of the Semitic tribe... Lenin always valued the Jews highly." Stalin replied: "Not one word about it."

Lenin did indeed praise Jews in somewhat excessive terms, just as he was excessive in his denigration of Russians. Referring probably to himself, he told the writer, Maxim Gorky, that "the clever Russian is almost always a Jew or has Jewish blood in him." He also contrasted Jews' steadfastness as revolutionaries to that of the Russians. Almost immediately after they seized power, Lenin's Bolsheviks inaugurated an endless stream of economic decrees and policies. These proved to be disastrous, resulting in a horrific famine, depopulation of the cities, and an enormous decline in living standards. So unpopular were these policies that after they were finally altered in mid 1921, Lenin tried to re-write their history. The primary features of his War Communism were:

• Uncontrolled inflationary printing press finance, ultimately leading to hyperinflation and nationwide reversion to barter
• Near universal nationalization of manufacturing; widespread nationalization of retailing
• Stringent price controls upon and forced requisitioning of agricultural products; state monopoly on grain purchases
• Forced labor for civilians as well as the military (slavery)

The greatest crime committed by Lenin's regime was the civil war the Soviet government waged against the peasantry and the famine this war precipitated. The alliance of "the workers and peasants" was an ingenious slogan given the fact that almost everyone in Russia was a peasant. Low estimates on the deaths from this man made famine are about 3 million; high estimates go up to 10 million. Related articles: Communism Stalin Karl Marx TrotskyHolomodorBolshevism Bolshevik Series Read more HERE and HERE