The Russian Revolution was inspired by the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx in 1848. Marx was writing in response to the social injustices that he witnessed as a result of the Industrial Revolution. When Lenin and the Bolsheviks began their revolution in 1917, they were unable to follow the blueprint described by Marx 70 years earlier.
Students will analyze how and why ideologies change when they are put into practice in a T-Chart. The left column identifies elements of a communist society the way Marx envisioned them. The right hand column will be student-created. This column will show how closely Stalin followed the original intent of Marx’s Communist Manifesto. In most cases, the theory and the practice were far apart.
Extended Activity
This activity can be extended in a number of ways. Students could create a third column of cells about the realities of China under Mao. Students could also assess whether or not the changes that Lenin, Stalin, and Mao made to Marx’s original ideology were justified.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a T Chart comparing and contrasting the ideologies of communism and the way Marx's writings played out.