How Is Lenin Similar To Napoleon

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for this similarity is that war, especially long and expensive war, causes fatigue and disdain within a nation. Without a strong leader, the people grow desperate and crave a strong leader. Lenin and Napoleon were also similar in the way they desired to be depicted in the eyes of their people. Both leaders wanted to be seen as strong and powerful leaders, who commanded authority and would bring their respective nations back. In Lenin on the Rostrum, Lenin is addressing the masses, he is the main focus of the piece and is depicted as being larger than life; he even gives off an effervescent glow, meant to inspire and encourage communism (Gerasimov). Similarly, in Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne Napoleon is depicted as a larger than life character; he is dressed in impressive …show more content…

The red terror took place in 1918 after an attempt on Lenin’s life, the Cheka- a commission that Lenin began to stop his opposition- proceeded to murder countless civilians; with some accounts estimating the totals at up to 500,000(Lenin and the First Communist Revolutions, VII). In addition, this was a major development in modern slave labor, as the Cheka used Russian prisoners as slaves, these slaves were required to do unbelievably strenuous work such as dig arctic canals(Lenin and the First Communist Revolutions, VII). France, had a very similar time period known as the reign of terror, when the radical Jacobin party took power. This Jacobin party was led by Robespierre, a man who was adamantly against religion of any kind(Carilyle). The reign of terror began in 1973 and lead to the execution of 18,500 to 40,000 people, Robespierre was an extremely paranoid man who believed that many of his subjects were enemies to the state and had to be dispatched of (Reign of Terror: 1793-1794). The similarities between these two periods are quite pronounced. Both the French and Russian reigns of

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