communism

By glucey

  • communism were articulated by Karl Marx.

    Marx called for a proletariat or workers’ revolution that would destroy capitalism and private ownership of property.

  • Russian Revolution

    The Russian tsar was overthrown and a workers’ state was established with the Communist Party, led by the Bolsheviks, in control.

  • the Bolsheviks assassinated the tsar

    In 1918, the Bolsheviks assassinated the tsar and his family and many others who opposed them. One of the first moves of the Communist Party was to confiscate all church land and disperse priests, brothers and nuns. Most Russians belonged to the Russian Orthodox Christian tradition, but there were also significant numbers of Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews and some Muslims in the Soviet Union.

  • new leader

    the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin began the Communist International

  • organised a league

    in 1925 the party organised the League of the Godless to harass and persecute churchgoers.

  • another new leader

    Joseph Stalin seized control of the Communist Party in 1927

  • priests were discriminated

    1929, priests were not considered workers and, therefore, were taxed at exorbitant rates, were given no healthcare provisions or social security, and were ineligible to join collective farms.

  • shutting down churches

    only 500 of 50 000 churches remained open.