Russian Secret Police Pt. 3 The Cheka

06/15/22 • 119 min

From 1917 to 1922, the Cheka terrorized the Russian people into dedicating their lives to the Soviet State. Old institutions were destroyed, people were targeted on the basis of their socio-economic status, and farmers were forced into collectives. Those who disobeyed were likely shot, the most unfortunate were subjected to sadistic torture not seen since the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Ilych Lenin, the Bolsheviks seemed at first to bring real, much needed change to Russia. But it didn’t take long for Lenin’s true intentions to become clear: a dictatorship of the proletariat with himself at the helm.

Lenin was a man with many similarities to those he later deemed political enemies. He was unwavering in his faith in Marxism, but tweaked Marx’ original writings into Leninism both in theory and in practice because, when it came to governing, Leninism was only achievable through the Red Terror unleashed by the Cheka.

Sources:

The Russian Secret Police. Ronald Hingley. 1970.

Stalin: Paradoxes of Power. Stephen Kotkin. 2014.

The Russian Civil War. Evan Mawdsley. 2005.

The Life of Lenin. Louis Fischer. 1964.

Vladimir Lenin: The Founder of the Soviet Union. Biographics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWT8oPb1mM

Holidays in Russia

https://russiatrek.org/about-russian-holidays

Felix Dzerzhinsky

https://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/felix-dzerzhinsky/

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