What do you think was the most important reason that Communism appealed to the Russian people?

History · High School · Sun Jan 24 2021

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The most important reason that Communism appealed to the Russian people at the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917 was the promise of a classless society and an end to the extreme inequalities that had been perpetuated under the tsarist regime. Russia was predominantly an agrarian society with the majority of its people living in poverty, while a small elite controlled most of the land and wealth.

Under the tsar, peasants and workers often faced harsh living and working conditions, with little political power or land ownership. Communism, according to Marxist ideology, proposed an entirely different social and economic system where the means of production would be owned collectively, thus eliminating the class system that had kept the majority of Russians impoverished and disempowered.

Moreover, the slogan "Peace, Land, and Bread" used by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks resonated powerfully with the war-weary, land-hungry, and food-deprived populace. Lenin's promise of peace meant an end to Russia's participation in the costly and devastating World War I. The promise of land appealed to the millions of peasants who wished for land reform and ownership. The assurance of bread was critical in a time of widespread famine and economic collapse.

Communism also appealed to idealistic and revolutionary sentiments of Russians who were experiencing a significant period of political and social unrest and who were ready for transformative change. It pledged to overturn the old order and create a more just and egalitarian society.