Religion was taboo in Soviet society, but the very structure of the Soviet Union was based on religious beliefs. I have been thinking a lot about the theme of what religion is, and this was a very thought-provoking scene.

And under Stalin's regime, at least 4 to 5 million people died of starvation. And that too by man-made means...

These things were happening during the Stalin era. And under Stalin's regime, even this was justified in order to create a "wonderful new world"... It has now become a story of unimaginable proportions...

Stalin himself stated, "Even I am not Stalin.

I think this is a very important word.

Stalin has been considered the dictator of the Soviet Union. However, Stalin himself may have been only one cog in the Soviet system. It was very interesting to see how Stalin, who seemed to be running everything, was actually being driven by the system.

I think this passage is very important in considering what a dictator is.

What makes this film unique is the way it tries to get as close as possible to the real image of Stalin as a human being. Not only Stalin, but also his family and the courtiers around him are described in detail.

Who was Stalin, what was he thinking and what was he trying to do? And how did he rise to dictatorship?

This book is a huge work, about 1200 pages in both the upper and lower volumes. But you will not get tired of reading it at all. The novel-like narrative draws you in as you read.

It's a big book that is quite a pain to read, but it's worth it. It's interesting!

この記事ではレーニンが権力を奪取していく過程をお話ししていきます。

クーデターによって成立したボリシェヴィキ政権が長く生き残ることを当時の誰も想像していなかったというのは、どこかナチスのヒトラー政権の成立を思わせます。

It is said that the German people never imagined that Hitler would have so much power.

The scary thing about history is that we never expect it to happen." And there is a danger that it will repeat itself in different forms. We are no strangers to this.

なんと、レーニンの政治活動の背後にはドイツ政府の秘密資金があったのでした。しかもその金額が桁外れです。そうした資金があったからこそロシアでのメディア掌握が可能になったのでした。

そもそもロシア二月革命勃発時、スイスに亡命中だったレーニンを封印列車でロシアに送り届けたのもドイツです。

ドイツは戦争からの撤退を主張していたレーニンをロシアに送ることで、ロシア政府が対独戦争から手を引くことを狙っていたのでした。

ですのでドイツは帰国後もレーニンを秘密裏に支援していたのです。

レーニンが権力を掌握できたのもドイツの戦略があったからこそというのは私にとっても驚きでした。

In this book, you will get to know a different Lenin from the image of Lenin deified by the Soviet Union.

And above all, this biography is just fascinating! It is a very clear and exciting account of why the revolution happened in Russia and how Lenin seized power. The author's narration is so brilliant that it reads like a novel.

I recommend this book anyway.

Beyond the Russian Revolution and Lenin, this is the best reference book on human history and man himself.

I read this book to find out what the hell was going on during the Soviet era, and it was far more tragic than I had ever imagined. I was shocked at how cruel and violent human beings could be.

I visited Auschwitz in 2019. Even then, I felt the cruelty of mankind in all its glory. But I learned again that massacres on a comparable scale were committed during the Lenin/Stalin era.

This book is quite shocking. It made me want to turn away from reading it.