WAR ESCALATES! Putin Allows Iran To Attack US Bases With Russian Weapons 11-18-2024 - I disagree. They know exactly what they are doing. It is No Mistake. Everything Follows Their Master Plan. Destruction of America is Part of that Plan. - The Banksters Always Win... *** 26,896 views Nov. 18, 2024 Mohammad Marandi - Yeşimin Mutfağı - FAIR USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES Mirrored From: https://www.youtube.com/@yesiminmutfag9083

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The media (persuaded by the drug industry and the medical establishment which are, sadly, much the same thing) often seems to believe that chemotherapy is the only way to treat cancer. They […]

from Your News: Moscow has issued a stern warning to the West, claiming long-range missile strikes inside Russian territory by Ukraine would mark the direct involvement of the U.S. and its allies in the conflict, potentially escalating tensions further. By yourNEWS Media Newsroom Russia has responded sharply to reports that the United States has authorized […]

Daily by midmorning, Hemalatha T felt completely drained, as if every ounce of energy had been zapped, leaving her weak and enveloped in gloom. She was frustrated by her deteriorating health and the constant trips to the hospital. Initially, she blamed the changing weather, but eventually, she discovered the real culprit: the chemical-laden food she had been consuming. This realization was part of what prompted Hemalatha, a farmer from Dhavuluripalem in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh in India, to shift from conventional farming to natural farming.  To make the switch, Hemalatha participated in a natural farming training program through Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). A sustainable agriculture program initiated by the state of Andhra Pradesh, APCNF seeks to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, encouraging farmers to adopt locally sourced, environmentally friendly techniques to improve soil health, boost crop yields and enhance farmers’ livelihoods. The initiative emphasizes the use of natural inputs, crop diversification and water conservation to develop a more resilient and eco-friendly farming system. Community members learn about natural farming and the importance of health, nutrition and hygiene. Courtesy of APCNF “Soil is the foundation of nutrition” is the motto that underpins the health and nutrition programs at APCNF, which is run by the government-supported nonprofit Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS). Such programs, which can significantly improve physical and mental health, cognitive development, economic opportunities and general well-being, aren’t just about adopting natural farming techniques. The goal is to nudge the consumption behavior of households more broadly, with the hope that the produce that comes from natural farming will lead to improved plate diversity — that is, healthier and more varied diets.  APCNF’s work includes individual and community-based nutrition gardens, backyard chicken coops and fisheries, and nutrition field schools like the one that Hemalatha attended, which educate communities about the benefits of natural farming and to teach the importance of health, nutrition and hygiene. 

  The transatlantic slave trade was one of the most disgusting, unforgivable periods of human history. For centuries, the great colonial powers of Europe profited greatly from the practice. However, by the late 18th century, a growing movement of brave abolitionists in Britain fought for the freedom of enslaved peoples. After banning the transportation of slaves in 1807, Britain established the West Africa Squadron, a naval force that patrolled the waves of the Atlantic in search of slave ships.   The Transatlantic Slave Trade  Decks of a slave ship. Source: Smithsonian Libraries   Beginning in the 16th century, the European colonial powers enslaved the people of Africa and subjected them to a life of cruelty and horror. Over the next 300 years, over 15 million people would become victims of the slave trade.   The British Empire first began participating in the slave trade in 1562. By 1730, Britain was the world’s largest slave-trading nation. Cities such as London, Liverpool, and Bristol became centers of the trade, with hundreds of ships leaving these cities bound for Africa. The ships would leave British cities filled with goods and cargo. Upon arriving on the African coast, these goods were exchanged for enslaved Africans.   The slaves would then be transported across the Atlantic Ocean in disgustingly inhumane conditions to colonies in the Americas. British ships would then return home, laden with slave-produced commodities like sugar, tobacco, and cotton. Between 1650 and 1807, it is estimated that three million Africans were transported on British ships.   The transatlantic slave trade brought extraordinary economic prosperity to Britain. The practice was strongly supported by many members of the British Parliament, many of whom had business interests in plantations, slave trading, and slave-produced commodities.   The Abolition Movement in Britain Prominent British abolitionist William Wilberforce by W.M. Craig (circa 1810). Source: The Museum of Methodism and John Wesley’s House   Abolition was a contentious topic within British politics for some time. However, the country was heavily engaged in the practice and reliant on the cultivation of slave-produced commodities.   By the late 18th century, concerns about the humanity and morality of the slave trade were steadily growing in Britain. Quakers in Britain became the first groups to condemn the slave trade. They organized the first abolition political groups in Britain and, in 1783, delivered the first anti-slavery petition to parliament.   A significant abolitionist movement had emerged in Britain by 1783. Prominent figures included Olauduh Equiano, a formerly enslaved person who was kidnapped and enslaved as a child and transported to the Bahamas. Equiano would gain his freedom and published an autobiography detailing his experience of enslavement. His book became a best-seller and was distributed in numerous countries. It raised significant awareness of the brutality of slavery.   William Wilberforce was another vocal supporter of the abolitionist movement. As a member of parliament, Wilberforce made numerous speeches within the House of Commons calling for the end of the slave trade. He also founded the anti-slavery society alongside other activists like Hannah More and Granville Sharp.   After years of campaigning, the Slave Trade Act was officially signed in 1807. The act prohibited the purchasing of enslaved people. However, it did not abolish the practice of slavery altogether. Those already enslaved by 1807 were not given their freedom in British colonial territories. The practice of slavery was eventually banned throughout the Empire when the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in 1834.   Establishment of the West Africa Squadron HMS Tourmaline of the West Africa Squadron by Josiah Robert Wells, 1876. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Although Britain had now introduced legislation that criminalized slavery, enforcing such a law was another matter.   A year after the Slave Trade Act of 1807 was introduced, Britain established the West African Squadron. Composed of British Royal Navy ships, the squadron was tasked with patrolling the West African coastline to intercept slave trading ships.   The first few years of the squadron’s operations, however, produced minimal results. At the time, the squadron only consisted of two ships, both of which were old, dilapidated, and extremely slow in comparison to most slave ships. Furthermore, the squadron was tasked with patrolling almost 3,000 miles of African coastline, an impossible task for a mere two ships.   HMS Brisk capturing the slave ship Emanuela. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The lack of support and resources provided to the squadron by Britain was mostly due to the ongoing Napoleonic Wars. Britain’s necessity to maintain naval supremacy over the French and Spanish navies during the conflict resulted in the squadron being disregarded by senior figures in Britain.   Another challenge facing the squadron was the diplomatic debacle of attempting to police ships belonging to allied nations. Although Britain had taken an important first step in tackling slavery, other European colonial powers and their economies were still closely intertwined with the slave trade. As a result, they were incredibly reluctant to cooperate with Britain. However, Britain was able to achieve some diplomatic agreements. Portugal, Britain’s long-time ally and one of the largest slave trading nations, signed a convention in 1810 that allowed British ships to police Portuguese ships carrying slaves. However, the convention still allowed Portugal to trade slaves between their own colonies.   Growing Support and Life Aboard the Squadron Commodore Sir George Ralph Collier of the West Africa Squadron by William Beechey, circa 1814. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Following Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Britain was able to allocate more resources to the West African Squadron. In 1818, Commodore Sir George Ralph Collier was dispatched to the Gulf of Guinea with six ships under his command, making him the first Commodore of the squadron.   The following year, the Royal Navy created a naval station in Freetown, Sierra Leone, which became the center of the squadron’s operations. This accompanied the already established Vice-Admiralty Court, which had been established in Freetown during 1807 to trial arrested slavers.   The end of the Napoleonic Wars also allowed greater discussion and cooperation between European states about slavery. Following Napoleon’s downfall, the European powers held the Congress of Vienna in 1814, which consisted of numerous diplomatic meetings to discuss the political landscape of Europe. As part of the final agreement, signed in 1815, Europe officially condemned the slave trade.   Life aboard the West African Squadron was harsh. Deadly diseases such as Malaria and Yellow Fever were rampant. The squadron also faced violent resistance from the slavers they encountered. The crew aboard the squadron’s ships faced significantly higher mortality rates than the entire Royal Navy.   However, the squadron still faced a number of legal obstacles that limited their operations and, importantly, resulted in the catastrophic loss of innocent lives. Until 1835, the squadron only had the legal right to board and seize vessels that had slaves onboard. As a result, there are numerous reported instances of slavers throwing people overboard to drown rather than face punishment from the squadron.   The Squadron in Action: HMS Black Joke The Portuguese slave ship Diligenté before being captured by US Navy Ship HM Sloop by Henry Samuel Hawker, 1838. Source: Smithsonian Institution   One of the most famous ships of the squadron was the HMS Black Joke. A former slave ship itself after being captured by the squadron in 1827, the Black Joke captured eleven slave ships in a single year.   In January 1829, the Black Joke, captained by Henry Downes, was in search of the infamous Spanish slave ship El Almirante. While off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, Downes was notified of El Almirante’s presence and that it was taking on slaves destined for the Antilles. However, the slave ship’s captain, Damaso Forgannes, was also made aware of the presence of the Black Joke off the coast.   Black Joke intercepted El Almirante. However, the slave ship was an advanced ship with frightening speed. Furthermore, it commanded a crew of 80 men alongside 14 guns. In comparison, Black Joke had a crew 47 strong, with a mere two guns. A bold captain, Forgannes had no interest in running from Black Joke and instead attempted to engage in combat. El Almirante pursued Black Joke for almost an entire day. But, due to the unwavering determination of the Black Joke’s crew, the ship was able to keep out of range of the ship’s cannons.   However, at midday the next day, fearing they could not run any longer, Downes bravely decided to engage the slaver. The Black Joke sustained considerable fire from El Almirante for 45 minutes but managed to stay afloat. Then, despite being dramatically outmatched, the Black Joke managed to land critical shots at the slaver, resulting in significant structural damage and killing Captain Forgannes. Facing the risk of sinking, the remaining crew surrendered.   Victory for the Black Joke resulted in the freedom of 466 slaves aboard the El Almirante. Unfortunately, eleven enslaved people were killed in the fighting.   Expansion and US Contribution USS Perry (left) engaging the slave ship Martha (right), 1850. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command   By the mid-19th century, the West Africa Squadron readily expanded and improved its capabilities of capturing slave ships. Slavers had become increasingly aware of the risk of capture and, as such, began using faster ships in an attempt to evade the squadron. In response, the squadron adopted equally faster ships. By 1850, the squadron comprised 25 ships and 2,000 crewmen. Paddle steamers were also introduced to the squadron, which allowed rivers and shallow coastlines to be patrolled.   While the majority of anti-slavery patrols were conducted by the Royal Navy, the United States also contributed. The importation of enslaved people to the US was made illegal in 1807, though slave ownership was not officially ended until the end of the Civil War.   In 1819, the US established its own Africa Squadron, though it was much smaller in scale than the British operation. In 1842, Britain and the US signed the Webster-Ashburton Treaty to settle border disputes between the US and the British North American Territories. More importantly, as part of the treaty, the US and Britain agreed to end the slave trade on the seas. However, due to the much smaller scale of the US squadron’s operations, their overall effectiveness was limited. Reportedly, the US squadron only captured one slave ship on average per year. The US squadron patrolled the Atlantic for many decades. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, President Lincoln recalled the squadron to support the Union war effort.   Impact and Legacy Slavers capturing people on the coast of Africa by George Morland, 1788. Source: National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington DC   The West Africa Squadron’s operations officially ended in 1867 when the squadron was incorporated into the Cape of Good Hope Station based in South Africa. Throughout its history, the squadron can be credited with the capture of 1,600 slave ships, which equates to roughly 6 to 10% of all slave ships crossing the Atlantic. Capturing slave ships also resulted in the freeing of an estimated 150,000 enslaved people.   Although the West Africa Squadron successfully contributed to the disruption of the transatlantic slave trade, it is important to examine the squadron within the wider historical context of the slave trade.   For three centuries, the British Empire was one of the largest slave trading nations and profited greatly through the reprehensible enslavement of the African People. Equally, the Royal Navy, though responsible for the West Africa Squadron, spent centuries protecting British slave ships and British slave economies in its colonies.   Although the West Africa Squadron should be rightfully congratulated for its role in disrupting the slave trade, the legacy of the squadron should not be used retrospectively to excuse or ignore Britain’s extensive participation in the slave trade.   The transatlantic slave trade exemplifies the inhumanity of humanity. It represents one of the most horrific, abhorrent periods of human history. Though the West Africa Squadron ultimately contributed to the end of the slave trade, it will never excuse Britain and the US’s longstanding participation and profit from the practice.

  Walt Disney is one of the most commendable figures in the history of entertainment. The animations produced by Walt and his team have a timeless, magical quality that has bewitched multiple generations for many decades.   But Walt’s journey to the top wasn’t smooth. He encountered many creative, financial, and political obstacles during his career, demonstrating that the path to success is never an easy one to tread.   Walt Disney’s Upbringing A photograph of Marceline, Missouri, by an unknown photographer, c. 1906-1911. Source: Walt Disney Hometown Museum, Marceline, Missouri   Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. When Walt was four, the family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. Here, Walt developed an interest in drawing, and the neighbor even gave him a nickel after Walt did a drawing of his horse.   When Walt was nine, the Disneys moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Walt continued to demonstrate his artistic talents and dreamed of becoming a professional artist. He also earned money delivering papers before and after school.   But Walt’s life was far from perfect. His father, Elias, was a bad-tempered, violent man who didn’t shy away from physical discipline. He beat all five of his children, including Walt’s younger sister Ruth.   During the closing stages of the First World War, Walt lied about his age and joined the American armed forces. But he managed to stay out of danger and spent most of his time running errands for the Red Cross Ambulance Corps in France. He continued to draw during this time, and some of his work was published in an army newspaper.   A Mouse Called Mickey A photograph of Ub Iwerks drawing Mickey Mouse by an unknown photographer, 1928. Source: Walt Disney Family Museum, Marceline, Missouri   After the war, Walt Disney returned to Kansas City and worked as a commercial artist for just $50 a month. After being laid off, Walt started his own company with fellow artist Ub Iwerks.   However, the business was unsuccessful, forcing Walt and his partner to accept work for the Kansas City Slide Company. After saving up some money, the pair went out on their own again, but they went bankrupt after a year.   Walt was still determined to be successful despite these early failings. In 1923, he moved to Hollywood and started yet another company with his brother Roy called Disney Brothers Studio ‍(later renamed The Walt Disney Company). The two of them worked in the back of a real estate office, with Walt drawing the cartoons and Roy operating the camera. Ub later moved to Hollywood and joined the Disney brothers.   Other workers were brought in, too, including a woman named Lillian Bounds, who started working in the inking-and-painting department for fifteen dollars a week. Walt and Lillian grew close and married in the summer of 1925. The couple went on to have two daughters: Diane and Sharon. The former was born in 1933, and the latter was adopted by Walt and Lillian in 1936.   Walt’s marriage did nothing to quell his ambition. One day, he had a rush of inspiration and came up with the character of Mickey Mouse. This now-iconic character first appeared in a short film called Plane Crazy (1928). Minnie Mouse, Mickey’s girlfriend, also made an appearance.   Steamboat Willie (1928) followed several months later and was highly successful. At last, Walt had achieved his first big breakthrough. In the years that followed, he created other characters, such as Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck.   The Great Depression A photograph of the Wall Street Crash by an unknown photographer, 1929. Source: National Archives US   A year after the release of Steamboat Willie, the Great Depression rocked the global economy. Walt Disney and his team stayed afloat during this time, and this was partly due to the continued success of Mickey Mouse’s short films.   Merchandise was also a factor. In February 1930, Roy Disney signed a contract with George Borgfeldt & Company, allowing them to manufacture designs for Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Walt and his team created the designs, which were made into toys and appeared on various products. But the royalties were small, and Walt was keen to find an alternative.   A much-needed breakthrough came in the form of a man named Kay Kamen, who was the founder of a marketing company. He contacted the Disney brothers, offering his services and a much more lucrative royalty rate. Walt and Roy signed a deal with Kamen in July 1932.   Soon, Mickey cropped up in department stores across the country, his face beaming out from wallpapers, napkins, books, and items of clothing. (The Mickey Mouse watch was particularly popular.)   Yet Walt still wanted another revenue source, so he developed a new series of cartoons called Silly Symphonies. The goal was to maximize international appeal by mixing cartoons and musicals with as little dialogue as possible. Starting in 1929, the series ran for a decade and won seven Academy Awards. The series also spawned a comic strip that launched in 1932.   At a time when America (and the world) was battling against uncertainty and high unemployment, Walt and his team provided people with some much-needed entertainment. Walt also visited children’s hospitals and donated to charities during this troubled time.   Walt Disney’s Feature-Length Masterpiece A photograph of Adriana Caselotti (the voice of Snow White) by an unknown photographer, 1937. Source: Sheboygan County Museum   Walt Disney had no intention of curtailing his ambitions. He had a creative spark that was hard to control. He insisted the company upheld the highest standards when it came to making cartoons, often prioritizing quality over financial stability.   Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), for example, was an expensive picture. The film cost more than one million dollars to produce. In order to get the money they needed, Roy Disney (who was in charge of the company’s finances) invited a lending officer from Bank of America to the studio to see some parts of the film. Impressed with what he saw, the lending officer provided the company with the money they needed.   Photograph of Walt Disney by an unknown photographer, c. 1955. Source: California Museum, Sacramento   Snow White wasn’t the first color cartoon produced by Disney. The company had already seen great success with Flowers and Trees (1932) and Three Little Pigs (1933). However, both these films were less than ten minutes in length. Snow White was colossal by comparison, and the plot was also a lot darker than Disney’s previous work, featuring an assassination attempt and a murderous witch.   But—as we all know—the risk paid off. When Snow White was released, it sold more than eight million dollars worth of tickets! This was more than enough for the company to pay off its loans and debts. Walt also won an honorary Academy Award for his efforts.   Walt had no intention of slowing down, however. Using the money from Snow White, he invested in an impressive new studio in Burbank, California, and returned to work.   Struggles, Propaganda, & Politics Photograph of the Disney animators’ strike by an unknown photographer, 1941. Source: UCLA Library Digital Collections   Pinocchio (1940) and Fantasia (1940) were Walt Disney and his team’s next feature-length cartoons. Unfortunately, they failed to replicate Snow White’s financial success.   Though both pictures received plenty of praise from critics, the Second World War cut off the Asian and European markets, hindering the box-office potential. (Approximately forty-five percent of Disney’s revenue came from overseas.) Fantasia was particularly disappointing, resulting in a heavy loss for the company despite an abundance of critical praise.   Walt and his team soldiered on and produced Dumbo (1941) on a much smaller budget. RKO Pictures, the film’s distributor, wanted the film to be ten minutes longer, but Walt refused, saying the cost would be too much. Though Dumbo didn’t reach the box-office heights of Snow White, the film did turn a sizable profit.   During the Second World War, the company produced a number of cartoon propaganda films, including The New Spirit (1942), The Spirit of ’43 (1943), and Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943), with the latter featuring Donald Duck working in a factory in Nazi Germany.   In October 1947, Walt testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). His testimony was part of a wider event known as the Second Red Scare. One of the individuals Walt denounced was a trade union activist known as Herbert K. Sorrell, who had been integral to the Disney animators’ strike back in 1941. In his testimony, Walt accused him of being a communist, helping to bring down Sorrell’s Congress of Studio Unions.   More broadly, Walt believed communism was an anti-American idea, an ideology that was directly opposed to the liberal foundation of the free world. He stressed the importance of keeping the American labor unions free from communist activists.   Disneyland Photograph of Disneyland by the Carmichael family, 1955. Source: National Museum of American History, Washington DC   Helped by the success of Cinderella (1950), Walt Disney’s financial fortunes improved, and the company also started to venture into live-action movies in the early 1950s.   Treasure Island (1950) was the company’s first completely live-action film, and many others followed, including The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).   Yet Walt’s most demanding task during the 1950s was the development of the first Disney theme park. Roy Disney provided $10,000 of the company’s money for the planning of Disneyland, but Walt wasn’t happy with this number, so he borrowed against the cash value of his life insurance to raise an additional $100,000.   A group of engineers and artists worked on the park’s design, developing imaginative ideas for rides and attractions. Their ideas needed to be ambitious, for the site Walt purchased for the project was more than one hundred and fifty acres.   With some hefty financial backing from ABC (who received 34.5% of Disneyland’s profits in return), Walt’s dream park featuring five different lands cost seventeen million dollars to build and opened in July 1955. Within one year, Disneyland’s revenue shot to ten million dollars.   Central to this success was the Disneyland television show. Produced by ABC and originally called Walt Disney’s Disneyland, the show was the sixth-ranked show on television in its first year and moved up to fourth place in 1956. Walt Disney’s Disneyland helped to promote the park, compelling swathes of fans to buy tickets and visit Walt’s magical land. The sale of merchandise also increased due to the television show.   Following this success, ABC was given the opportunity to produce another television show, The Mickey Mouse Club, which aired for the first time in October 1955.   Walt Disney’s Final Years Photograph of Walt Disney by an unknown photographer, c. 1960. Source: New Mexico Museum of Space History   Walt Disney’s ambitious streak did not diminish during his final years. Following the success of the first theme park, he was keen to build a much bigger one in Orlando, Florida. Walt wanted the site to be a city as well as a theme park.   The company continued to make movies as well, though with mixed results. Sleeping Beauty (1959) performed poorly at the box office, while One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) was a big hit. Mary Poppins (1964) was also very successful, garnering critical praise and sweeping up five Academy Awards in 1965.   In November of the following year, Walt was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had been a heavy smoker for much of his life, and this unhealthy habit had at last caught up with him. He died on December 15 at the age of sixty-five.   Walt’s older brother and lifelong business partner became the new CEO of Disney until his death in December 1971. Several months before his passing, Roy Disney witnessed the opening of his brother’s unfinished passion project in Orlando: Walt Disney World.   Walt Disney’s Legacy Photograph of Walt Disney by Yousuf Karsh, 1956. Source: Art Institute of Chicago   Walt Disney’s rise to the top of the ladder continues to inspire storytellers and creative minds. This brilliant, hardworking, and tenacious individual didn’t come from a privileged background, yet he managed to create one of—if not the greatest—companies in entertainment history.   Perhaps the most commendable aspect of Walt’s journey was his willingness to continually roll the dice. The early stages of his career weren’t smooth at all, yet his passion for animation and storytelling was so great that he never wanted money to get in the way of his creative vision.   The production of Snow White was a vast undertaking for Walt and his team, but the risk paid off. The film transformed the company’s financial fortunes and was a huge box-office success. It was a milestone in the history of cinema, and the company continued to produce films that were destined to become classics.   Walt’s ambitions went up another level when he ventured into the world of theme parks. With the opening of Disneyland in 1955, movie fans could immerse themselves in the world the company had created over the last thirty years.   Detractors tend to criticize Uncle Walt’s public persona, arguing that the image presented to the world didn’t represent his true nature. Indeed, Walt wasn’t always easy to work with. His ambitious, competitive nature came with a short temper.   Some have also criticized Walt for not paying his workers fairly and giving them low wages. This was the central factor that led to the aforementioned animators’ strike in 1941.   Nevertheless, Walt’s story will always inspire creative minds from all sectors of the entertainment industry. The tale of Walt Disney and his team reminds us that the path to success requires patience, tenacity, and a lot of risk-taking.

  Russian Civil War propaganda had a bold and convincing style. Posters adorned urban sites, while trains draped in patriotic colors steamed through the countryside. Propaganda media brought land, peace, and liberation themes that appealed to an often illiterate, multi-ethnic population. Designed for busy urbanites or those who could not read, visual media offered the most direct way to change popular opinion. Bolshevik and White Army propaganda machines developed effective techniques for their target audiences.   Here is how Russia’s information war worked to change the political landscape 100 years ago.   A Nation Ripe for Change Bolsheviks with a red banner painted with the slogan “Communism” during the Russian Revolution. Source: Radio Prague International   In the winter of 1917, facing desertions, bread riots, and a population weary from the First World War, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the Russian throne during the February Revolution. A provisional government replaced Russia’s monarchist regime. Intended as an interim governing body, the Provisional Government filled the gap until a constituent assembly could elect representatives for a new, democratic Russia.   A summer of unrest, violence, and bloodshed ensued. The Eastern Front hemorrhaged with widespread desertions. Soldiers, sailors, and agitators roamed streets with weapons and revolutionary banners. Soldiers’ soviets or councils sprang up across the country. Most people wanted to have a say in who ruled them. The Constituent Assembly, an elective representative body, planned to meet to enable citizens to determine their new form of government.   The Provisional Government’s vow to continue the war made it unpopular. During the July Days uprising, the government failed to crush the Bolshevik Party. This move helped the Soviets position themselves for a political takeover several months later.   A Military Coup Freedom Loan (Zaem Svobodi) by Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev, 1917. Source: The Harry Ransome Center, University of Texas at Austin   On October 25, 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized control of the Provisional Government. In the aftermath, the Bolsheviks worked hard to portray the coup in the media as a popular uprising.   During the next two months, the Bolshevik Party, named for the word “majority” (bol’shinstvo), made every effort to consolidate power. Although they represented a political minority, the Bolsheviks seized urban centers and factories. They also promoted their agenda with popular slogans like “Bread, Peace, and Land.” Propaganda proved a powerful way to tap into the nation’s war-weariness and land hunger to foment class war in Russia.   A Dissolved Electoral Process Soldiers, middle-class Russians, and children in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) look at posters advertising the upcoming Constituent Assembly, Jonathan Sanders Collection, 1917. Source: The Monthly Review   After the October Revolution, many people still believed that the Constituent Assembly would determine the next government in Russia. But events took an unexpected turn.   On January 5, 1918, the Constituent Assembly met for a 13-hour session in the Tauraide Palace in Petrograd. They aimed to form a new, elective government and draft a constitution for postrevolutionary Russia.   The first free elections in Russia in November 1917 proved a bitter disappointment for the Bolsheviks. While the party held a majority among soldiers and sailors, they only gained 25% of the national vote. This result failed to support the Bolsheviks’ claims as a majority party and their assertion that the October Revolution represented a popular uprising that legitimized Soviet power. While revolutionary protests raged outside, Lenin argued that the Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionaries split the peasant vote. The Bolsheviks then denounced the Constituent Assembly and dissolved it on the spot. This action ushered in a single-party political system.   On March 3, 1918, the Soviets signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, a separate peace that ended Russia’s participation in World War I.   Some people refused to accept the Constituent Assembly’s dismissal, the loss of a liberal constitution, and the Bolshevik seizure of power. Officers who fought in the First World War saw the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk as a betrayal of the country’s sacrifices and their commitment to the Allies. Since the Soviets occupied Moscow and Petrograd, the anti-Bolsheviks fled south to the borderlands to form a Volunteer Army.   Two Sides Emerge Members of the White Russian Armies by unknown photographer, 1918-1920. Source: Pravda; with The Cheka dispensers of extra-judicial social justice in Kharkiv, Ukraine, by the American Red Cross, 1919. Source: Library of Congress   In response to rising terror and the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, counterrevolutionary forces gathered in southern Russia and eastern Ukraine. The Volunteer Army first emerged under General Mikhail Alekseev and later as the Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR) under Baron General Pyotr Wrangel. The anti-Bolshevik armies represented a loose confederation of resistance movements in North Russia, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Ukraine.   In contrast to Soviet propaganda, most White officers and soldiers did not come from blueblood backgrounds; many came from unprivileged commoner classes. Their ranks spanned a wide range of political views, including monarchists, liberal Kadet Party members, democratic-republicans, Kuban Cossack separatists, and those motivated by ideas of a free Russia rather than a particular political ideology. Unlike the Soviets, the anti-Soviets did not share a single political goal. A gray space existed between these opposing forces, including Greens, partisans, anarchists, social revolutionaries, and Ukrainian nationalists.   Meanwhile, Leon Trotsky, the Bolshevik war commissar, whipped Red Army recruits into shape to fight the better-trained but smaller White forces.   For several years, a bitter and complex war raged across Russia. By November 1920, the Red Army pushed the Armed Forces of South Russia back to Crimea and forced a mass evacuation of soldiers and civilians fleeing advancing Soviet forces. In Siberia, the Caucasus, and Ukraine, anti-Soviet military activity continued into the 1920s.   Russian Civil War Propaganda: Origins & Goals Celebrating the Russian Revolution in Vladivostok by Bain News, 1917. Source: Library of Congress   Propaganda posters first appeared in Russia during the First World War. Visual media plastered across shops, fences, and railway stations demonized the Germans and Austrians and helped boost war morale. The political shift during the Russian Civil War meant that opposing forces adapted the propaganda medium for new, recognizable uses.   Bolshevik and anti-Bolshevik propaganda had a similar goal: to convince people to support their cause and prevent the other side from consolidating power. The Soviets promised to solve concrete issues such as bread, peace, and land. While the anti-Soviets grasped the importance of major political and economic issues like nationalism and land distribution, they did not think they had the right to make these promises. Instead, the Whites focused on providing clear information about the Soviets’ intentions and actions. They worked to oust the Bolsheviks and pave the way for peacetime elections to choose the new form of government.   This Is What Bolshevism Brings to People (Cho neset” narodu bol’shevizm”) by A. Kucherov, 1918. Source: Courtesy of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary   War Communism represented a different reality from the utopia of Soviet propaganda posters. Due to the war’s destruction, historic weather conditions, disruption of the agricultural process, grain confiscations, and nationalization of resources, famine became more common than bread. While the Soviets ended Russia’s participation in World War I and gave soldiers the peace that they demanded, the Bolshevik seizure of power sparked a new war with tragic consequences for millions of people across the former Russian empire.   Forces Behind Russia’s Propaganda War Soviet propaganda banner in Petrograd: “Death to Bourgeoisie and her henchmen. Yes, welcome Red Terror!” by unknown photographer, 1918. Source: Gazeta.ru   Soviet propaganda posters, films, and agitation trains ensured that people knew who was to blame: officers, landowners, priests, bourgeoisie, kulaks (peasant landowners), and Western capitalists. On the other side, anti-Soviet propaganda blamed one enemy for the country’s chaos: the Bolsheviks themselves.   While Soviet propaganda aimed to entice the masses, the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, abbreviated as VChK or the Cheka and headed by Felix Dzerzhinsky, established control through a policy of terror. An implicit part of Leninist theory, terror played a preemptive role in hunting out and eliminating suspected enemies of the state.   Enemy wants to capture Moscow, the heart of Soviet Russia. The enemy must be destroyed. Forward, comrades! (Vrag khochet zakhvatit’ Moskvu) by V. I. Fridman, 1919. Source: Duke University Archives   The Cheka profiled possible enemies based on an endlessly changing list of possible crimes. Propaganda helped the secret police and citizen informers identify and punish various potential counterrevolutionaries.   At the height of the Red Terror in 1919, the Red Army and the Cheka launched a sustained campaign of extrajudicial terror against millions of people to eliminate specific classes or ethnic groups.   Red & White Propaganda Machines Disseminating Soviet propaganda from an agitation train by Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick Modern Records Centre   From the outset, the Soviets grasped the media’s importance in the fight to extend socialist power. They wielded every tool to leverage the media to their advantage.   Since the Bolsheviks held the factories and urban centers near Moscow and Petrograd, the anti-Bolsheviks gathered in border cities and rural frontiers. White printing and artistic resources remained scarce, while the Soviets retained a wealth of professional revolutionary artists, including Vladimir Mayakovsky, Boris Kustodiev, El Lissitzky, and Dmitri Stakhievich Moor.   Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) artists combined constructivism and avant-garde styles to promote Soviet messages. These art styles, inspired by industry and characterized by geometric forms, heralded a fundamental social shift from an agricultural to an industrial society.   The All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) created numerous chromolithograph posters that drew on historical themes, fantasy, and early twentieth-century Russian folk art.   The sheer scale of Soviet propaganda efforts is staggering. Spreading political messages to the masses required mass harnessing of state financial and logistical resources. Between 1918 and 1920, Soviet propaganda trains showed 1,008 presentations to 2,752,000 people. Over 1,740 propaganda offices and organizations operated in urban areas. Soviet print shops churned out three million newspapers, posters, and leaflets and held 753 agitation meetings with over one million attendees in 1919 alone.   ROSTA and VTsIK leveraged state resources to spend 11 million rubles on information and disinformation, making propaganda films available to millions in one year.   Printing press aboard a propaganda train by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick Modern Records Centre   Meanwhile, the White propaganda machine OSVAG, Azbuka intelligence services, and other organizations such as the National Centre, the State Unity Council of Russia, and the Union for the Regeneration of Russia churned out posters, leaflets, and pamphlets that helped neutralize the impact of Soviet propaganda. Unlike the Bolsheviks, the Whites did not completely control the flow of information in the regions held by their armies (Lazarski 1992, p. 695).   In September 1918, six months after the civil war began, General Alekseev founded a civilian propaganda organization known as OSVAG. This department replaced the previous Military-Political Department propaganda machine.   While most OSVAG and Azbuka propagandists did not have formal art or agitation training, they included many politicians, journalists, and intelligence officers. A few months after the war started, Azbuka aimed its agitation efforts at recruiting soldiers to the White cause while providing vital information to the public (Lazarski 1992, pp. 695-696, 702).   The mobile nature of the war created problems for OSVAG and other White propaganda organizations. Corruption and in-fighting added additional barriers to effective propaganda. The Volunteer Army stayed on the move, fighting or evading larger forces, trying to feed its soldiers, and trying to raise support. Once the Volunteer Army established its base in the northern Caucasus, they redoubled their propaganda efforts.   Printing and assembling propaganda during the Russian Civil War by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick   By 1919, the White propaganda budget rose to 68 million rubles. While this number highlighted the importance the anti-Soviets placed on propaganda efforts, this budget shrank due to rampant inflation. White amateur propaganda artists also received little pay and worked under demanding conditions, battling shortages, typhus epidemics, and frequent capture and execution by the Bolsheviks.   Despite technical issues and paper shortages that hampered the White media war, thousands of books, posters, pamphlets, and leaflets rolled off their presses. While stationed in Kyiv, OSVAG produced hundreds of copies per day. They printed four million posters, 1.5 million leaflets, pamphlets, and over 300 books in just three months. The Whites made their print and visual media available to the public via a network of small mobile libraries. Like the Soviets, they also pasted posters in urban window exhibits or tacked them up in rural villages (Lazarski 1992, pp. 702-703).   At first, OSVAG operated within areas controlled by the anti-Soviet armies. While they developed social reform programs and attempted to disseminate propaganda throughout Russia, they needed more resources and support to realize their goals.   Russian Civil War Propaganda in Action Colorized Soviet propaganda train emblazoned with the slogan “Protect Soviet Power” by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick Modern Records Centre; with Crowd outside “Lenin Train” by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick   The Bolsheviks and anti-Bolsheviks employed a variety of propaganda media to target a population with a 40% average literacy rate.   Agitprop trains (agitpoezda), called ”Lenin Trains” or “Trotsky’s Train,” toured the countryside in 1918. They featured colorful posters, satirical images splashed across train cars, journalists, actors ready to perform plays, and a cinema room.   Agit-trains contained a printing press, enabling the Soviets to print and toss posters out the window as they steamed past villages. At every stop, crowds of peasants and workers took a break from their daily lives to enter a cinema car and take in dramatic scenes from propaganda films. Windup gramophones played Lenin’s recorded speeches to waiting crowds. Steamers like Red Star and Red East also toured Russia’s abundant inland rivers like the Volga to bring revolutionary propaganda to the people.   When it came to colorful, abundant, and relentless propaganda, even anti-Soviet leaders admitted that the Bolsheviks won the propaganda war.   Children examine art painted on a Soviet agitprop train by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick Modern Records Centre; with Workers, peasants, and children wait outside a Soviet propaganda train by the Victor Animatograph Company, 1917-1920. Source: University of Warwick   Like the Soviets, the Whites held lectures, played films, and handed out propaganda material to the people. In contrast, they experienced paper shortages, a lack of trains, fewer professional artists, and logistical issues with inflation, production, and distribution.   Despite financial and practical limitations, the Volunteer Army recognized the power of words and worked to educate and engage the masses. White propaganda trains covered with slogans called for people to unite and fight Soviet power. White agit-trains also brought Red Cross cars filled with food and medical supplies. The Volunteer Army developed a staff of propagandists who handed out posters and leaflets promising a brighter future for those who joined them.   In the spring of 1919, six anti-Soviet propaganda trains, covered with flowers and plastered with slogans such as “Eight-Hour Working Day,” “Land for the Toiling Masses,” and “Let Us Be One Russian People,” rolled into liberated areas. These messages focused on land issues, workers’ rights, and political divisions that concerned ordinary people.   The Whites outfitted each propaganda train with an electric generator to power a printing press that printed posters, newspapers, and leaflets. Their trains also featured a store that carried items, such as cigarettes, that many people found difficult to get during the war. Other cars contained a library with a reading room and a restaurant. By late 1919, the Whites had access to four agitation trains to help spread propaganda to areas accessible by railway lines (Lazarski 1992, p. 705).   A War of Words: Volunteer Army propaganda train by the American Red Cross, 1920. Source: Library of Congress   Like the Soviets, the Whites recognized the visual power of propaganda films. In Kharkiv, Ukraine, they employed three mobile moving picture theaters and several theater buildings. They poured money into film production efforts, including promotional films and documentary footage of Bolshevik atrocities (Lazarski 1992, p. 700).   While propaganda alone could not restore law and order in Russia, the Whites fulfilled their goals by providing information, raising support, and effectively counteracting Bolshevik propaganda in the regions held by their forces.   Differences Between Red & White Propaganda  Wrangel is Still Alive. Finish Him Off Without Mercy by Dmitri Stakhievich Moore, c. 1920. Source: New York Public Library; with Your Family and Near Ones (Vashi rodnye I blizkie) by OSVAG, c. 1918-1920. Source: New York Public Library   Soviet posters typically demanded action. Anti-Soviet posters often begged for help.   The Soviet propaganda machine produced a firehose of propaganda materials that promoted labor, education, class warfare, and support for their forces at the front. This is because the Soviets wanted to rally the population behind them and promise a better future after they wiped out their enemies. White propaganda remained rooted in the horrors of the present, although they also produced media that envisioned ultimate victory.   Bright and glossy Soviet posters included eye-catching folk art styles intended to appeal to busy workers and peasants. OSVAG often used stark, monochromatic designs and muted colors, although they occasionally relied on bold and colorful media.   SOS: Russia’s Call to Humanity by Leonid Andreev and the Russian Liberation Committee, 1919. Source: University of Warwick; with We Don’t Want to Fight, But We’ll Defend the Soviets! (Voevat’ my ne khotim, no Sovety otstoim) by N. Kogut, 1922. Source: New York Public Library   In urban areas, ROSTA developed propaganda sheets for public display. They used constructivist images and simple phrases that encouraged people to fulfill a variety of Soviet decrees. These geometric ROSTA posters became known as “windows of satire” because they first appeared in empty shop windows along Kuznetsky Most Street in Moscow. Thus, the contrast between idealized Soviet culture and the lack of food evolved into dark political satire.   In addition to stylistic differences, Soviet and anti-Soviet propaganda relied on different themes. Bolshevik propaganda showed the Red Army triumphant and larger than life. They depicted their enemies as parasites, idlers, capitalists, and bread-burners rather than liberators. Anti-Bolshevik propaganda focused on waging a holy war against Bolshevik crimes (Lazarski 1992, p. 700). Their propaganda images included home, religion, defense, and apocalypse themes. They relied less on color and more on a shock effect that showed War Communism’s practical results. They believed that revealing the Red Terror’s grim realities would prove enough to sway support from the Soviets.   Waging an Information War Be On Guard! (Bud’ Na Strazhye) by Dmitri Stakhievich Moore, 1920. Source: New York Public Library; with Happy Soviet Worker (Schastlivyi rabochii v Sovdepii) by Odesskoe Otdelenie Otdela Propagandy, c. 1918-1925. Source: New York Public Library   During the Russian Civil War, visual media played a crucial role in bringing ideas to the masses at a time when many people could not read or write. The Whites and the Reds understood that imagery had an immediate and emotional power that a thousand words could not convey.   Propaganda proved an effective way to distract from social and economic problems, unite an audience, and secure support by othering the enemy. White propaganda typically portrayed negative aspects of Bolshevik power. Their posters often showed ordinary people suffering from War Communism. In contrast, Soviet propaganda showed the people rising victorious from under the feet of their capitalist overlords. Each used visual media in posters and films to spread information and disinformation. This balance between reality, caricature, and idealism played a significant role in waging an effective information war.   In the visual information war, Bolshevik propaganda dehumanized the enemy, legitimized political terror, promoted literacy, and gathered support to win the civil war. The Whites struggled to counterbalance the deluge of Soviet propaganda and experienced issues with resources and unity. They also developed a robust propaganda machine that focused on providing information about human rights violations.   Outside the Soviet Union, the anti-Soviets continued their propaganda war for a free Russia. The Soviets focused on restructuring the economy and society through collective agriculture, labor, education, and industry. They continued to employ various propaganda techniques to eliminate class enemies and promote the rise of the USSR.   Suggested Further Reading   Christopher Lazarski, ”White Propaganda Efforts in the South during the Russian Civil War,” The Slavonic and East European Review, vol. 70, no. 4 (October 1992).

November 19, 2024

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