The reasons for the fall of Communism and the USSR Essay

The reasons for the fall of Communism and the USSR - Essay Example However very soon, it was expelled by Joseph Stalin in the year 1927 and such rule became completed in the year 1991. The year 1991is a remarkable year for the citizens of Soviet Union as USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) also regarded as Soviet Union Collapsed. It is regarded as one of the largest countries that collapsed due to the sudden blast of a nuclear super power thereby shattering the entire world. So, it is one of the most well-known dates in the history of Soviet Russia (Lorimer, The Collapse of ‘Communism’ in the USSR â€Å"Causes and Significance†). This essay mainly highlights the reasons for the fall of the communalism and USSR of Soviet Russia along with the pros and cons of such a collapse. Other than this, it also highlights the effect of such a collapse in the entire world in both positive and negative ways. Apart from this, a small evaluation part is also presented in the essay to evaluate the positive and negative effects of such a collapse along with a conclusion as well. History of Soviet Union The Soviet Union came into existence from the revolution occurred in the month of October that overthrew the Russian Provisional government and as a result, the Soviet Party came into power. It was dominated by Bolsheviks and followed by Russian civil war. The Soviet Union is also traditionally regarded as the successor of the Russian Empire (Lorimer, The Collapse of ‘Communism’ in the USSR â€Å"Causes and Significance†). The Soviet Union was ruled by the last Russian Tsar named Nicholas II from March 1917 t o 1922. At the end of the year 1922, the predecessor to Soviet Union came into existence as the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, an independent country. Therefore, in 1922, the country of Soviet Union developed mainly due to the union of several neighboring countries such as Russia, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Transcaucasian Soviet Republic. Thus, after World War II, both Soviet Union and United States became engaged in cold war as they tried to make their individual influence in the entire world. The entire national politics at that time was dominated by the parties of the Cold War and the prime cause of this U.S.–USSR struggle was to attain planetary authority of their individual socio–economic systems as well as defeat of the hegemonic spheres of influence of the country. At that time, despite the presence of Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), a five-year planned economy comprising of a (post-New Economic Policy), and repudiation of the Molotovâ⠂¬â€œRibbentrop Pact secret protocols, remained as the main character of Soviet society till 1985 (Lorimer, The Collapse of ‘Communism’ in the USSR â€Å"Causes and Significance†). At this time, in order gain influence Soviet Union extended their maximum power over Eastern Europe and Cuba and also a considerable control was also maintained over the citizens of the country. At that time, the country was ruled by Leonid Brezhnev known as Brezhnev Era, experienced high economic growth and prosperity, but soon ended with a very weaker Soviet Union facing numerous social, political, and economic problems. Along with this, the average annual income also lowered, resulting in a quite devastating condition within the country. On the other hand, United States looked over the other parts of the world to extend their line of influence and power. Therefore, it may be depicted from the above scenario, that inspite of numerous best rulers, the social and economic condition of Soviet Union may not be

Film Theory of Bazin and Eisenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Film Theory of Bazin and Eisenstein - Essay Example All the arts are based on the presence of man. Only photography derives an advantage from his absence. Photography affects us like a phenomenon in nature, like a flower or a snowflake whose vegetable or earthly origins are an inseparable part of their beauty" Bazin (1967, p.3). Both appreciated the cinema and the inherent art in it; but their theories were very different from one another. At times, there is clear conflict with the other theory and the perspectives are very different. Eisenstein had the added distinction of being an extremely well-known director of many successful movies. Basin, in his short life, did not have any such practical involvement with the cinema, but his theories of the cinematic world stand apart above others even to this day. Andre Bazin, known as the best film authority the world has ever produced, was a film theorist, critic, and a humanist philosopher and has written many articles on film philosophy. His articles are translated into many languages, especially English. Basin is considered to be the sage of film philosophy and he has never been dethroned ever since he became popular, even though he was criticized for his theories by other film critics. He called cinema as 'an idealistic phenomenon'. He agrees that it is technical, but this factor is of secondary importance. Actually he agrees upon it after a pause, as an afterthought. His concentration on the technical side of the cinema is consequential and not primary. He always said that the mechanical mediation of the camera makes the cinema absolutely realistic. He placed cinema above the arts like painting, because he said, if the brush is pitted against the camera, camera makes a better job in duplicating reality than the brush, because camera is driven by technology, whereas the brush depends upon the eye and perspective of the artist, which could be entirely different from reality. No two people can have the same artistic eye sight. At the same time, cinema is capable of recording things and scenes better than a painting. While he does not deny the human intervention in the form of the person who wields the camera, he suggests that this should be kept to the minimum. "Although the potential for human intervention is always present, even granting the mechanical intervention, Bazin believes that the filmmaker owes it to the complexity of reality to refrain from false subjective manipulation and overwrought formalist mediation," http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/bazin_intro.html To him cinema is a tool that fulfils the psychological needs of the society. He considered it as one of the ultimate art forms. He was positive that cinema fulfils the artistic and ethical obsession of people, which is a compelling trait that has an urge to be fulfilled. "For Bazin the situation was clear: either a filmmaker utilizes empirical reality for his personal ends or else he explores empirical reality for its own sake. In the former case the filmmaker is making of empirical reality a series of signs which point to or create an aesthetic or rhetorical truth, perhaps lofty and noble, perhaps prosaic and debased. In the latter case, however, the filmmaker brings us closer to the events filmed by seeking the significance of a scene somewhere within the unadorned tracings it left on the celluloid" Andrew (1976, 145). Basin thought that human beings have a weakness for creative psychology and they like to visualise illusions. These illusions become ardent desires and demand to be fulfilled and under such circumstances, creative and innovative art forms materialise. "It is essential to emphasize the skeptical aspect of Bazin's affirmations about psychology, his manifest awareness of human vulnerability to illusion and ideology. For Bazin,