Vladimir Ilich Lenin's Commanding Heights

Improved Essays
Vladimir Ilich Lenin, first leader of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic, is credited with creation of the term, “Commanding Heights.” This particular term is used to describe sectors of a nation’s economy which are deemed a necessity for the country’s survival; examples of this include electricity, mining, transportation, and perhaps the most important – petroleum. As societies around the world became more technological, the need for more efficient fuels began to rise. Due to this very specific need, petroleum became a necessity especially for the rapidly changing militaries of the world. The European Super Powers became dependent on petroleum in order to fuel their massive militaries – especially Imperial Germany and Britain during the …show more content…
Under Winston Churchill’s orders, the majority of the Royal Navy was to be converted from coal to oil. This was stressed by Admiral John Fisher who stated that oil-using ships were faster, provided better maneuverability, required less manpower, and permitted ships to carry more firepower without sacrificing mobility. Just as Germany, Britain had no natural source of petroleum for their newly created dreadnoughts. In order to counteract this problem, Charles Greenway of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company sought to serve Britain’s national interest. With Greenway and Churchill pushing for the British government to support the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, it allowed for Britain to secure oil for its country. Because of this cooperation, the British Royal Fleet was not crippled during World War One as the German war machine had. With a steady source of oil, the Royal Navy continued to dominate the seas. “Events thus proved Churchill and Fisher generally right in forcing the conversion of the Royal Navy to oil, for it did give the British fleet an overall advantage-greater range, greater speed, and faster

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Lenin, born 22 April 1870, a revolutionist who played a critical role in the Russian revolution. He was one of the few men who led a successful communist country and also created his own political system, Leninism, a modified communism system. During his time before he rose to power, he joined many political parties such as League of Struggle of the Emancipation of the Working Class, Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks) and the Russian Communist Party. He achieved many things during his life and died in 21 January 1924. Lenin was born in a wealthy middle-class family in Simbirsk, where his family’s relation sparked his interest in politics.…

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bolshevik Takeover Essay

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Years of the Great War and the Great Communist Takeover The four year span of World War I caused the death of nearly 8 million civilians alone, and left many more handicapped or injured. The Russian Bolshevik takeover started a revolution that Russia is still feeling to this day. Russia’s descending into the communist lifestyle and the overall devastation that came along with World War I jolted the world out of its comfort zone and propelled us into the modern age, whether we were ready for it, or not.…

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Russian Revolution was a major turning point in Russian history. Destructive, dangerous, harsh, and cruel are words that characterize the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution caused major political changes in Russia. The Russian Revolution had many negative outcomes, but it also had some positive outcomes. The Russian Revolution was a failure because there was a loss of many freedoms such as press, speech, and equality.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    For a ruler to maintain in power, the most important action he should take is to let the counter-elite circulate and get some power for them not to rebel against his government. When this does not happen, the counter-elite is not happy and this can lead them to organize the non-elite and start a revolution. A revolution is a radical change lead by violence. The Mexican Revolution ended with a the 30 year dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz and since then there has not been a dictator.…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    • Joseph Stalin's rise started after the October revolution when the tsar was taken out • of power and the Bolsheviks took over • He was appointed the general secretary of the communist party; this role seemed minor but played an important role in his rise to power • His position allowed him to appoint his supporters to high ranking positions, thereby setting up a foundation for his rise to power • Vladimir Lenin the leader of the USSR and the revolution grew scared of the growing power of Stalin but had a stroke that forced him into an early retirement making any direct actions against • Stalin impossible although he did write a letter suggesting his dismissal from the party. Stalin managed to down play the letter without much harm to his…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Many people think of brutality and ruthlessness when discussing Ivan the Terrible. Although he was cruel and ruthless during his reign, Ivan IV, as he was formally known, did implement some lasting reforms for his country. There were many events, some tragic, in his life that greatly affected him and would ultimately have profound consequences during his reign. Ivan the Terrible was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533-1547 and called himself “Tsar of All of the Russians” until his death in 1584. He inherited the title of Grand Prince of Moscow at an early age which greatly affected how he ruled.…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Towards the end of the 18th century, something big occurred, the United States declared its dependence from Great Britain enabling it to become an independent country. Now, in comparison with other countries, the US was relatively young, and at the time, its leaders were unexperienced and unaware of the magnitude behind running a country. The oil industry picked up well around mid-19th century in America and its initial stages, kerosene, was used for light domestic uses of heating and lighting, but the development of new drilling technology in the 19th century saw the mass consumption of petroleum provide energy for industries. Mid-19th century something else game changing happened, the first commercial oil well came into effect. From then until WWI oil became increasingly important and naturally the need for protecting it became top priority as well.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ivan Iv's New Russia

    • 180 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Ivan IV eagerly embraced his new Russia, which he fancied as the “Third Rome” and named himself Tsar, the Russian version of the Roman and Byzantine emperor title of Caesar. Ivan IV eagerly embraced his new Russia, which he fancied as the “Third Rome” and named himself Tsar, the Russian version of the Roman and Byzantine emperor title of Caesar. Ivan IV eagerly embraced his new Russia, which he fancied as the “Third Rome” and named himself Tsar, the Russian version of the Roman and Byzantine emperor title of Caesar. Ivan IV eagerly embraced his new Russia, which he fancied as the “Third Rome” and named himself Tsar, the Russian version of the Roman and Byzantine emperor title of Caesar. Ivan IV eagerly embraced his new Russia, which he…

    • 180 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    helped provide and protect tankers transporting oil to Europe. U.S. oil resources meant that insufficient energy supplies did not hamper the Allies, as they did the Central Powers” (p.25). During the war, the ability to buy and sell oil put the United States in a very powerful position which allowed them to have an enormous advantage during the First Great War. One of the branches of the armed forces that attributes their success during World War 1 is the Navy. The Navy realized very quickly that using oil instead of coal would put their troops in a much better position during the war.…

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The paper I write today will be based off of two Periods of time with similar actions and consequences following major events that followed. The first one of these two Periods I will explain and compare is the Red Scare of 1919 which is when the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia that overtook the former czar state begin to have ripple effects globally and the attackers begin to have an effect on nations in the west. In the United States people were afraid of the communist movement that was happening the east and were especially troubled when a series of Anarchist Bombings begin to happen all over the place. Also many people begin to inspect radical and socialist agents infiltrating the federal government Americans begin to feel that there were…

    • 320 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In both, Lenin and Old Major’s speech there are many similarities and differences. In Old Major’s speech he is talking about how the animal are not valued , when they really are, “ Our labor tills the soil, our dung fertilises it, and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin” (Orwell, pg.8). In Lenin’s Speech he talks about how the working class people are not valued and do not receive enough recognition for how much they do, “ If it were not for us everything would collapse, and the state would fall to pieces.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Chapter I: The End of an Era On October 6, 1973 the 4th Arab Israeli War began. This chapter also mentions the OECD— a corporation of the wealthy countries which set up an energy commission and issued a report. In addition, the business must protect the coal industry— Europe’s leading energy source. This chapter also addresses the Suez Crisis where a terrible shock spread through all the oil-importing nations, including the United States, which is not only the biggest oil producer, but also the biggest oil consumer. As a result, the Middle Eastern oil flew into America, and the oil companies competed to follow because businesses compete and nations do not.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Vladimir Lenin’s Speech at the First All-Russia Congress on Education, Lenin gives a speech about the poor state of European capitalist societies in 1918. He feels that the society is on the verge of revolution, and he pushes them toward rebellion by using pathos. “The workers of the world feel that the cause of the Russian revolution is their own cause no matter how great the obstacles in our way, no matter how many tens of millions in money are lavished in all countries to disseminate lies and slander about the Russian revolution.” Lenin uses pathos in this quote by showing the people how the revolution isn’t their fault, pushing them to revolt.…

    • 237 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Mond was suprised that Lenina did not go out with somebody else except Henry. Mond believed Lenina made a mistake because love, husband and wife, even mother are not in legal. I do not agree with it. No body can build a perfect world because the charming of this world comes from it’s unperfect.…

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    “The United States, once the world’s largest producer and still its largest consumer, must import half of its oil supply, weakening its overall strategic position and adding greatly to an already burdensome trade deficit – a precarious position for a great power” (Yergin 14). So said Daniel Yergin in the prologue of his 1990 bestseller The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power. Today, oil retains its importance in the hydrocarbon societies of developed and developing countries as a major engine of economic growth, but the story is not so simple. When Yergin wrote The Prize, the United States seemed to be on an inevitable path toward instability and crisis as domestic reserves, long depleted, forced oil imports and exports around the…

    • 2499 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays