During the Russian Civil War the Bolsheviks turned towards terror as a means of accomplishing their objectives. Leon Trotsky noted that “intimidation is a powerful weapon of policy.” He further noted “The revolution…kills individuals, and intimidates thousands.”
In describing Vladimir Lenin Victor Sebestyen wrote: “He battered opponents into submission with the deliberate use of violent language which he acknowledged was ‘calculated to evoke hatred, aversion, contempt…not to convince, not to correct the mistakes of the opponent but to destroy him, to wipe him and his organization of the face of the earth.’”
If Lenin could intimidate his opponents into silence he would be able to pursue his agenda. After seeing success in his personal debates it is not surprising that Lenin would include such tactics in his national political policy. In 1918 a Pravda article noted “The anthem of the working class will be a song of hatred and revenge!” You were with Lenin or you deserved to be destroyed. Using terror as a tool of intimidation allowed Lenin to secure power. Could a constitutional monarchy or a democracy have been created if the majority of people stood up and rejected Lenin and his intimidating campaign of terror?
It is not surprising that the Soviet Union devolved into a totalitarian nightmare. When governance is based on intimidation and force subjugation of a nation will surely follow. If you allow yourself to be censored due to fear of political opponents you risk losing your personal and national sovereignty.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
“Lest the land become desolate and the Christian name be destroyed there, we exhort and command the faithful to take up the sign of the cross and bring aid to the Christians established in Livonia.”
Pope Gregory IX
During the time of Alexander Nevsky why were western Catholic powers seen as a greater spiritual threat than the Mongols?
The Golden Horde ruled the principalities of Russia. Noble Russians were still allowed to serve as the princes of the great cities, but they owed their power to the Horde. A tribute system was established and in practice in 1262.
Those who collected the tax were known as the Besermeny. The were usually Muslim merchants or tax farmers working for the Golden Horde. They were foreigners and they were collecting the wealth of the native Russians. This made them hated. Prior to 1262 the Horde conducted a census in Russia to determine exactly what tributes needed to be paid. This had been met with great hostility.
In 1262 the besermeny had great power. The Russian chronicle notes that they “created great violence among the people.” It seems clear that they were willing to abuse their power to accomplish their jobs. In addition to monetary contributions by 1262 the Russian population also had to contribute their men to fight in the wars of the Golden Horde. This further angered the local ...
