The 20^th century was a time of bloodshed and conflict. No conflict was more important than the struggle between capitalism and socialism for dominance throughout the world. From the Korean War to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. Due to the Russian Revolution of 1917, socialism was now capitalism’s greatest nemesis on the world political forum. The workers of the world began to question just how content they truly were with the status quo. Nothing sums up the ideals of worldwide socialism than the Internationale. The Internationale is the worldwide socialist anthem. Its original words were written in 1870 by French socialist author Eugene Pottier and the lyrics were finally accompanied with music in 1888 with a melody written by Pierre Degeyter.

In order to connect with the growing number of international socialists, the Internationale was converted into many different languages and dialects, none more important than the Russian version, which was translated by author Aron Kots in 1902. Before adopting the Hymn of the Soviet Union as the national anthem in 1944, the Internationale was the primary musical expression of the beliefs and values of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Even after 1944, the Internationale was viewed as the official song of the Soviet Communist Party. In order to fully understand the song, however, one must first understand its diagnosis of the problems at hand, its prognosis for what should be done regarding said problems, and its motivation for action. The song is split into three stanzas, all containing examples of each.

 The Internationale was not specifically written for the Revolution, but its words and lyrics were used by the Bolshevik communist leadership to sum up the ideals and beliefs set in motion by the Revolution of 1917. The themes and ideas presented in the Internationale can be connected to many of the grievances felt by the Russian populace against the Tsar and his regime at the time. The first verse contains the lines, “All the starving people and the slaves of the world, our indignant minds boil and they are ready to fight to the death.”(Kots). This particular lyric perfectly illustrates the climate in Russia prior to the Revolution. The country was running out of food and workers wages were beginning to decline heavily, thus they were being treated like slaves. People’s patience was wearing thin, and they were ready for a change. They were willing to fight to the death in order to see that their children would not have to live in a world run by a Tsar or his oppressive regime.

The second verse continues with the themes of rebellion and dissent. This time however, the attack is more directly pointed at the Tsar and the establishment as a whole. In the line, “Nobody will send us deliverance. Not God, nor Tsar, nor a hero.”(Kots) there is a clear sense of rebellion and distaste for the Tsar and his followers. The people of Russia realize that neither the empty promises of religion nor the apathetic outlook of their leader will put food on the table for their families. If they truly want their share of the nation’s wealth, then they will have to obtain it by force.

The third and final verse continues to point out the problems facing the Russian populace as a whole. In the lines, “Enough sucking blood, vampires. Prison, taxes, poverty! You have all the authority, all the blessings of the world. But our rights-an empty sound!”(Kots) the Tsar and his regime is attacked yet again by the people of Russia, claiming that the existence of  “Prison, taxes, and poverty” as a means to punish the Russian common man are all similar to a vampire sucking blood from a victim. The Tsar has all the power in the world, yet he does nothing for his faithful subjects. While he eats and sleeps in his lavish palaces oblivious to the plight of the Russian common folk, his people go to bed hungry and struggle to make ends meat.

To these problems, the song also has ways in which the Russian people can rectify the situation at hand. In the first verse, the lines, “We shall destroy the world of violence to its foundations, and then we shall build a new world.”(Kots)

suggest that the workers of Russia overthrow the oppressive Tsar regime and create a new state in which the workers of the world can unite in a utopian society. In verse two, much of the same is seen. The lines, “We shall be liberated by our own hands. To overthrow oppression, skilled hands take back all that is good- Blow up the furnace and strike boldly while the iron is hot.”(Kots) illustrates the fact that the abolition of the traditional class system can happen with the work of no ones hand but the working man. Basically, it was up to the working man to provide the spark necessary to ignite the growing powder keg in which Tsarist Russia had become. In addition, it was important to act quickly while the momentum was in their favor, “while the iron is hot.” The same goes for the third verse, with the line “We shall build a different life, and here is our battle cry.”(Kots). Now, the Russian working man didn’t have to settle for the status quo. They truly can make a difference in their lives and the lives of their countrymen. All they needed to do was band together and fight against the Tsar and his oppressive and archaic policies. No longer did the Russian populace have to sit down and take starvation or falling wages idly. They did have a voice, one which would surely be heard.

In order to show others that these promises and calls for change had any form of legitimacy, the song had to provide a sense of motivation. This was shown in the chorus of the song, which sings triumphantly, “This is our final and decisive battle. With the Internationale, the human race will leap up!” (Kots). With the ideals presented by the Internationale, humanity can break the chains that have bound them since the dawn of capitalism. No longer do we have to listen to the orders of the rich upper class; no longer do we have to listen to others in regards to living our own lives. For too long, humanity has been ruled by the wealthy aristocratic upper class. The time has come for the working man to rise up and take what was rightfully his; equality.

With the Internationale, the people of Russia found inspiration to finally fight against a regime which had taken advantage of them for long enough. They were tired of the decreasing food supplies, the plummeting wages, and the growing sense of complacency in the government. If the Tsar had no intention of feeding his people, then his people would just have to take it from him, themselves. This song helped inspire a nation to action. For too long, their voices had gone unheard. Throughout the underground bars and clubs of Russia, people sang the Internationale in celebration of life, equality, and a world dictated not by economic status, but by comradeship. People began to hope that one day, their children would grow up in a world not run by the monetary profit, but by brotherhood.