ished . ▁While ▁the ▁Soviet - Mar x ist ▁view ▁has ▁been ▁largely ▁dis cred ited , ▁an ▁" anti - St alin ist " ▁version ▁of ▁it ▁attempts ▁to ▁draw ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁the ▁" Len in ▁period " ▁( 1 9 1 7 – 2 3 ) ▁and ▁the ▁" St alin ▁period " ▁( 1 9 2 3 – 5 3 ) ▁▁ ▁A ▁Len in ▁bi ograph er , ▁Robert ▁Service , ▁states ▁he ▁" la id ▁the ▁found ations ▁of ▁dict ator ship ▁and ▁law less ness . ▁Len in ▁had ▁cons olid ated ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁state ▁pen etr ation ▁of ▁the ▁whole ▁society , ▁its ▁economy ▁and ▁its ▁culture . ▁Len in ▁had ▁pract ised ▁terror ▁and ▁advoc ated ▁revolution ary ▁am oral ism ." ▁ ▁Chron ology ▁ ▁Chron ology ▁of ▁events ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁revolution ▁D ates ▁are ▁correct ▁for ▁the ▁Julian ▁calendar , ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁Russia ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁It ▁was ▁ 1 2 ▁days ▁behind ▁the ▁Greg or ian ▁calendar ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁th ir teen ▁days ▁behind ▁it ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Chron ology ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁revolution s ▁ ▁Cultural ▁port ray al ▁George ▁Or well ' s ▁classic ▁nov ella ▁Animal ▁Farm ▁is ▁an ▁alleg ory ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁and ▁its ▁after math . ▁It ▁describes ▁the ▁dict ator ▁St alin ▁as ▁a ▁big ▁Ber k shire ▁bo