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        <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:29 MST</pubDate>
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            <title>Busts.</title>
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            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=00-Busts.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;00-Busts.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_00-Busts.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;00-Busts.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Busts. - 00-Busts.jpg&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:29 MST</pubDate>
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            <title>Fireplace.</title>
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            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=01-Fireplace.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;01-Fireplace.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_01-Fireplace.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;01-Fireplace.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Fireplace. - 01-Fireplace.jpg&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:25 MST</pubDate>
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            <title>Napoleon.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=010Napoleon.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=010Napoleon.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;010Napoleon.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_010Napoleon.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;010Napoleon.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Napoleon. - 010Napoleon.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Napol�on Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte) (15 August 1769 � 5 May 1821) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804, Emperor of the French (Empereur des Fran�ais) under the name Napol�on I (Napol�on 1er) from 18 May 1804 to 6 April 1814, and was briefly restored as Emperor from 20 March to 22 June 1815. He was also King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. Over the course of little more than a decade, the armies of France under his command fought almost every European power and acquired control of most of continental Europe by conquest or alliance. The disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 marked a turning point. Following the Russian campaign and the defeat at Leipzig in October 1813, the Sixth Coalition invaded France, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April 1814. He was exiled to the island of Elba. He staged a comeback known as the Hundred Days (les Cent Jours), but was defeated at Waterloo on 18 June 1815. He spent the remaining six years of his life on the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean under British supervision. Although Napoleon himself developed few military innovations, apart from the divisional squares employed in Egypt, the placement of artillery into batteries, and replacing the division with army corps as the standard all-arms unit, he used the best tactics from a variety of sources, as well as the French army, modernized and reformed, to score several major victories. His campaigns are studied at military academies all over the world and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest commanders ever to have lived. Aside from his military achievements, Napoleon is also remembered for the establishment of the Napoleonic Code (Code Napol�on). He also appointed several members of his family and close friends as monarchs of countries he conquered and as important government figures (his brother Lucien was Minister of the Interior of France during the Consulate). Although their reigns did not survive his downfall, a nephew, Napoleon III, ruled France later in the nineteenth century. Victorious general Through the help of fellow Corsican Saliceti, Napoleon was appointed as artillery commander in the French forces besieging Toulon, which had risen in revolt against the republican government and was occupied by British troops. He formulated a successful plan: he placed guns at Point l&apos;Eguillete, threatening the British ships in the harbour, forcing them to evacuate. A successful assault, during which Bonaparte was wounded in the thigh, led to the recapture of the city and a promotion to brigadier-general. His actions brought him to the attention of the Committee of Public Safety, and he became a close associate of Augustin Robespierre, younger brother of the Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre. As a result, he was briefly imprisoned in the Chateau d&apos;Antibes on 6 August 1794 following the fall of the elder Robespierre, but was released within two weeks. Ruler of France Coup d&apos;�tat of 18 Brumaire Main article: 18 Brumaire Napoleonic Empire, 1811: France in dark blue, satellite states in light blueWhile in Egypt, Bonaparte tried to keep a close eye on European affairs, relying largely on newspapers and dispatches that arrived only irregularly. On 23 August 1799, he abruptly set sail for France, taking advantage of the temporary departure of British ships blockading French coastal ports. Although he was later accused of abandoning his troops, his departure had been ordered by the Directory, which had suffered a series of military defeats to the forces of the Second Coalition, and feared an invasion. By the time he returned to Paris in October, the military situation had improved due to several French victories. The Republic was bankrupt, however, and the corrupt and inefficient Directory was unpopular with the French public more than ever. Bonaparte was approached by one of the Directors, Siey�s, seeking his support for a coup to overthrow the constitution. The plot included Bonaparte&apos;s brother Lucien, then serving as speaker of the Council of Five Hundred, Roger Ducos, another Director, and Talleyrand. On 9 November (18 Brumaire), and the following day, troops led by Bonaparte seized control and dispersed the legislative councils, leaving a rump to name Bonaparte, Siey�s, and Ducos as provisional Consuls to administer the government. Although Siey�s expected to dominate the new regime, he was outmanoeuvred by Bonaparte, who drafted the Constitution of the Year VIII and secured his own election as First Consul. This made him the most powerful person in France, a power that was increased by the Constitution of the Year X, which declared him First Consul for life. First Consul Main article: French Consulate Bonaparte instituted several lasting reforms, including centralized administration of the d�partements, higher education, a tax system, a central bank, law codes, and road and sewer systems. He negotiated the Concordat of 1801 with the Catholic Church, seeking to reconcile the mostly Catholic population with his regime. His set of civil laws, the Napoleonic Code or Civil Code, has importance to this day in many countries. The Code was prepared by committees of legal experts under the supervision of Jean Jacques R�gis de Cambac�r�s, who held the office Second Consul from 1799 to 1804; Bonaparte, however, participated actively in the sessions of the Council of State that revised the drafts. Other codes were commissioned by Bonaparte to codify criminal and commerce law. In 1808, a Code of Criminal Instruction was published, which enacted precise rules of judicial procedure. Although contemporary standards may consider these procedures as favouring the prosecution, when enacted they sought to preserve personal freedoms and to remedy the prosecutorial abuses commonplace in European courts. Napol�on crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David. Notice the names of Hannibal, Charlemagne (Karolus Magnus), and Bonaparte in the rocks belowIn 1800, Bonaparte returned to Italy, which the Austrians had reconquered during his absence in Egypt. He and his troops crossed the Alps in spring (although he actually rode a mule, not the white charger on which David famously depicted him). While the campaign began badly, the Austrians were eventually routed in June at Marengo, leading to an armistice. Napoleon&apos;s brother Joseph, who was leading the peace negotiations in Lun�ville, reported that due to British backing for Austria, Austria would not recognize France&apos;s newly gained territory. As negotiations became more and more fractious, Bonaparte gave orders to his general Moreau to strike Austria once more. Moreau led France to victory at Hohenlinden. As a result the Treaty of Lun�ville was signed in February 1801, under which the French gains of the Treaty of Campo Formio were reaffirmed and increased. Interlude of peace Crowning of Napoleon, memorialized by Jacques-Louis DavidThe British signed the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802, which set terms for peace, including the withdrawal of British troops from several colonial territories recently occcupied. The peace between France and Britain was uneasy and short-lived. The monarchies of Europe were reluctant to recognize a republic, fearing that the ideas of the revolution might be exported to them. In Britain, the brother of Louis XVI was welcomed as a state guest although officially Britain recognized France as a republic. Britain failed to evacuate Malta, as promised, and protested against France&apos;s annexation of Piedmont, and Napoleon&apos;s Act of Mediation in Switzerland (although neither of these areas was covered by the Treaty of Amiens). In 1803, Bonaparte faced a major setback when an army he sent to reconquer Haiti and establish a base was destroyed by a combination of yellow fever and fierce resistance led by Toussaint L&apos;Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Recognizing that the French possessions on the mainland of North America would now be indefensible, and facing imminent war with Britain, he sold them to the United States �the Louisiana Purchase�for less than three cents per acre ($7.40/km�). The dispute over Malta ended up with Britain declaring war on France in 1803 to support French royalists. Napoleon on his Imperial throne, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1806 Emperor of the French Main articles: First French Empire, Third Coalition, and Fourth Coalition In January 1804, Bonaparte&apos;s police uncovered an assassination plot against him, ostensibly sponsored by the Bourbons. In retaliation, Bonaparte ordered the arrest of the Duc d&apos;Enghien, in a violation of the sovereignty of Baden. After a hurried secret trial, the Duke was executed on 21 March. Bonaparte then used this incident to justify the re-creation of a hereditary monarchy in France, with himself as Emperor, on the theory that a Bourbon restoration would be impossible once the Bonapartist succession was entrenched in the constitution. Napoleon crowned himself Emperor on 2 December 1804 at Notre Dame de Paris. Claims that he seized the crown out of the hands of Pope Pius VII during the ceremony in order to avoid subjecting himself to the authority of the pontiff are apocryphal; in fact, the coronation procedure had been agreed upon in advance. After the Imperial regalia had been blessed by the Pope, Napoleon crowned himself before crowning his wife Jos�phine as Empress (the moment depicted in David&apos;s famous painting, illustrated above). Then at Milan&apos;s cathedral on 26 May 1805, Napoleon was crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Napoleon.</media:title>
                <media:description>Napol�on Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte) (15 August 1769 � 5 May 1821) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804, Emperor of the French (Empereur des Fran�ais) under the name Napol�on I (Napol�on 1er) from 18 May 1804 to 6 April 1814, and was briefly restored as Emperor from 20 March to 22 June 1815. He was also King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. Over the course of little more than a decade, the armies of France under his command fought almost every European power and acquired control of most of continental Europe by conquest or alliance. The disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 marked a turning point. Following the Russian campaign and the defeat at Leipzig in October 1813, the Sixth Coalition invaded France, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April 1814. He was exiled to the island of Elba. He staged a comeback known as the Hundred Days (les Cent Jours), but was defeated at Waterloo on 18 June 1815. He spent the remaining six years of his life on the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean under British supervision. Although Napoleon himself developed few military innovations, apart from the divisional squares employed in Egypt, the placement of artillery into batteries, and replacing the division with army corps as the standard all-arms unit, he used the best tactics from a variety of sources, as well as the French army, modernized and reformed, to score several major victories. His campaigns are studied at military academies all over the world and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest commanders ever to have lived. Aside from his military achievements, Napoleon is also remembered for the establishment of the Napoleonic Code (Code Napol�on). He also appointed several members of his family and close friends as monarchs of countries he conquered and as important government figures (his brother Lucien was Minister of the Interior of France during the Consulate). Although their reigns did not survive his downfall, a nephew, Napoleon III, ruled France later in the nineteenth century. Victorious general Through the help of fellow Corsican Saliceti, Napoleon was appointed as artillery commander in the French forces besieging Toulon, which had risen in revolt against the republican government and was occupied by British troops. He formulated a successful plan: he placed guns at Point l&apos;Eguillete, threatening the British ships in the harbour, forcing them to evacuate. A successful assault, during which Bonaparte was wounded in the thigh, led to the recapture of the city and a promotion to brigadier-general. His actions brought him to the attention of the Committee of Public Safety, and he became a close associate of Augustin Robespierre, younger brother of the Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre. As a result, he was briefly imprisoned in the Chateau d&apos;Antibes on 6 August 1794 following the fall of the elder Robespierre, but was released within two weeks. Ruler of France Coup d&apos;�tat of 18 Brumaire Main article: 18 Brumaire Napoleonic Empire, 1811: France in dark blue, satellite states in light blueWhile in Egypt, Bonaparte tried to keep a close eye on European affairs, relying largely on newspapers and dispatches that arrived only irregularly. On 23 August 1799, he abruptly set sail for France, taking advantage of the temporary departure of British ships blockading French coastal ports. Although he was later accused of abandoning his troops, his departure had been ordered by the Directory, which had suffered a series of military defeats to the forces of the Second Coalition, and feared an invasion. By the time he returned to Paris in October, the military situation had improved due to several French victories. The Republic was bankrupt, however, and the corrupt and inefficient Directory was unpopular with the French public more than ever. Bonaparte was approached by one of the Directors, Siey�s, seeking his support for a coup to overthrow the constitution. The plot included Bonaparte&apos;s brother Lucien, then serving as speaker of the Council of Five Hundred, Roger Ducos, another Director, and Talleyrand. On 9 November (18 Brumaire), and the following day, troops led by Bonaparte seized control and dispersed the legislative councils, leaving a rump to name Bonaparte, Siey�s, and Ducos as provisional Consuls to administer the government. Although Siey�s expected to dominate the new regime, he was outmanoeuvred by Bonaparte, who drafted the Constitution of the Year VIII and secured his own election as First Consul. This made him the most powerful person in France, a power that was increased by the Constitution of the Year X, which declared him First Consul for life. First Consul Main article: French Consulate Bonaparte instituted several lasting reforms, including centralized administration of the d�partements, higher education, a tax system, a central bank, law codes, and road and sewer systems. He negotiated the Concordat of 1801 with the Catholic Church, seeking to reconcile the mostly Catholic population with his regime. His set of civil laws, the Napoleonic Code or Civil Code, has importance to this day in many countries. The Code was prepared by committees of legal experts under the supervision of Jean Jacques R�gis de Cambac�r�s, who held the office Second Consul from 1799 to 1804; Bonaparte, however, participated actively in the sessions of the Council of State that revised the drafts. Other codes were commissioned by Bonaparte to codify criminal and commerce law. In 1808, a Code of Criminal Instruction was published, which enacted precise rules of judicial procedure. Although contemporary standards may consider these procedures as favouring the prosecution, when enacted they sought to preserve personal freedoms and to remedy the prosecutorial abuses commonplace in European courts. Napol�on crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David. Notice the names of Hannibal, Charlemagne (Karolus Magnus), and Bonaparte in the rocks belowIn 1800, Bonaparte returned to Italy, which the Austrians had reconquered during his absence in Egypt. He and his troops crossed the Alps in spring (although he actually rode a mule, not the white charger on which David famously depicted him). While the campaign began badly, the Austrians were eventually routed in June at Marengo, leading to an armistice. Napoleon&apos;s brother Joseph, who was leading the peace negotiations in Lun�ville, reported that due to British backing for Austria, Austria would not recognize France&apos;s newly gained territory. As negotiations became more and more fractious, Bonaparte gave orders to his general Moreau to strike Austria once more. Moreau led France to victory at Hohenlinden. As a result the Treaty of Lun�ville was signed in February 1801, under which the French gains of the Treaty of Campo Formio were reaffirmed and increased. Interlude of peace Crowning of Napoleon, memorialized by Jacques-Louis DavidThe British signed the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802, which set terms for peace, including the withdrawal of British troops from several colonial territories recently occcupied. The peace between France and Britain was uneasy and short-lived. The monarchies of Europe were reluctant to recognize a republic, fearing that the ideas of the revolution might be exported to them. In Britain, the brother of Louis XVI was welcomed as a state guest although officially Britain recognized France as a republic. Britain failed to evacuate Malta, as promised, and protested against France&apos;s annexation of Piedmont, and Napoleon&apos;s Act of Mediation in Switzerland (although neither of these areas was covered by the Treaty of Amiens). In 1803, Bonaparte faced a major setback when an army he sent to reconquer Haiti and establish a base was destroyed by a combination of yellow fever and fierce resistance led by Toussaint L&apos;Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Recognizing that the French possessions on the mainland of North America would now be indefensible, and facing imminent war with Britain, he sold them to the United States �the Louisiana Purchase�for less than three cents per acre ($7.40/km�). The dispute over Malta ended up with Britain declaring war on France in 1803 to support French royalists. Napoleon on his Imperial throne, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1806 Emperor of the French Main articles: First French Empire, Third Coalition, and Fourth Coalition In January 1804, Bonaparte&apos;s police uncovered an assassination plot against him, ostensibly sponsored by the Bourbons. In retaliation, Bonaparte ordered the arrest of the Duc d&apos;Enghien, in a violation of the sovereignty of Baden. After a hurried secret trial, the Duke was executed on 21 March. Bonaparte then used this incident to justify the re-creation of a hereditary monarchy in France, with himself as Emperor, on the theory that a Bourbon restoration would be impossible once the Bonapartist succession was entrenched in the constitution. Napoleon crowned himself Emperor on 2 December 1804 at Notre Dame de Paris. Claims that he seized the crown out of the hands of Pope Pius VII during the ceremony in order to avoid subjecting himself to the authority of the pontiff are apocryphal; in fact, the coronation procedure had been agreed upon in advance. After the Imperial regalia had been blessed by the Pope, Napoleon crowned himself before crowning his wife Jos�phine as Empress (the moment depicted in David&apos;s famous painting, illustrated above). Then at Milan&apos;s cathedral on 26 May 1805, Napoleon was crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.</media:description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:21 MST</pubDate>
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            <title>Vladimir lenin(1955).</title>
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            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=02-Lenin1955.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;02-Lenin1955.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_02-Lenin1955.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;02-Lenin1955.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Vladimir lenin(1955). - 02-Lenin1955.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Russian: &amp;#1042;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1072;&amp;#1076;&amp;#1080;&amp;#769 ;&amp;#1084;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1088; &amp;#1048;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1100;&amp;#1080;&amp;#769;&amp;#1095 ; &amp;#1059;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1100;&amp;#1103;&amp;#769;&amp;#1085 ;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1074; IPA: [vla&apos;d&amp;#690;im&amp;#690;ir ilj&apos;it&amp;#642; ul&apos;jan&amp;#652;f], better known by the alias Lenin (help�info) (&amp;#1051;&amp;#1077;&amp;#1085;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1085;)) (April 22, 1870 � January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, a communist politician, the main leader of the October Revolution, the first head of the Soviet Union, and the primary theorist of Leninism, a variant of Marxism. Creation of the secret police From early 1918, Lenin campaigned for a single, democratically accountable individual to be put in charge of each enterprise, contrary to most conceptions of workers&apos; self-management, but absolutely essential for efficiency and expertise. As S.A. Smith wrote: &quot;By the end of the civil war, not much was left of the democratic forms of industrial administration promoted by the factory committees in 1917, but the government argued that this did not matter since industry had passed into the ownership of a workers&apos; state.&quot; To protect the newly-established Bolshevik government from counterrevolutionaries and other political opponents, the Bolsheviks created a secret police, the Cheka. The Bolsheviks had planned to hold a trial for the former Tsar, but in August 1918, when the White Army was advancing on Yekaterinburg where the former royal family was being held, Sverdlov acceded to the request of the local Soviet to execute the Tsar right away, rather than having him freed by the Whites. The Tsar and the rest of his immediate family were executed, though whether this was a decision of the central government or the local Soviet remains the subject of historical dispute. Lenin was informed about the execution only after it had taken place, but did not express any criticism against it.[13] Lenin and Fritz Platten in 1919.Censorship was quickly imposed, and it was up to the Cheka to confiscate the literature of dissident workers: &quot;[O]n 17 November the Central Executive Committee passed a decree giving the bolsheviks control over all newsprint and wide powers of closing down newspapers critical of the regime...&quot; (Leonard Shapiro, The Communist Party of the Soviet Union). Workers were re-forming independent soviets; the Cheka broke them up. Independent newspapers criticized Lenin&apos;s government; the Cheka closed them down, until the Bolshevik-controlled Pravda and Izvestia had a monopoly on the supply of news. As Shapiro notes, &quot;The refusal to come to terms with the socialists and the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly led to the logical result that revolutionary terror would now be directed not only against traditional enemies, such as the bourgeoisie or right-wing opponents, but against anyone, be he socialist, worker or peasant, who opposed bolshevik rule.&quot;[1] Censorship of Lenin in the Soviet Union Lenin&apos;s writings were carefully censored under the Soviet regime after his death. In the early 1930s, it became accepted dogma under Stalin to assume that neither Lenin nor the Central Committee could ever be wrong. Therefore, it was necessary to remove evidence of situations where they had actually disagreed, since in those situations it was impossible for both to have been right at the same time. Trotsky was a particularly vocal critic of these practices, which he saw as a form of deification of a mere human being who could, and did, make mistakes.[32] Later, even the fifth complete Soviet edition of Lenin&apos;s works (published in 55 thick volumes between 1958 and 1965) left out parts that either contradicted dogma or showed their author in too poor a light.[33]&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Vladimir lenin(1955).</media:title>
                <media:description>ladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Russian: &amp;#1042;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1072;&amp;#1076;&amp;#1080;&amp;#769 ;&amp;#1084;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1088; &amp;#1048;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1100;&amp;#1080;&amp;#769;&amp;#1095 ; &amp;#1059;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1100;&amp;#1103;&amp;#769;&amp;#1085 ;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1074; IPA: [vla&apos;d&amp;#690;im&amp;#690;ir ilj&apos;it&amp;#642; ul&apos;jan&amp;#652;f], better known by the alias Lenin (help�info) (&amp;#1051;&amp;#1077;&amp;#1085;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1085;)) (April 22, 1870 � January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, a communist politician, the main leader of the October Revolution, the first head of the Soviet Union, and the primary theorist of Leninism, a variant of Marxism. Creation of the secret police From early 1918, Lenin campaigned for a single, democratically accountable individual to be put in charge of each enterprise, contrary to most conceptions of workers&apos; self-management, but absolutely essential for efficiency and expertise. As S.A. Smith wrote: &quot;By the end of the civil war, not much was left of the democratic forms of industrial administration promoted by the factory committees in 1917, but the government argued that this did not matter since industry had passed into the ownership of a workers&apos; state.&quot; To protect the newly-established Bolshevik government from counterrevolutionaries and other political opponents, the Bolsheviks created a secret police, the Cheka. The Bolsheviks had planned to hold a trial for the former Tsar, but in August 1918, when the White Army was advancing on Yekaterinburg where the former royal family was being held, Sverdlov acceded to the request of the local Soviet to execute the Tsar right away, rather than having him freed by the Whites. The Tsar and the rest of his immediate family were executed, though whether this was a decision of the central government or the local Soviet remains the subject of historical dispute. Lenin was informed about the execution only after it had taken place, but did not express any criticism against it.[13] Lenin and Fritz Platten in 1919.Censorship was quickly imposed, and it was up to the Cheka to confiscate the literature of dissident workers: &quot;[O]n 17 November the Central Executive Committee passed a decree giving the bolsheviks control over all newsprint and wide powers of closing down newspapers critical of the regime...&quot; (Leonard Shapiro, The Communist Party of the Soviet Union). Workers were re-forming independent soviets; the Cheka broke them up. Independent newspapers criticized Lenin&apos;s government; the Cheka closed them down, until the Bolshevik-controlled Pravda and Izvestia had a monopoly on the supply of news. As Shapiro notes, &quot;The refusal to come to terms with the socialists and the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly led to the logical result that revolutionary terror would now be directed not only against traditional enemies, such as the bourgeoisie or right-wing opponents, but against anyone, be he socialist, worker or peasant, who opposed bolshevik rule.&quot;[1] Censorship of Lenin in the Soviet Union Lenin&apos;s writings were carefully censored under the Soviet regime after his death. In the early 1930s, it became accepted dogma under Stalin to assume that neither Lenin nor the Central Committee could ever be wrong. Therefore, it was necessary to remove evidence of situations where they had actually disagreed, since in those situations it was impossible for both to have been right at the same time. Trotsky was a particularly vocal critic of these practices, which he saw as a form of deification of a mere human being who could, and did, make mistakes.[32] Later, even the fifth complete Soviet edition of Lenin&apos;s works (published in 55 thick volumes between 1958 and 1965) left out parts that either contradicted dogma or showed their author in too poor a light.[33]</media:description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:19 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Lenin-Stalin.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=03-LeninStalin.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=03-LeninStalin.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;03-LeninStalin.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_03-LeninStalin.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;03-LeninStalin.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Lenin-Stalin. - 03-LeninStalin.jpg&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Lenin-Stalin.</media:title>
                <media:description />
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:13 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Stalin(1947).</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=04-Stalin1947.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=04-Stalin1947.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;04-Stalin1947.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_04-Stalin1947.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;04-Stalin1947.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Stalin(1947). - 04-Stalin1947.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: &amp;#4312;&amp;#4317;&amp;#4321;&amp;#4308;&amp;#4305; &amp;#4335;&amp;#4323;&amp;#4326;&amp;#4304;&amp;#4328;&amp;#430 9;&amp;#4312;&amp;#4314;&amp;#4312;; Russian: &amp;#1048;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1092; &amp;#1042;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1072;&amp;#108 8;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1085;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1074;&amp;#1 080;&amp;#1095; &amp;#1044;&amp;#1078;&amp;#1091;&amp;#1075;&amp;#1072;&amp;#109 6;&amp;#1074;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1080; [Iosif Vissarionovi&amp;#269; D�uga�vili]), Stalin became General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1922. Following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924, he prevailed in a power struggle over Leon Trotsky. In the 1930s Stalin initiated the Great Purge, a campaign of political repression, persecution and executions that reached its peak in 1937. Stalin&apos;s rule had long-lasting effects on the features that characterized the Soviet state from the era of his rule to its collapse in 1991�though Maoists, anti-revisionists and some others say he was actually the last legitimate Socialist leader in the Soviet Union&apos;s history. Stalin claimed his policies were based on Marxism-Leninism; they are now often considered to represent a political and economic system called Stalinism. Stalin replaced the New Economic Policy (NEP) of the 1920s with Five-Year Plans in 1928 and collective farming at roughly the same time. The Soviet Union was transformed from a predominantly peasant society to a major world industrial power by the end of the 1930s.[7][8][9] Confiscations of grain and other food by the Soviet authorities under his orders contributed to a famine between 1932 and 1934, especially in the key agricultural regions of the Soviet Union, Ukraine (see Holodomor), Kazakhstan and North Caucasus that resulted in millions of deaths. Many peasants resisted collectivization and grain confiscations, but were repressed, most notably well-off peasants deemed &quot;kulaks.&quot;[4] Bearing the brunt of the Nazis&apos; attacks (around 75% of the Wehrmacht&apos;s forces), the Soviet Union under Stalin made the largest and most decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II (known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War, 1941�45). After the war, Stalin established the USSR as one of the two major superpowers in the world, a position it maintained for nearly four decades following his death in 1953. Stalin&apos;s rule - reinforced by a cult of personality - fought real and alleged opponents mainly through the security apparatus, such as the NKVD. Millions of people were killed through famines, executions, deportations, and in the Gulag. Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin&apos;s henchman and eventual successor, denounced Stalin&apos;s rule and the cult of personality in 1956, initiating the process of &quot;de-Stalinization&quot; which later became part of the Sino-Soviet Split. Number of victims Early researchers of the number killed by Stalin&apos;s regime were forced to rely largely upon anecdotal evidence, and their estimates range from a low of 3 million to as high as 60 million.[15][25] But with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, evidence from the Soviet archives finally became available. The government archives record that about 800,000 prisoners were executed (for either political or criminal offences) under Stalin, while another 1.7 million died of privation[citation needed] or other causes in the Gulags and some 389,000 perished during kulak resettlement - a total of about 3 million victims. Debate continues however[16], since some historians believe the archival figures to be unreliable.[26] Also, it is generally agreed that the data are incomplete, since some categories of victim were carelessly recorded by the Soviets - such as the victims of ethnic deportations, or of German population transfer in the aftermath of WWII. Thus, while some archival researchers have posited the number of victims of Stalin&apos;s repressions to be no more than about 4 million in total [17][18][19], others believe the number to be considerably higher. Russian writer Vadim Erlikman,[27] for example, has made the following estimations: Executions 1.5 million, Gulag 5 million, Deportations 1.7 million (out of 7.5 million deported), and POW&apos;s and German civilians 1 million, for a total of about 9 million victims of repression. Some have also included the 6 to 8 million victims of the 1932-33 famine.[20][28][29] In this case, historians differ as to whether the famine was deliberate - as part of the campaign of repression against kulaks - or simply an unintended consequence of the struggle over forced collectivization. (See also: Holodomor). Regardless, it appears that a minimum of around 10 million surplus deaths (4 million by repression and 6 million from famine) are attributable to the regime, with a number of recent books suggesting a probable figure of somewhere between 15 to 20 million. Adding 6-8 million famine victims to Erlikman&apos;s estimates above, for example, would yield a figure of between 15 and 17 million victims. Pioneering researcher Robert Conquest,[30] meanwhile, has revised his original estimate of up to 30 million victims down to 20 million. Others, however, continue to maintain that their earlier much higher estimates are correct.[31] On March 1, 1953, after an all-night dinner with interior minister Lavrenty Beria and future premiers Georgi Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin did not emerge from his room the next day, having probably suffered a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body. Although his guards thought it odd that he did not rise at his usual time, the next day they were under orders not to disturb him and he was not discovered until that evening. He died four days later, on March 5, 1953, at the age of 74, and was buried on March 9. His daughter Svetlana recalls the scene as she stood by his death bed &quot;He suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a terrible glance. Then something incomprehensible and awesome happened. He suddenly lifted his left hand as though he were pointing to something above and bringing down a curse upon all of us. The next moment after a final effort the spirit wrenched its self free of the flesh.&quot; Officially, the cause of death was listed as a cerebral hemorrhage. His body was preserved in Lenin&apos;s Mausoleum until October 31, 1961, when his body was removed from the Mausoleum and buried next to the Kremlin walls as part of the process of de-Stalinization. It has been suggested that Stalin was assassinated. The ex-Communist exile Avtorkhanov argued this point as early as 1975. The political memoirs of Vyacheslav Molotov, published in 1993, claimed that Beria had boasted to Molotov that he poisoned Stalin: &quot;I took him out.&quot; Khrushchev wrote in his memoirs that Beria had, immediately after the stroke, gone about &quot;spewing hatred against [Stalin] and mocking him&quot;, and then, when Stalin showed signs of consciousness, dropped to his knees and kissed his hand. When Stalin fell unconscious again, Beria immediately stood and spat. In 2003, a joint group of Russian and American historians announced their view that Stalin ingested warfarin, a powerful rat poison that inhibits coagulation of the blood and so predisposes the victim to hemorrhagic stroke (cerebral hemorrhage). Since it is flavorless, warfarin is a plausible weapon of murder. The facts surrounding Stalin&apos;s death will probably never be known with certainty.[39] His demise arrived at a convenient time for Beria and others, who feared being swept away in yet another purge. It is believed that Stalin felt Beria&apos;s power was too great and threatened his own. Whether or not Beria or another usurper was directly responsible for his death, it is true that the politburo did not summon medical attention for Stalin for more than a day after he was found. Under Stalin&apos;s rule the Soviet Union was transformed from an agricultural nation into a global superpower at the cost of millions of lives. The USSR&apos;s industrialization was successful in that the country was able to defend against and eventually defeat the Axis invasion in World War II, though at an enormous cost in human life; and in 1957, four years after Stalin&apos;s death, to put into orbit the first ever artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. However, historian Robert Conquest and other Westerners claim that the USSR was bound for industrialization, and that its speed along this course was not necessarily improved by Bolshevik influence. It has also been argued that Stalin was partially responsible for the initial military disasters and enormous human causalities during WWII, because Stalin eliminated many military officers during the purges, and especially the most senior ones, and rejected the massive amounts of intelligence warning of the German attack.[24] While Stalin&apos;s social and economic policies laid the foundations for the USSR&apos;s emergence as a superpower, the harshness with which he conducted Soviet affairs was subsequently repudiated by his successors in the Communist Party leadership, notably in the denunciation of Stalinism by Nikita Khrushchev in February 1956. In his &quot;Secret Speech&quot;, On the Personality Cult and its Consequences, delivered to a closed session of the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev denounced Stalin for his cult of personality, and his regime for &quot;violation of Leninist norms of legality&quot;. However, his immediate successors preserved major elements of Stalin&apos;s rule, including the political monopoly of the Communist Party presiding over a command economy and a security service able to suppress dissent. The large-scale purges of Stalin&apos;s era were never repeated, but political repression continued, albeit on a lesser scale.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Stalin(1947).</media:title>
                <media:description>Born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: &amp;#4312;&amp;#4317;&amp;#4321;&amp;#4308;&amp;#4305; &amp;#4335;&amp;#4323;&amp;#4326;&amp;#4304;&amp;#4328;&amp;#430 9;&amp;#4312;&amp;#4314;&amp;#4312;; Russian: &amp;#1048;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1092; &amp;#1042;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1089;&amp;#1072;&amp;#108 8;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1085;&amp;#1086;&amp;#1074;&amp;#1 080;&amp;#1095; &amp;#1044;&amp;#1078;&amp;#1091;&amp;#1075;&amp;#1072;&amp;#109 6;&amp;#1074;&amp;#1080;&amp;#1083;&amp;#1080; [Iosif Vissarionovi&amp;#269; D�uga�vili]), Stalin became General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1922. Following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924, he prevailed in a power struggle over Leon Trotsky. In the 1930s Stalin initiated the Great Purge, a campaign of political repression, persecution and executions that reached its peak in 1937. Stalin&apos;s rule had long-lasting effects on the features that characterized the Soviet state from the era of his rule to its collapse in 1991�though Maoists, anti-revisionists and some others say he was actually the last legitimate Socialist leader in the Soviet Union&apos;s history. Stalin claimed his policies were based on Marxism-Leninism; they are now often considered to represent a political and economic system called Stalinism. Stalin replaced the New Economic Policy (NEP) of the 1920s with Five-Year Plans in 1928 and collective farming at roughly the same time. The Soviet Union was transformed from a predominantly peasant society to a major world industrial power by the end of the 1930s.[7][8][9] Confiscations of grain and other food by the Soviet authorities under his orders contributed to a famine between 1932 and 1934, especially in the key agricultural regions of the Soviet Union, Ukraine (see Holodomor), Kazakhstan and North Caucasus that resulted in millions of deaths. Many peasants resisted collectivization and grain confiscations, but were repressed, most notably well-off peasants deemed &quot;kulaks.&quot;[4] Bearing the brunt of the Nazis&apos; attacks (around 75% of the Wehrmacht&apos;s forces), the Soviet Union under Stalin made the largest and most decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II (known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War, 1941�45). After the war, Stalin established the USSR as one of the two major superpowers in the world, a position it maintained for nearly four decades following his death in 1953. Stalin&apos;s rule - reinforced by a cult of personality - fought real and alleged opponents mainly through the security apparatus, such as the NKVD. Millions of people were killed through famines, executions, deportations, and in the Gulag. Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin&apos;s henchman and eventual successor, denounced Stalin&apos;s rule and the cult of personality in 1956, initiating the process of &quot;de-Stalinization&quot; which later became part of the Sino-Soviet Split. Number of victims Early researchers of the number killed by Stalin&apos;s regime were forced to rely largely upon anecdotal evidence, and their estimates range from a low of 3 million to as high as 60 million.[15][25] But with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, evidence from the Soviet archives finally became available. The government archives record that about 800,000 prisoners were executed (for either political or criminal offences) under Stalin, while another 1.7 million died of privation[citation needed] or other causes in the Gulags and some 389,000 perished during kulak resettlement - a total of about 3 million victims. Debate continues however[16], since some historians believe the archival figures to be unreliable.[26] Also, it is generally agreed that the data are incomplete, since some categories of victim were carelessly recorded by the Soviets - such as the victims of ethnic deportations, or of German population transfer in the aftermath of WWII. Thus, while some archival researchers have posited the number of victims of Stalin&apos;s repressions to be no more than about 4 million in total [17][18][19], others believe the number to be considerably higher. Russian writer Vadim Erlikman,[27] for example, has made the following estimations: Executions 1.5 million, Gulag 5 million, Deportations 1.7 million (out of 7.5 million deported), and POW&apos;s and German civilians 1 million, for a total of about 9 million victims of repression. Some have also included the 6 to 8 million victims of the 1932-33 famine.[20][28][29] In this case, historians differ as to whether the famine was deliberate - as part of the campaign of repression against kulaks - or simply an unintended consequence of the struggle over forced collectivization. (See also: Holodomor). Regardless, it appears that a minimum of around 10 million surplus deaths (4 million by repression and 6 million from famine) are attributable to the regime, with a number of recent books suggesting a probable figure of somewhere between 15 to 20 million. Adding 6-8 million famine victims to Erlikman&apos;s estimates above, for example, would yield a figure of between 15 and 17 million victims. Pioneering researcher Robert Conquest,[30] meanwhile, has revised his original estimate of up to 30 million victims down to 20 million. Others, however, continue to maintain that their earlier much higher estimates are correct.[31] On March 1, 1953, after an all-night dinner with interior minister Lavrenty Beria and future premiers Georgi Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin did not emerge from his room the next day, having probably suffered a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body. Although his guards thought it odd that he did not rise at his usual time, the next day they were under orders not to disturb him and he was not discovered until that evening. He died four days later, on March 5, 1953, at the age of 74, and was buried on March 9. His daughter Svetlana recalls the scene as she stood by his death bed &quot;He suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a terrible glance. Then something incomprehensible and awesome happened. He suddenly lifted his left hand as though he were pointing to something above and bringing down a curse upon all of us. The next moment after a final effort the spirit wrenched its self free of the flesh.&quot; Officially, the cause of death was listed as a cerebral hemorrhage. His body was preserved in Lenin&apos;s Mausoleum until October 31, 1961, when his body was removed from the Mausoleum and buried next to the Kremlin walls as part of the process of de-Stalinization. It has been suggested that Stalin was assassinated. The ex-Communist exile Avtorkhanov argued this point as early as 1975. The political memoirs of Vyacheslav Molotov, published in 1993, claimed that Beria had boasted to Molotov that he poisoned Stalin: &quot;I took him out.&quot; Khrushchev wrote in his memoirs that Beria had, immediately after the stroke, gone about &quot;spewing hatred against [Stalin] and mocking him&quot;, and then, when Stalin showed signs of consciousness, dropped to his knees and kissed his hand. When Stalin fell unconscious again, Beria immediately stood and spat. In 2003, a joint group of Russian and American historians announced their view that Stalin ingested warfarin, a powerful rat poison that inhibits coagulation of the blood and so predisposes the victim to hemorrhagic stroke (cerebral hemorrhage). Since it is flavorless, warfarin is a plausible weapon of murder. The facts surrounding Stalin&apos;s death will probably never be known with certainty.[39] His demise arrived at a convenient time for Beria and others, who feared being swept away in yet another purge. It is believed that Stalin felt Beria&apos;s power was too great and threatened his own. Whether or not Beria or another usurper was directly responsible for his death, it is true that the politburo did not summon medical attention for Stalin for more than a day after he was found. Under Stalin&apos;s rule the Soviet Union was transformed from an agricultural nation into a global superpower at the cost of millions of lives. The USSR&apos;s industrialization was successful in that the country was able to defend against and eventually defeat the Axis invasion in World War II, though at an enormous cost in human life; and in 1957, four years after Stalin&apos;s death, to put into orbit the first ever artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. However, historian Robert Conquest and other Westerners claim that the USSR was bound for industrialization, and that its speed along this course was not necessarily improved by Bolshevik influence. It has also been argued that Stalin was partially responsible for the initial military disasters and enormous human causalities during WWII, because Stalin eliminated many military officers during the purges, and especially the most senior ones, and rejected the massive amounts of intelligence warning of the German attack.[24] While Stalin&apos;s social and economic policies laid the foundations for the USSR&apos;s emergence as a superpower, the harshness with which he conducted Soviet affairs was subsequently repudiated by his successors in the Communist Party leadership, notably in the denunciation of Stalinism by Nikita Khrushchev in February 1956. In his &quot;Secret Speech&quot;, On the Personality Cult and its Consequences, delivered to a closed session of the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev denounced Stalin for his cult of personality, and his regime for &quot;violation of Leninist norms of legality&quot;. However, his immediate successors preserved major elements of Stalin&apos;s rule, including the political monopoly of the Communist Party presiding over a command economy and a security service able to suppress dissent. The large-scale purges of Stalin&apos;s era were never repeated, but political repression continued, albeit on a lesser scale.</media:description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:10 MST</pubDate>
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            <title>Dzerjinsky.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Dzerjinsky. - 05-Dzerjinsky.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dzerzhinsky was born into a Polish szlachta family in Dziarzhynava estate near Ivianets and Rakau in Western Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire. He was expelled from school in Vilnius for &quot;revolutionary activity&quot;. He joined a Marxist group�the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party in 1895, and was one of the founders of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania in 1900. He spent the major part of his early life in various prisons. He was arrested for his revolutionary activities in 1897 and 1900, sent to Siberia, and escaped both times. He then went to Berlin, before returning to participate in the failed 1905 revolution, after which he was again jailed, this time by the Okhrana. After being released in 1912, he was quickly rearrested for revolutionary activity and jailed in Moscow. In March, 1917, he was released (although Pravda usually asserts that he escaped, and indeed the facts are uncertain), along with many others, from the jail he had been imprisoned in since 1912. His first act was to join the Bolshevik Party. His honest and incorruptible character, combined with his complete devotion to the cause, gained him swift recognition and the nickname Iron Felix. Lenin regarded Dzerzhinsky as a revolutionary hero, and appointed him to organize a force to combat internal political threats. On December 20, 1917, the Council of People&apos;s Commissars officially established the Vecheka (&amp;#1042;&amp;#1063;&amp;#1050;), a Russian acronym for the All-Russia Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-revolution and Sabotage. The Cheka received a large amount of resources, and became known for ruthlessly pursuing any perceived counterrevolutionary elements. As the Russian Civil War expanded, Dzerzhinsky also began organising internal security troops to enforce the Cheka&apos;s authority. Lenin gave the organization tremendous powers to combat the opposition. At the end of the Civil War in 1922, the Cheka was changed into the GPU (State Political Directorate), a section of the NKVD, but this did not diminish Dzerzhinsky&apos;s power: from 1921-24, he was Minister of the Interior, head of the Cheka/GPU/OGPU, Minister for Communications, and head of the Vesenkha (Supreme Council of National Economy). Dzerzhinsky died of a heart attack on July 20, 1926 in Moscow. His name and image were widely used throughout the KGB and the Soviet Union� and her satellite states: there were six towns named after him. There is a museum dedicated to him in his birth place in Belarus. The town Kojdanava, which is not very far from the estate, was renamed to Dzyarzhynsk. There is also a city of Dzerzhinsk and three cities called Dzerzhinskiy in Russia and two cities in Ukraine called Dzerzhinsk.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/05-Dzerjinsky.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/05-Dzerjinsky.jpg">
                <media:title>Dzerjinsky.</media:title>
                <media:description>Dzerzhinsky was born into a Polish szlachta family in Dziarzhynava estate near Ivianets and Rakau in Western Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire. He was expelled from school in Vilnius for &quot;revolutionary activity&quot;. He joined a Marxist group�the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party in 1895, and was one of the founders of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania in 1900. He spent the major part of his early life in various prisons. He was arrested for his revolutionary activities in 1897 and 1900, sent to Siberia, and escaped both times. He then went to Berlin, before returning to participate in the failed 1905 revolution, after which he was again jailed, this time by the Okhrana. After being released in 1912, he was quickly rearrested for revolutionary activity and jailed in Moscow. In March, 1917, he was released (although Pravda usually asserts that he escaped, and indeed the facts are uncertain), along with many others, from the jail he had been imprisoned in since 1912. His first act was to join the Bolshevik Party. His honest and incorruptible character, combined with his complete devotion to the cause, gained him swift recognition and the nickname Iron Felix. Lenin regarded Dzerzhinsky as a revolutionary hero, and appointed him to organize a force to combat internal political threats. On December 20, 1917, the Council of People&apos;s Commissars officially established the Vecheka (&amp;#1042;&amp;#1063;&amp;#1050;), a Russian acronym for the All-Russia Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-revolution and Sabotage. The Cheka received a large amount of resources, and became known for ruthlessly pursuing any perceived counterrevolutionary elements. As the Russian Civil War expanded, Dzerzhinsky also began organising internal security troops to enforce the Cheka&apos;s authority. Lenin gave the organization tremendous powers to combat the opposition. At the end of the Civil War in 1922, the Cheka was changed into the GPU (State Political Directorate), a section of the NKVD, but this did not diminish Dzerzhinsky&apos;s power: from 1921-24, he was Minister of the Interior, head of the Cheka/GPU/OGPU, Minister for Communications, and head of the Vesenkha (Supreme Council of National Economy). Dzerzhinsky died of a heart attack on July 20, 1926 in Moscow. His name and image were widely used throughout the KGB and the Soviet Union� and her satellite states: there were six towns named after him. There is a museum dedicated to him in his birth place in Belarus. The town Kojdanava, which is not very far from the estate, was renamed to Dzyarzhynsk. There is also a city of Dzerzhinsk and three cities called Dzerzhinskiy in Russia and two cities in Ukraine called Dzerzhinsk.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_05-Dzerjinsky.jpg" />
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:07 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Chairman Mao.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=06-ChairmanMao.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=06-ChairmanMao.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;06-ChairmanMao.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_06-ChairmanMao.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;06-ChairmanMao.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Chairman Mao. - 06-ChairmanMao.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mao Zedong (help�info) (December 26, 1893 � September 9, 1976) (also Mao Tse-Tung in Wade-Giles transliteration) was a Chinese Marxist military and political leader and writer, who led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against the Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War, leading to the establishment of the People�s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. He was also an esteemed poet and a calligrapher. Regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history [1], Mao is still a controversial figure today, thirty years after his death. He has supporters both inside and outside China, who regard Mao as a great revolutionary leader whose thought is the highest expression of Marxism. Supporters within China consider Mao as a successful military and political leader who led the rise of China. However, Mao&apos;s policies are blamed by critics for causing severe damage to the culture, society, economy and foreign relations of China, as well as the deaths of millions of Chinese,[2] although some historians debate the degree to which Mao can personally be held responsible. Major socio-political programmes, such as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution, were promoted as fulfilling the ideal of a strong, prosperous and socially egalitarian China, but are largely regarded as failures. Although officially held in high regard in China, he is seldom mentioned by the Chinese government, whose policies have diverged greatly from those of Mao, and his influence on it has greatly diminished since his death. Political ideas Main article: Maoism Mao was introduced to Marxism in Beijing, before he married Yang Kaihui. &quot;There were three books that left great impressions on my mind,&quot; Mao recollected, &quot;They helped build up my solid faith in Marxism.&quot;[citation needed] Among the three important books was The Communist Manifesto. Mao became a Marxist gradually. During the year 1920 in Hunan, Mao contributed a number of essays to newspapers advocating the autonomy of Hunan Province. He firmly believed that provincial autonomy was a prerequisite to local prosperity and that local prosperity would lead to a stronger and more prosperous China. In 1920, Mao also developed his theory of violent revolution. His theory was inspired by the Russian revolution and was likely influenced by the Chinese literary works: Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Mao sought to subvert the alliance of imperialism and feudalism in China. He thought the Nationalists to be both economically and politically vulnerable and thus that the revolution could not be steered by Nationalists. He concluded that violent revolution must be conducted by the proletariat under the supervision of a Communist party. Throughout the 1920s, Mao led several labor struggles based upon his studies of the propagation and organization of the contemporary labor movements. However, these struggles were successfully subdued by the government, and Mao fled from Changsha after he was labeled a radical activist. He pondered these failures and finally realized that 1) industrial workers were unable to lead the revolution because they made up only a small portion of China&apos;s population and 2) unarmed labor struggles could not resolve the problems of imperial and feudal suppression. Mao began to depend on Chinese peasants who later became staunch supporters of his theory of violent revolution. This dependence on the rural rather than the urban proletariat to instigate violent revolution distinguished Mao from his predecessors and contemporaries. Mao himself was from a peasant family, and thus he cultivated his reputation among the farmers and peasants and introduced them to Marxism. Unlike early Marxists, Mao did not wish to spread communism throughout the world and maintained an isolationist foreign policy, especially after the Sino-Soviet split. Cult of Mao The caption on the poster reads: &quot;The People&apos;s Liberation Army is A School of Mao Zedong Thought&quot;.A personality cult developed around Mao. Mao presented himself as an enemy of landowners, businessmen, and Western and American imperialism, as well as an ally of impoverished peasants, farmers and workers. Mao said the following about cults at the 1958 Party congress in Chengdu, where he expressed support for the idea of personality cults � even ones like Stalin&apos;s: � There are two kinds of personality cults. One is a healthy personality cult, that is, to worship men like Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin. Because they hold the truth in their hands. The other is a false personality cult, i.e. not analysed and blind worship. � In 1962, Mao proposed the Socialist Education Movement (SEM) in an attempt to &quot;protect&quot; the peasants against the temptations of feudalism and the sprouts of capitalism that he saw re-emerging in the countryside (due to Liu&apos;s economic reforms). Large quantities of politicised art were produced and circulated � with Mao at the centre. Numerous posters and musical compositions referred to Mao as &quot;A red sun in the centre of our hearts&quot; (&amp;#25105;&amp;#20204;&amp;#24515;&amp;#20013;&amp;#30340 ;&amp;#32418;&amp;#22826;&amp;#38451;) and a &quot;Savior of the people&quot; (&amp;#20154;&amp;#27665;&amp;#30340;&amp;#22823;&amp;#25937 ;&amp;#26143;). The Cult of Mao proved vital in starting the Cultural Revolution. China&apos;s youth had mostly been brought up during the Communist era, and they had been told to love Mao. Thus they were his greatest supporters. Their feelings for him were so strong that many followed his urge to challenge all established authority. In October 1966, Mao&apos;s Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, which was known as the Little Red Book was published. Party members were encouraged to carry a copy with them and possession was almost mandatory as a criterion for membership. Over the years, Mao&apos;s image became displayed almost everywhere, present in homes, offices and shops. His quotations were typographically emphasised by putting them in boldface or red type in even the most obscure writings. After the Cultural Revolution, there are some people who still worship Mao in family altars or even temples for Mao.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/06-ChairmanMao.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/06-ChairmanMao.jpg">
                <media:title>Chairman Mao.</media:title>
                <media:description>Mao Zedong (help�info) (December 26, 1893 � September 9, 1976) (also Mao Tse-Tung in Wade-Giles transliteration) was a Chinese Marxist military and political leader and writer, who led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against the Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War, leading to the establishment of the People�s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. He was also an esteemed poet and a calligrapher. Regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history [1], Mao is still a controversial figure today, thirty years after his death. He has supporters both inside and outside China, who regard Mao as a great revolutionary leader whose thought is the highest expression of Marxism. Supporters within China consider Mao as a successful military and political leader who led the rise of China. However, Mao&apos;s policies are blamed by critics for causing severe damage to the culture, society, economy and foreign relations of China, as well as the deaths of millions of Chinese,[2] although some historians debate the degree to which Mao can personally be held responsible. Major socio-political programmes, such as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution, were promoted as fulfilling the ideal of a strong, prosperous and socially egalitarian China, but are largely regarded as failures. Although officially held in high regard in China, he is seldom mentioned by the Chinese government, whose policies have diverged greatly from those of Mao, and his influence on it has greatly diminished since his death. Political ideas Main article: Maoism Mao was introduced to Marxism in Beijing, before he married Yang Kaihui. &quot;There were three books that left great impressions on my mind,&quot; Mao recollected, &quot;They helped build up my solid faith in Marxism.&quot;[citation needed] Among the three important books was The Communist Manifesto. Mao became a Marxist gradually. During the year 1920 in Hunan, Mao contributed a number of essays to newspapers advocating the autonomy of Hunan Province. He firmly believed that provincial autonomy was a prerequisite to local prosperity and that local prosperity would lead to a stronger and more prosperous China. In 1920, Mao also developed his theory of violent revolution. His theory was inspired by the Russian revolution and was likely influenced by the Chinese literary works: Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Mao sought to subvert the alliance of imperialism and feudalism in China. He thought the Nationalists to be both economically and politically vulnerable and thus that the revolution could not be steered by Nationalists. He concluded that violent revolution must be conducted by the proletariat under the supervision of a Communist party. Throughout the 1920s, Mao led several labor struggles based upon his studies of the propagation and organization of the contemporary labor movements. However, these struggles were successfully subdued by the government, and Mao fled from Changsha after he was labeled a radical activist. He pondered these failures and finally realized that 1) industrial workers were unable to lead the revolution because they made up only a small portion of China&apos;s population and 2) unarmed labor struggles could not resolve the problems of imperial and feudal suppression. Mao began to depend on Chinese peasants who later became staunch supporters of his theory of violent revolution. This dependence on the rural rather than the urban proletariat to instigate violent revolution distinguished Mao from his predecessors and contemporaries. Mao himself was from a peasant family, and thus he cultivated his reputation among the farmers and peasants and introduced them to Marxism. Unlike early Marxists, Mao did not wish to spread communism throughout the world and maintained an isolationist foreign policy, especially after the Sino-Soviet split. Cult of Mao The caption on the poster reads: &quot;The People&apos;s Liberation Army is A School of Mao Zedong Thought&quot;.A personality cult developed around Mao. Mao presented himself as an enemy of landowners, businessmen, and Western and American imperialism, as well as an ally of impoverished peasants, farmers and workers. Mao said the following about cults at the 1958 Party congress in Chengdu, where he expressed support for the idea of personality cults � even ones like Stalin&apos;s: � There are two kinds of personality cults. One is a healthy personality cult, that is, to worship men like Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin. Because they hold the truth in their hands. The other is a false personality cult, i.e. not analysed and blind worship. � In 1962, Mao proposed the Socialist Education Movement (SEM) in an attempt to &quot;protect&quot; the peasants against the temptations of feudalism and the sprouts of capitalism that he saw re-emerging in the countryside (due to Liu&apos;s economic reforms). Large quantities of politicised art were produced and circulated � with Mao at the centre. Numerous posters and musical compositions referred to Mao as &quot;A red sun in the centre of our hearts&quot; (&amp;#25105;&amp;#20204;&amp;#24515;&amp;#20013;&amp;#30340 ;&amp;#32418;&amp;#22826;&amp;#38451;) and a &quot;Savior of the people&quot; (&amp;#20154;&amp;#27665;&amp;#30340;&amp;#22823;&amp;#25937 ;&amp;#26143;). The Cult of Mao proved vital in starting the Cultural Revolution. China&apos;s youth had mostly been brought up during the Communist era, and they had been told to love Mao. Thus they were his greatest supporters. Their feelings for him were so strong that many followed his urge to challenge all established authority. In October 1966, Mao&apos;s Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, which was known as the Little Red Book was published. Party members were encouraged to carry a copy with them and possession was almost mandatory as a criterion for membership. Over the years, Mao&apos;s image became displayed almost everywhere, present in homes, offices and shops. His quotations were typographically emphasised by putting them in boldface or red type in even the most obscure writings. After the Cultural Revolution, there are some people who still worship Mao in family altars or even temples for Mao.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_06-ChairmanMao.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:03 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Churchill.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=07-Churchill.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=07-Churchill.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;07-Churchill.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_07-Churchill.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;07-Churchill.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Churchill. - 07-Churchill.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 � 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Well-known as an orator, strategist, and politician, Churchill was one of the most important leaders in modern British and world history. He won the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature for his many books on English and world history. Sir Winston Churchill was voted the greatest-ever Briton in the 2002 BBC poll the 100 Greatest Britons.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/07-Churchill.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/07-Churchill.jpg">
                <media:title>Churchill.</media:title>
                <media:description>Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 � 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Well-known as an orator, strategist, and politician, Churchill was one of the most important leaders in modern British and world history. He won the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature for his many books on English and world history. Sir Winston Churchill was voted the greatest-ever Briton in the 2002 BBC poll the 100 Greatest Britons.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_07-Churchill.jpg" />
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:09:01 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Benito Mussolini.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=08-Mussolini.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=08-Mussolini.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;08-Mussolini.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_08-Mussolini.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;08-Mussolini.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Benito Mussolini. - 08-Mussolini.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Benito Mussolini BENITO MUSSOLINI, (1883-1945), Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He centralized all power in himself as the leader (il duce) of the Fascist party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with HITLER&apos;s Germany. The defeat of Italian arms in WORLD WAR II brought an end to his imperial dream and led to his downfall. Birth of Fascism In November 1914 he founded a new paper, Il Popolo d&apos;Italia, and the prowar group Fasci d&apos;Azione Rivoluzionaria. He evidently hoped the war might lead to a collapse of society that would bring him to power. Called up for military service, he was wounded in grenade practice in 1917 and returned to edit his paper. Fascism became an organized political movement in March 1919 when Mussolini founded the Fasci de Combattimento. After failing in the 1919 elections, Mussolini at last entered parliament in 1921 as a right-wing member. The Fascisti formed armed squads to terrorize Mussolini&apos;s former Socialist colleagues. The government seldom interfered. In return for the support of a group of industrialists and agrarians, Mussolini gave his approval to strikebreaking, and he abandoned revolutionary agitation. When the liberal governments of Giovanni Giolitti, Ivanoe Bonomi, and Luigi Facta failed to stop the spread of anarchy, Mussolini was invited by the king in October 1922 to form a government. Fascist Dictatorship At first he was supported by the Liberals in parliament. With their help he introduced strict censorship and altered the methods of election so that in 1925-1926 he was able to assume dictatorial powers and dissolve all other political parties. Skillfully using his absolute control over the press, he gradually built up the legend of the &quot;Duce, a man who was always right and could solve all the problems of politics and economics. Italy was soon a police state. With those who tried to resist him, for example the Socialist Giacomo Matteotti, he showed himself utterly ruthless. But Mussolini&apos;s skill in propaganda was such that he had surprisingly little opposition. At various times after 1922, Mussolini personally took over the ministries of the interior, of foreign affairs, of the colonies, of the corporations, of the army and the other armed services, and of public works. Sometimes he held as many as seven departments simultaneously, as well as the premiership. He was also head of the all-powerful Fascist party (formed in 1921) and the armed Fascist militia. In this way he succeeded in keeping power in his own hands and preventing the emergence of any rival. But it was at the price of creating a regime that was overcentralized, inefficient, and corrupt. Most of his time was spent on propaganda, whether at home or abroad, and here his training as a journalist was invaluable. Press, radio, education, films--all were carefully supervised to manufacture the illusion that fascism was &quot;the doctrine of the 20th century that was replacing liberalism and democracy. The principles of this doctrine were laid down in the article on fascism, reputedly written by himself, that appeared in 1932 in the Enciclopedia Italiana. In 1929 a concordat with the Vatican was signed, by which the Italian state was at last recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Under the dictatorship the parliamentary system was virtually abolished. The law codes were rewritten. All teachers in schools and universities had to swear an oath to defend the Fascist regime. Newspaper editors were all personally chosen by Mussolini himself, and no one could practice journalism who did not possess a certificate of approval from the Fascist party. The trade unions were also deprived of any independence and were integrated into what was called the &quot;corporative system. The aim (never completely achieved) was to place all Italians in various professional organizations or &quot;corporations, all of them under governmental control. Mussolini played up to his financial backers at first by transferring a number of industries from public to private ownership. But by the 1930&apos;s he had begun moving back to the opposite extreme of rigid governmental control of industry. A great deal of money was spent on public works. But the economy suffered from his exaggerated attempt to make Italy self-sufficient. There was too much concentration on heavy industry, for which Italy lacked the resources. Military Aggression In foreign policy, Mussolini soon shifted from pacifist anti-imperialism to an extreme form of aggressive nationalism. An early example of this was his bombardment of Corfu in 1923. Soon after this he succeeded in setting up a puppet regime in Albania and in reconquering Libya. It was his dream to make the Mediterranean &quot;mare nostrum (&quot;our sea). In 1935, at the Stresa Conference, he helped create an anti-Hitler front in order to defend the independence of Austria. But his successful war against Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935-1936 was opposed by the League of Nations, and he was forced to seek an alliance with Nazi Germany, which had withdrawn from the League in 1933. His active intervention in 1936-1939 on the side of Gen. Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War ended any possibility of reconciliation with France and Britain. As a result, he had to accept the German annexation of Austria in 1938 and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1939. At the Munich Conference in September 1938 he posed as a moderate working for European peace. But his &quot;axis with Germany was confirmed when he made the Pact of Steel with Hitler in May 1939. Clearly the subordinate partner, Mussolini followed the Nazis in adopting a racial policy that led to persecution of the Jews and the creation of apartheid in the Italian empire. As World War II approached, Mussolini announced his intention of annexing Malta, Corsica, and Tunis. In April 1939, after a brief war, he occupied Albania. Failing to realize that he had more to gain by trying to hold the balance of power in Europe, he preferred to rely on a policy of bluff and bluster to induce the Western democracies to give way to his increasing territorial demands. Although he had preached for 15 years about the virtues of war and the military readiness of Italy to fight, his armed forces were completely unprepared when Hitler&apos;s invasion of Poland led to World War II. He decided to remain &quot;nonbelligerent until he was quite certain which side would win. Only after the fall of France did he declare war in June 1940, hoping that the war had only a few weeks more to run. His attack on Greece in October revealed to everyone that he had done nothing to prepare an effective military machine. He had no option but to follow Hitler in declaring war on Russia in June 1941 and on the United States in December 1941. Following Italian defeats on all fronts and the Anglo-American landing in Sicily in 1943, most of Mussolini&apos;s colleagues turned against him at a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council on July 25, 1943. This enabled the king to dismiss and arrest him. Rescued by the Germans several months later, Mussolini set up a Republican Fascist state in northern Italy. But he was little more than a puppet under the protection of the German Army. In this &quot;Republic of Salo, Mussolini returned to his earlier ideas of socialism and collectivization. He also executed some of the Fascist leaders who had abandoned him, including his son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano. Increasingly he tried to shift the blame for defeat onto the Italian people, who had not been great enough to appreciate his imperial dream. In April 1945, just before the Allied armies reached Milan, Mussolini, along with his mistress Clara Petacci, was caught by Italian partisans as he tried to take refuge in Switzerland. He was summarily executed. The Duce was survived by his wife, Rachele, by two sons, Vittorio and Romano, and his daughter Edda, the widow of Count Ciano. A third son, Bruno, had been killed in an air accident.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Benito Mussolini.</media:title>
                <media:description>Benito Mussolini BENITO MUSSOLINI, (1883-1945), Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He centralized all power in himself as the leader (il duce) of the Fascist party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with HITLER&apos;s Germany. The defeat of Italian arms in WORLD WAR II brought an end to his imperial dream and led to his downfall. Birth of Fascism In November 1914 he founded a new paper, Il Popolo d&apos;Italia, and the prowar group Fasci d&apos;Azione Rivoluzionaria. He evidently hoped the war might lead to a collapse of society that would bring him to power. Called up for military service, he was wounded in grenade practice in 1917 and returned to edit his paper. Fascism became an organized political movement in March 1919 when Mussolini founded the Fasci de Combattimento. After failing in the 1919 elections, Mussolini at last entered parliament in 1921 as a right-wing member. The Fascisti formed armed squads to terrorize Mussolini&apos;s former Socialist colleagues. The government seldom interfered. In return for the support of a group of industrialists and agrarians, Mussolini gave his approval to strikebreaking, and he abandoned revolutionary agitation. When the liberal governments of Giovanni Giolitti, Ivanoe Bonomi, and Luigi Facta failed to stop the spread of anarchy, Mussolini was invited by the king in October 1922 to form a government. Fascist Dictatorship At first he was supported by the Liberals in parliament. With their help he introduced strict censorship and altered the methods of election so that in 1925-1926 he was able to assume dictatorial powers and dissolve all other political parties. Skillfully using his absolute control over the press, he gradually built up the legend of the &quot;Duce, a man who was always right and could solve all the problems of politics and economics. Italy was soon a police state. With those who tried to resist him, for example the Socialist Giacomo Matteotti, he showed himself utterly ruthless. But Mussolini&apos;s skill in propaganda was such that he had surprisingly little opposition. At various times after 1922, Mussolini personally took over the ministries of the interior, of foreign affairs, of the colonies, of the corporations, of the army and the other armed services, and of public works. Sometimes he held as many as seven departments simultaneously, as well as the premiership. He was also head of the all-powerful Fascist party (formed in 1921) and the armed Fascist militia. In this way he succeeded in keeping power in his own hands and preventing the emergence of any rival. But it was at the price of creating a regime that was overcentralized, inefficient, and corrupt. Most of his time was spent on propaganda, whether at home or abroad, and here his training as a journalist was invaluable. Press, radio, education, films--all were carefully supervised to manufacture the illusion that fascism was &quot;the doctrine of the 20th century that was replacing liberalism and democracy. The principles of this doctrine were laid down in the article on fascism, reputedly written by himself, that appeared in 1932 in the Enciclopedia Italiana. In 1929 a concordat with the Vatican was signed, by which the Italian state was at last recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Under the dictatorship the parliamentary system was virtually abolished. The law codes were rewritten. All teachers in schools and universities had to swear an oath to defend the Fascist regime. Newspaper editors were all personally chosen by Mussolini himself, and no one could practice journalism who did not possess a certificate of approval from the Fascist party. The trade unions were also deprived of any independence and were integrated into what was called the &quot;corporative system. The aim (never completely achieved) was to place all Italians in various professional organizations or &quot;corporations, all of them under governmental control. Mussolini played up to his financial backers at first by transferring a number of industries from public to private ownership. But by the 1930&apos;s he had begun moving back to the opposite extreme of rigid governmental control of industry. A great deal of money was spent on public works. But the economy suffered from his exaggerated attempt to make Italy self-sufficient. There was too much concentration on heavy industry, for which Italy lacked the resources. Military Aggression In foreign policy, Mussolini soon shifted from pacifist anti-imperialism to an extreme form of aggressive nationalism. An early example of this was his bombardment of Corfu in 1923. Soon after this he succeeded in setting up a puppet regime in Albania and in reconquering Libya. It was his dream to make the Mediterranean &quot;mare nostrum (&quot;our sea). In 1935, at the Stresa Conference, he helped create an anti-Hitler front in order to defend the independence of Austria. But his successful war against Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935-1936 was opposed by the League of Nations, and he was forced to seek an alliance with Nazi Germany, which had withdrawn from the League in 1933. His active intervention in 1936-1939 on the side of Gen. Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War ended any possibility of reconciliation with France and Britain. As a result, he had to accept the German annexation of Austria in 1938 and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1939. At the Munich Conference in September 1938 he posed as a moderate working for European peace. But his &quot;axis with Germany was confirmed when he made the Pact of Steel with Hitler in May 1939. Clearly the subordinate partner, Mussolini followed the Nazis in adopting a racial policy that led to persecution of the Jews and the creation of apartheid in the Italian empire. As World War II approached, Mussolini announced his intention of annexing Malta, Corsica, and Tunis. In April 1939, after a brief war, he occupied Albania. Failing to realize that he had more to gain by trying to hold the balance of power in Europe, he preferred to rely on a policy of bluff and bluster to induce the Western democracies to give way to his increasing territorial demands. Although he had preached for 15 years about the virtues of war and the military readiness of Italy to fight, his armed forces were completely unprepared when Hitler&apos;s invasion of Poland led to World War II. He decided to remain &quot;nonbelligerent until he was quite certain which side would win. Only after the fall of France did he declare war in June 1940, hoping that the war had only a few weeks more to run. His attack on Greece in October revealed to everyone that he had done nothing to prepare an effective military machine. He had no option but to follow Hitler in declaring war on Russia in June 1941 and on the United States in December 1941. Following Italian defeats on all fronts and the Anglo-American landing in Sicily in 1943, most of Mussolini&apos;s colleagues turned against him at a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council on July 25, 1943. This enabled the king to dismiss and arrest him. Rescued by the Germans several months later, Mussolini set up a Republican Fascist state in northern Italy. But he was little more than a puppet under the protection of the German Army. In this &quot;Republic of Salo, Mussolini returned to his earlier ideas of socialism and collectivization. He also executed some of the Fascist leaders who had abandoned him, including his son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano. Increasingly he tried to shift the blame for defeat onto the Italian people, who had not been great enough to appreciate his imperial dream. In April 1945, just before the Allied armies reached Milan, Mussolini, along with his mistress Clara Petacci, was caught by Italian partisans as he tried to take refuge in Switzerland. He was summarily executed. The Duce was survived by his wife, Rachele, by two sons, Vittorio and Romano, and his daughter Edda, the widow of Count Ciano. A third son, Bruno, had been killed in an air accident.</media:description>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:58 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>General Frabco.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=09-General09-Franco.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=09-General09-Franco.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;09-General09-Franco.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_09-General09-Franco.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;09-General09-Franco.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;General Frabco. - 09-General09-Franco.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;General Franco was born in 1892 and he died in 1975. Franco is the man most linked to the army�s victory in the Spanish Civil War. Franco had been born into a military family. From 1907 to 1910, he was educated at Toledo Infantry Academy and he served in Spanish Morocco from 1910 to 1927. He made a name for himself leading attacks against Moroccan nationalists and in 1927 was promoted to full general and made principal of Saragossa Military Academy. He stayed out of politics until he was ordered to put down a strike by coal miners in the Asturias. Here, the miners had created a soviet � a word that struck fear into many western Europeans. Franco suppressed the coal strike with efficiency but very ruthlessly. This one incident sealed his reputation for brutality though Franco saw it as he and his army simply carrying out an order to the best of his efficiency. By 1936, Franco was chief of staff for the military. In July 1936, Franco lead a revolt against the Popular Front. It started in the Canary Islands, where Franco was governor and spread to Morocco where he had made many contacts in the 17 years he was based there. In October 1936, Franco was appointed generalissimo of Nationalist Spain and head of state. This had the support of all those various factions on the right. In November 1936, Nazi Germany and Fascist Spain recognised Franco as the legitimate ruler of Spain. His government was recognised as legitimate by the French and the British in February 1939. In April 1939, America recognised Franco as head of Spain. Why did Britain, France and America recognise a man associated with brutality and right wing politics? First, the Nationalists had won the civil war by April 1939 when Madrid surrendered to Franco�s authority, so Franco as leader of Spain was a fait accompli. Second, the Popular Front was seen for right or wrong, as being associated with communism and the fear of this belief was still rampant in Europe. Franco was seen as the better bet of the two. In 1940, Franco declined Hitler�s request to join the Axis in World War Two. From 1939 on, Franco was a dictator. His rule was law. Franco�s Spain displayed all the usual characteristics of a right wing dictatorship. All opposition was ruthlessly dealt with; the nation had to endure the activities of a secret police force; all the aspects of politics that would have been taken for granted in Europe, such as fair elections and political opposition, were not tolerated in Franco�s Spain. In July 1947, a law was passed that made Franco head of state for life. Opposition did occur. Students protested about a lack of personal freedom. The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church also complained about his dictatorship and Basque separatists were a constant problem. Despite this, Franco was not a political pariah. In 1955, John Foster Dulles, America�s highly influential Secretary of State, visited him. During the Cold War, Franco was seen as a safe bet against any spread of communism in western Europe. When he died in November 1975, the monarchy was restored when Prince Juan Carlos became head of state, as Franco had decreed.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>General Frabco.</media:title>
                <media:description>General Franco was born in 1892 and he died in 1975. Franco is the man most linked to the army�s victory in the Spanish Civil War. Franco had been born into a military family. From 1907 to 1910, he was educated at Toledo Infantry Academy and he served in Spanish Morocco from 1910 to 1927. He made a name for himself leading attacks against Moroccan nationalists and in 1927 was promoted to full general and made principal of Saragossa Military Academy. He stayed out of politics until he was ordered to put down a strike by coal miners in the Asturias. Here, the miners had created a soviet � a word that struck fear into many western Europeans. Franco suppressed the coal strike with efficiency but very ruthlessly. This one incident sealed his reputation for brutality though Franco saw it as he and his army simply carrying out an order to the best of his efficiency. By 1936, Franco was chief of staff for the military. In July 1936, Franco lead a revolt against the Popular Front. It started in the Canary Islands, where Franco was governor and spread to Morocco where he had made many contacts in the 17 years he was based there. In October 1936, Franco was appointed generalissimo of Nationalist Spain and head of state. This had the support of all those various factions on the right. In November 1936, Nazi Germany and Fascist Spain recognised Franco as the legitimate ruler of Spain. His government was recognised as legitimate by the French and the British in February 1939. In April 1939, America recognised Franco as head of Spain. Why did Britain, France and America recognise a man associated with brutality and right wing politics? First, the Nationalists had won the civil war by April 1939 when Madrid surrendered to Franco�s authority, so Franco as leader of Spain was a fait accompli. Second, the Popular Front was seen for right or wrong, as being associated with communism and the fear of this belief was still rampant in Europe. Franco was seen as the better bet of the two. In 1940, Franco declined Hitler�s request to join the Axis in World War Two. From 1939 on, Franco was a dictator. His rule was law. Franco�s Spain displayed all the usual characteristics of a right wing dictatorship. All opposition was ruthlessly dealt with; the nation had to endure the activities of a secret police force; all the aspects of politics that would have been taken for granted in Europe, such as fair elections and political opposition, were not tolerated in Franco�s Spain. In July 1947, a law was passed that made Franco head of state for life. Opposition did occur. Students protested about a lack of personal freedom. The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church also complained about his dictatorship and Basque separatists were a constant problem. Despite this, Franco was not a political pariah. In 1955, John Foster Dulles, America�s highly influential Secretary of State, visited him. During the Cold War, Franco was seen as a safe bet against any spread of communism in western Europe. When he died in November 1975, the monarchy was restored when Prince Juan Carlos became head of state, as Franco had decreed.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_09-General09-Franco.jpg" />
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:56 MST</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Cesar Julius.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=11-CesarJulius.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=11-CesarJulius.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;11-CesarJulius.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_11-CesarJulius.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;11-CesarJulius.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Cesar Julius. - 11-CesarJulius.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julius Caesar Born: 13-Jul-100 BC Birthplace: Rome, Italy Died: 15-Mar-44 BC Location of death: Rome, Italy Cause of death: Assassination Gender: Male Religion: Pagan Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Bisexual Occupation: Head of State Nationality: Ancient Rome Executive summary: Roman Dictator 45 BC until 44 BC Military service: Roman Legion, Asia and Cilicia The great Roman soldier and statesman, born on the 12th of July 102 BC. His family was of patrician rank and traced a legendary descent from Iulus, the founder of Alba Longa, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus and Anchises. Caesar made the most of his divine ancestry and built a temple in his forum to Venus Genetrix; but his patrician descent was of little importance in politics and disqualified Caesar from holding the tribunate, an office to which, as a leader of the popular party, he would naturally have aspired. The Julii Caesares, however, had also acquired the new nobilitas, which belonged to holders of the great magistracies. Caesar&apos;s uncle was consul in 91 BC, and his father held the praetorship. Most of the family seem to have belonged to the senatorial party (optimates); but Caesar himself was from the first a popularis. The determining factor is no doubt to be sought in his relationship with Marius, the husband of his aunt Julia. Caesar was born in the year of Marius&apos;s first great victory over the Teutones, and as he grew up, inspired by the traditions of the great soldier&apos;s career, attached himself to his party and its fortunes. Of his education we know scarcely anything. His mother, Aurelia, belonged to a distinguished family, and the historian Tacitus couples her name with that of Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, as an example of the Roman matron whose disciplina and severitas formed her son for the duties of a soldier and statesman. His tutor was M. Antonius Gnipho, a native of Gaul (by which Cisalpine Gaul may be meant), who is said to have been equally learned in Greek and Latin literature, and to have set up in later years a school of rhetoric which was attended by Cicero in his praetorship 66 BC. It is possible that Caesar may have derived from him his interest in Gaul and its people and his sympathy with the claims of the Romanized Gauls of northern Italy to political rights. In his sixteenth year (87 BC) Caesar lost his father, and assumed the toga virilis as the token of manhood. The social war (90-89 BC) had been brought to a close by the enfranchisement of Rome&apos;s Italian subjects; and the civil war which followed it led, after the departure of Sulla for the East, to the temporary triumph of the populares, led by Marius and Cinna, and the indiscriminate massacre of their political opponents, including both of Caesar&apos;s uncles. Caesar was at once marked out for high distinction, being created flamen Dialis or priest of Jupiter. In the following year (which saw the death of Marius) Caesar, rejecting a proposed marriage with a wealthy capitalist&apos;s heiress, sought and obtained the hand of Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna, and thus became further identified with the ruling party. His career was soon after interrupted by the triumphant return of Sulla (82 BC), who ordered him to divorce his wife, and on his refusal deprived him of his property and priesthood and was induced to spare his life only by the intercession of his aristocratic relatives and the college of vestal virgins. Released from his religious obligations, Caesar now (81 BC) left Rome for the East and served his first campaign under Minucius Thermus, who was engaged in stamping out the embers of resistance to Roman rule in the province of Asia, and received from him the &quot;civic crown&quot; for saving a fellow soldier&apos;s life at the storm of Mytilene. In 78 BC he was serving under Servilius Isauricus against the Cilician pirates when the news of Sulla&apos;s death reached him and he at once returned to Rome. Refusing to entangle himself in the abortive and equivocal schemes of Lepidus to subvert the Sullan constitution, Caesar tookup the only instrument of political warfare left to the opposition by prosecuting two senatorial governors, Cn. Cornelius Dolabella (in 77 BC) and C. Antonius (in 76 BC) for extortion in the provinces of Macedonia and Greece, and though he lost both cases, probably convinced the world at large of the corruption of the senatorial tribunals. After these failures Caesar determined to take no active part in politics for a time, and retraced his steps to the East in order to study rhetoric under Molon, at Rhodes. On the journey there he was caught by pirates, whom he treated with consummate nonchalance while awaiting his ransom, threatening to return and crucify them; when released he lost no time in carrying out his threat. While he was studying at Rhodes the third Mithradatic War broke out, and Caesar at once raised a corps of volunteers and helped to secure the wavering loyalty of the provincials of Asia. When Lucullus assumed the command of the Roman troops in Asia, Caesar returned to Rome, to find that he had been elected to a seat on the college of pontifices left vacant by the death of his uncle, C. Aurelius Cotta. He was likewise elected first of the six tribuni militum a populo, but we hear nothing of his service in this capacity. Suetonius tells us that he threw himself into the agitation for the restoration of the ancient powers of the tribunate curtailed by Sulla, and that he secured the passing of a law of amnesty in favor of the partisans of Sertorius. He was not, however, destined to compass the downfall of the Sullan regime; the crisis of the Slave War placed the Senate at the mercy of Pompey and Crassus, who in 70 BC swept away the safeguards of senatorial ascendancy, restored the initiative in legislation to the tribunes, and replaced the Equestrian order, i.e. the capitalists, in partial possession of the jury courts. This judicial reform (or rather compromise) was the work of Caesar&apos;s uncle, L. Aurelius Cotta. Caesar himself, however, gained no accession of influence. In 69 BC he served as quaestor under Antistius Vetus, governor of Hither Spain, and on his way back to Rome (according to Suetonius) promoted a revolutionary agitation amongst the Transpadanes for the acquisition of full political rights, which had been denied them by Sulla&apos;s settlement. Caesar was now best known as a man of pleasure, celebrated for his debts and his intrigues; in politics he had no force behind him save that of the discredited party of the populares. Opposition reduced to lending a passive support to Pompey and Crassus. But as soon as the proved incompetence of the senatorial government had brought about the mission of Pompey to the East with the almost unlimited powers conferred on him by the Gabinian and Manilian laws of 67 and 66 BC, Caesar plunged into a network of political intrigues which it is no longer possible to unravel. In his public acts he lost no opportunity of upholding the democratic tradition. Already in 68 BC he had paraded the bust ofup the only instrument of political warfare left to the opposition by prosecuting two senatorial governors, Cn. Cornelius Dolabella (in 77 BC) and C. Antonius (in 76 BC) for extortion in the provinces of Macedonia and Greece, and though he lost both cases, probably convinced the world at large of the corruption of the senatorial tribunals. After these failures Caesar determined to take no active part in politics for a time, and retraced his steps to the East in order to study rhetoric under Molon, at Rhodes. On the journey there he was caught by pirates, whom he treated with consummate nonchalance while awaiting his ransom, threatening to return and crucify them; when released he lost no time in carrying out his threat. While he was studying at Rhodes the third Mithradatic War broke out, and Caesar at once raised a corps of volunteers and helped to secure the wavering loyalty of the provincials of Asia. When Lucullus assumed the command of the Roman troops in Asia, Caesar returned to Rome, to find that he had been elected to a seat on the college of pontifices left vacant by the death of his uncle, C. Aurelius Cotta. He was likewise elected first of the six tribuni militum a populo, but we hear nothing of his service in this capacity. Suetonius tells us that he threw himself into the agitation for the restoration of the ancient powers of the tribunate curtailed by Sulla, and that he secured the passing of a law of amnesty in favor of the partisans of Sertorius. He was not, however, destined to compass the downfall of the Sullan regime; the crisis of the Slave War placed the Senate at the mercy of Pompey and Crassus, who in 70 BC swept away the safeguards of senatorial ascendancy, restored the initiative in legislation to the tribunes, and replaced the Equestrian order, i.e. the capitalists, in partial possession of the jury courts. This judicial reform (or rather compromise) was the work of Caesar&apos;s uncle, L. Aurelius Cotta. Caesar himself, however, gained no accession of influence. In 69 BC he served as quaestor under Antistius Vetus, governor of Hither Spain, and on his way back to Rome (according to Suetonius) promoted a revolutionary agitation amongst the Transpadanes for the acquisition of full political rights, which had been denied them by Sulla&apos;s settlement. Caesar was now best known as a man of pleasure, celebrated for his debts and his intrigues; in politics he had no force behind him save that of the discredited party of the populares. Opposition reduced to lending a passive support to Pompey and Crassus. But as soon as the proved incompetence of the senatorial government had brought about the mission of Pompey to the East with the almost unlimited powers conferred on him by the Gabinian and Manilian laws of 67 and 66 BC, Caesar plunged into a network of political intrigues which it is no longer possible to unravel. In his public acts he lost no opportunity of upholding the democratic tradition. Already in 68 BC he had paraded the bust of&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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                <media:title>Cesar Julius.</media:title>
                <media:description>Julius Caesar Born: 13-Jul-100 BC Birthplace: Rome, Italy Died: 15-Mar-44 BC Location of death: Rome, Italy Cause of death: Assassination Gender: Male Religion: Pagan Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Bisexual Occupation: Head of State Nationality: Ancient Rome Executive summary: Roman Dictator 45 BC until 44 BC Military service: Roman Legion, Asia and Cilicia The great Roman soldier and statesman, born on the 12th of July 102 BC. His family was of patrician rank and traced a legendary descent from Iulus, the founder of Alba Longa, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus and Anchises. Caesar made the most of his divine ancestry and built a temple in his forum to Venus Genetrix; but his patrician descent was of little importance in politics and disqualified Caesar from holding the tribunate, an office to which, as a leader of the popular party, he would naturally have aspired. The Julii Caesares, however, had also acquired the new nobilitas, which belonged to holders of the great magistracies. Caesar&apos;s uncle was consul in 91 BC, and his father held the praetorship. Most of the family seem to have belonged to the senatorial party (optimates); but Caesar himself was from the first a popularis. The determining factor is no doubt to be sought in his relationship with Marius, the husband of his aunt Julia. Caesar was born in the year of Marius&apos;s first great victory over the Teutones, and as he grew up, inspired by the traditions of the great soldier&apos;s career, attached himself to his party and its fortunes. Of his education we know scarcely anything. His mother, Aurelia, belonged to a distinguished family, and the historian Tacitus couples her name with that of Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, as an example of the Roman matron whose disciplina and severitas formed her son for the duties of a soldier and statesman. His tutor was M. Antonius Gnipho, a native of Gaul (by which Cisalpine Gaul may be meant), who is said to have been equally learned in Greek and Latin literature, and to have set up in later years a school of rhetoric which was attended by Cicero in his praetorship 66 BC. It is possible that Caesar may have derived from him his interest in Gaul and its people and his sympathy with the claims of the Romanized Gauls of northern Italy to political rights. In his sixteenth year (87 BC) Caesar lost his father, and assumed the toga virilis as the token of manhood. The social war (90-89 BC) had been brought to a close by the enfranchisement of Rome&apos;s Italian subjects; and the civil war which followed it led, after the departure of Sulla for the East, to the temporary triumph of the populares, led by Marius and Cinna, and the indiscriminate massacre of their political opponents, including both of Caesar&apos;s uncles. Caesar was at once marked out for high distinction, being created flamen Dialis or priest of Jupiter. In the following year (which saw the death of Marius) Caesar, rejecting a proposed marriage with a wealthy capitalist&apos;s heiress, sought and obtained the hand of Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna, and thus became further identified with the ruling party. His career was soon after interrupted by the triumphant return of Sulla (82 BC), who ordered him to divorce his wife, and on his refusal deprived him of his property and priesthood and was induced to spare his life only by the intercession of his aristocratic relatives and the college of vestal virgins. Released from his religious obligations, Caesar now (81 BC) left Rome for the East and served his first campaign under Minucius Thermus, who was engaged in stamping out the embers of resistance to Roman rule in the province of Asia, and received from him the &quot;civic crown&quot; for saving a fellow soldier&apos;s life at the storm of Mytilene. In 78 BC he was serving under Servilius Isauricus against the Cilician pirates when the news of Sulla&apos;s death reached him and he at once returned to Rome. Refusing to entangle himself in the abortive and equivocal schemes of Lepidus to subvert the Sullan constitution, Caesar tookup the only instrument of political warfare left to the opposition by prosecuting two senatorial governors, Cn. Cornelius Dolabella (in 77 BC) and C. Antonius (in 76 BC) for extortion in the provinces of Macedonia and Greece, and though he lost both cases, probably convinced the world at large of the corruption of the senatorial tribunals. After these failures Caesar determined to take no active part in politics for a time, and retraced his steps to the East in order to study rhetoric under Molon, at Rhodes. On the journey there he was caught by pirates, whom he treated with consummate nonchalance while awaiting his ransom, threatening to return and crucify them; when released he lost no time in carrying out his threat. While he was studying at Rhodes the third Mithradatic War broke out, and Caesar at once raised a corps of volunteers and helped to secure the wavering loyalty of the provincials of Asia. When Lucullus assumed the command of the Roman troops in Asia, Caesar returned to Rome, to find that he had been elected to a seat on the college of pontifices left vacant by the death of his uncle, C. Aurelius Cotta. He was likewise elected first of the six tribuni militum a populo, but we hear nothing of his service in this capacity. Suetonius tells us that he threw himself into the agitation for the restoration of the ancient powers of the tribunate curtailed by Sulla, and that he secured the passing of a law of amnesty in favor of the partisans of Sertorius. He was not, however, destined to compass the downfall of the Sullan regime; the crisis of the Slave War placed the Senate at the mercy of Pompey and Crassus, who in 70 BC swept away the safeguards of senatorial ascendancy, restored the initiative in legislation to the tribunes, and replaced the Equestrian order, i.e. the capitalists, in partial possession of the jury courts. This judicial reform (or rather compromise) was the work of Caesar&apos;s uncle, L. Aurelius Cotta. Caesar himself, however, gained no accession of influence. In 69 BC he served as quaestor under Antistius Vetus, governor of Hither Spain, and on his way back to Rome (according to Suetonius) promoted a revolutionary agitation amongst the Transpadanes for the acquisition of full political rights, which had been denied them by Sulla&apos;s settlement. Caesar was now best known as a man of pleasure, celebrated for his debts and his intrigues; in politics he had no force behind him save that of the discredited party of the populares. Opposition reduced to lending a passive support to Pompey and Crassus. But as soon as the proved incompetence of the senatorial government had brought about the mission of Pompey to the East with the almost unlimited powers conferred on him by the Gabinian and Manilian laws of 67 and 66 BC, Caesar plunged into a network of political intrigues which it is no longer possible to unravel. In his public acts he lost no opportunity of upholding the democratic tradition. Already in 68 BC he had paraded the bust ofup the only instrument of political warfare left to the opposition by prosecuting two senatorial governors, Cn. Cornelius Dolabella (in 77 BC) and C. Antonius (in 76 BC) for extortion in the provinces of Macedonia and Greece, and though he lost both cases, probably convinced the world at large of the corruption of the senatorial tribunals. After these failures Caesar determined to take no active part in politics for a time, and retraced his steps to the East in order to study rhetoric under Molon, at Rhodes. On the journey there he was caught by pirates, whom he treated with consummate nonchalance while awaiting his ransom, threatening to return and crucify them; when released he lost no time in carrying out his threat. While he was studying at Rhodes the third Mithradatic War broke out, and Caesar at once raised a corps of volunteers and helped to secure the wavering loyalty of the provincials of Asia. When Lucullus assumed the command of the Roman troops in Asia, Caesar returned to Rome, to find that he had been elected to a seat on the college of pontifices left vacant by the death of his uncle, C. Aurelius Cotta. He was likewise elected first of the six tribuni militum a populo, but we hear nothing of his service in this capacity. Suetonius tells us that he threw himself into the agitation for the restoration of the ancient powers of the tribunate curtailed by Sulla, and that he secured the passing of a law of amnesty in favor of the partisans of Sertorius. He was not, however, destined to compass the downfall of the Sullan regime; the crisis of the Slave War placed the Senate at the mercy of Pompey and Crassus, who in 70 BC swept away the safeguards of senatorial ascendancy, restored the initiative in legislation to the tribunes, and replaced the Equestrian order, i.e. the capitalists, in partial possession of the jury courts. This judicial reform (or rather compromise) was the work of Caesar&apos;s uncle, L. Aurelius Cotta. Caesar himself, however, gained no accession of influence. In 69 BC he served as quaestor under Antistius Vetus, governor of Hither Spain, and on his way back to Rome (according to Suetonius) promoted a revolutionary agitation amongst the Transpadanes for the acquisition of full political rights, which had been denied them by Sulla&apos;s settlement. Caesar was now best known as a man of pleasure, celebrated for his debts and his intrigues; in politics he had no force behind him save that of the discredited party of the populares. Opposition reduced to lending a passive support to Pompey and Crassus. But as soon as the proved incompetence of the senatorial government had brought about the mission of Pompey to the East with the almost unlimited powers conferred on him by the Gabinian and Manilian laws of 67 and 66 BC, Caesar plunged into a network of political intrigues which it is no longer possible to unravel. In his public acts he lost no opportunity of upholding the democratic tradition. Already in 68 BC he had paraded the bust of</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_11-CesarJulius.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:53 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Kali.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=12-Kali.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=12-Kali.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;12-Kali.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_12-Kali.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;12-Kali.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Kali. - 12-Kali.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Indian God of Revenge.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/12-Kali.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/12-Kali.jpg">
                <media:title>Kali.</media:title>
                <media:description>Indian God of Revenge.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_12-Kali.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:50 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Ayatollah Khomeini.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ayatollah Khomeini. - 13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Iran&apos;s head of State from 1979 until his death in 1989. Founder of modern Islamic jihad. Human rights abuses and the torture of political enemies routine under his rule. Issued a fatwa authorizing the execution of Salman Rushdie, whose book The Satanic Verses he believed was blasphemous against the prophet Mohammed. Born on May 17, 1900 in the Iranian town of Khomein, Mr. Khomeini was elevated to the status of Ayatollah in the 1950s. Because of his frequent criticisms of the Iranian government, he was exiled in 1964. He stayed in Iraq until he was forced to leave in 1978, and thereafter went to France until February 1, 1979, when he returned home at the invitation of Iran&apos;s anti-Shah revolutionaries. Within ten days after his homecoming, Khomeini seized power and formed an Islamic Republic of which he himself was Head of State for life. Early in his rule, Khomeini was popularly known as &quot;Leader of the Revolution.&quot; Later he held the title of &quot;Supreme Spiritual Leader.&quot; He is considered to be the founder of the modern Shiite State, and he called for similar Islamic revolutions across the Middle East. Implementing Shia Islamic Law, Khomeini&apos;s regime quickly ended the Westernized society that had existed under the Shah. Strictly enforced Islamic dress codes were instituted for both men and women. Women&apos;s rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press were greatly curtailed. Human rights abuses and the torture of political enemies became commonplace. The United States became entangled in the revolution when, for 444 days between 1979 and 1981, Khomeini&apos;s followers held 52 Americans hostage in Tehran&apos;s U.S. embassy. In early 1989, Khomeini issued a fatwa declaring that Muslims had a religious duty to kill author Salman Rushdie, whose book The Satanic Verses Khomeini deemed a blasphemy against the prophet Muhammed. &quot;The author of the Satanic Verses book,&quot; said Khomeini, &quot;which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I ask all Muslims to execute them wherever they find them.&quot; This event caused many Western leftists, who had largely supported the revolution against the Shah, to reconsider their support of Khomeini. Khomeini&apos;s fatwa against Rushdie was consistent with his preferred method of dealing with &quot;infidels.&quot; &quot;If one permits an infidel to continue in his role as a corrupter of the earth,&quot; said Khomeini, &quot;his moral suffering will be all the worse. If one kills the infidel, and this stops him from perpetrating his misdeeds, his death will be a blessing to him.&quot; Khomeini ruled Iran until his death in 1989.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg">
                <media:title>Ayatollah Khomeini.</media:title>
                <media:description>Iran&apos;s head of State from 1979 until his death in 1989. Founder of modern Islamic jihad. Human rights abuses and the torture of political enemies routine under his rule. Issued a fatwa authorizing the execution of Salman Rushdie, whose book The Satanic Verses he believed was blasphemous against the prophet Mohammed. Born on May 17, 1900 in the Iranian town of Khomein, Mr. Khomeini was elevated to the status of Ayatollah in the 1950s. Because of his frequent criticisms of the Iranian government, he was exiled in 1964. He stayed in Iraq until he was forced to leave in 1978, and thereafter went to France until February 1, 1979, when he returned home at the invitation of Iran&apos;s anti-Shah revolutionaries. Within ten days after his homecoming, Khomeini seized power and formed an Islamic Republic of which he himself was Head of State for life. Early in his rule, Khomeini was popularly known as &quot;Leader of the Revolution.&quot; Later he held the title of &quot;Supreme Spiritual Leader.&quot; He is considered to be the founder of the modern Shiite State, and he called for similar Islamic revolutions across the Middle East. Implementing Shia Islamic Law, Khomeini&apos;s regime quickly ended the Westernized society that had existed under the Shah. Strictly enforced Islamic dress codes were instituted for both men and women. Women&apos;s rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press were greatly curtailed. Human rights abuses and the torture of political enemies became commonplace. The United States became entangled in the revolution when, for 444 days between 1979 and 1981, Khomeini&apos;s followers held 52 Americans hostage in Tehran&apos;s U.S. embassy. In early 1989, Khomeini issued a fatwa declaring that Muslims had a religious duty to kill author Salman Rushdie, whose book The Satanic Verses Khomeini deemed a blasphemy against the prophet Muhammed. &quot;The author of the Satanic Verses book,&quot; said Khomeini, &quot;which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I ask all Muslims to execute them wherever they find them.&quot; This event caused many Western leftists, who had largely supported the revolution against the Shah, to reconsider their support of Khomeini. Khomeini&apos;s fatwa against Rushdie was consistent with his preferred method of dealing with &quot;infidels.&quot; &quot;If one permits an infidel to continue in his role as a corrupter of the earth,&quot; said Khomeini, &quot;his moral suffering will be all the worse. If one kills the infidel, and this stops him from perpetrating his misdeeds, his death will be a blessing to him.&quot; Khomeini ruled Iran until his death in 1989.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_13-AyatollahKhomeini.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:47 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Binocular USSR 1932.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Binocular USSR 1932. - 14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Soviet Military Binocular(6x30). Made in 1932. Heavy: (28.5 oz).&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg">
                <media:title>Binocular USSR 1932.</media:title>
                <media:description>Soviet Military Binocular(6x30). Made in 1932. Heavy: (28.5 oz).</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_14-BinocularUSSR1932.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:44 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Binocular WWII Carl Zeiss Jena.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Binocular WWII Carl Zeiss Jena. - 15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;My Grandfather brought it from WWII. German, 6x30 made in Jena, Carl Zeiss. Dienstglas. 2050841. H/6400. Original sling. Binocular is very light(14 oz).&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg">
                <media:title>Binocular WWII Carl Zeiss Jena.</media:title>
                <media:description>My Grandfather brought it from WWII. German, 6x30 made in Jena, Carl Zeiss. Dienstglas. 2050841. H/6400. Original sling. Binocular is very light(14 oz).</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_15-BinocularWWIIZeiss.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:42 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Binocular SA Finn WWII.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Binocular SA Finn WWII. - 16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is SA marked Binocular made in Germany for Finland. 6x30, Ser.No.103664, Mark on the left side: RUKA Rothenow.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg">
                <media:title>Binocular SA Finn WWII.</media:title>
                <media:description>This is SA marked Binocular made in Germany for Finland. 6x30, Ser.No.103664, Mark on the left side: RUKA Rothenow.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_16-BinocularSAFinn.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:37 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Dagger Navy USSR.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Dagger Navy USSR. - 17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Soviet NAVY officer&apos;s Dagger. Made in 1953.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg">
                <media:title>Dagger Navy USSR.</media:title>
                <media:description>Soviet NAVY officer&apos;s Dagger. Made in 1953.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_17-DaggerNavyUSSR.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:34 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Puukko Knife.</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Puukko Knife. - 18-PuukkoKnife.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Handmade &quot;Karhunkynsi&quot; puukko knife from Finnish Lapland. Carbon steel 3-5/8-inch blade. Brass fitting. Handle of birch decorated with brass and bone. Total length of knife is approximately 8-1/8 inches. Medium brown leather stitched sheath with loop at the top; simple Bear Claw design on the front.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/18-PuukkoKnife.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/18-PuukkoKnife.jpg">
                <media:title>Puukko Knife.</media:title>
                <media:description>Handmade &quot;Karhunkynsi&quot; puukko knife from Finnish Lapland. Carbon steel 3-5/8-inch blade. Brass fitting. Handle of birch decorated with brass and bone. Total length of knife is approximately 8-1/8 inches. Medium brown leather stitched sheath with loop at the top; simple Bear Claw design on the front.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_18-PuukkoKnife.jpg" />
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            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:29 MST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Felix(not mine).</title>
            <link>http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&amp;sort=ascending</link>
            <dc:creator>Lavriccat</dc:creator>
            <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/&quot;&gt;Lavriccat&lt;/a&gt; posted a photo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/?action=view&amp;current=Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&amp;sort=ascending&quot; title=&quot;Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Felix(not mine). - Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This Bust of Felix Dzerzhinsky, I could not buy. Too bad for me... ############################### Feliks Dzerzhinsky, (1877-1926) Russian Bolshevik leader, head of the first Soviet secret-police organization. Son of a Polish nobleman, he was repeatedly arrested for revolutionary activities beginning in 1897. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, he headed the newly created Cheka, which became Soviet Russia&apos;s security-police agency. He organized the first concentration camps in Russia and acquired a reputation as a ruthless and fanatical communist. In 1924 he was given control of the Supreme Economic Council. Died of heart attack in 1926. Conclusion:his mother should have an abortion.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
            <guid>http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg</guid>
            <media:content medium="image" url="http://s571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg">
                <media:title>Felix(not mine).</media:title>
                <media:description>This Bust of Felix Dzerzhinsky, I could not buy. Too bad for me... ############################### Feliks Dzerzhinsky, (1877-1926) Russian Bolshevik leader, head of the first Soviet secret-police organization. Son of a Polish nobleman, he was repeatedly arrested for revolutionary activities beginning in 1897. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, he headed the newly created Cheka, which became Soviet Russia&apos;s security-police agency. He organized the first concentration camps in Russia and acquired a reputation as a ruthless and fanatical communist. In 1924 he was given control of the Supreme Economic Council. Died of heart attack in 1926. Conclusion:his mother should have an abortion.</media:description>
                <media:thumbnail url="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/Lavriccat/03-My%20Collection%20of%20Busts/th_Dzerjinskynotmine.jpg" />
            </media:content>
            <pubDate>Mon, 2 Feb 2009 03:08:27 MST</pubDate>
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