View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/history-vs-vladimir-lenin-alex-gendler

Vladimir Lenin overthrew Russian Czar Nicholas II and founded the Soviet Union, forever changing the course of Russian politics. But was he a hero who toppled an oppressive tyranny or a villain who replaced it with another? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial, exploring both sides of a nearly century-long debate.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Brett Underhill.