Napoleon's Rise to Power
The Expulsion of Snowball (Chapter 5)
The pivotal moment in Animal Farm comes when Napoleon uses his secretly trained dogs to chase Snowball off the farm. During a debate about the windmill, Snowball delivers an eloquent speech that is winning the animals over. Napoleon responds not with argument but with force — he gives a “high-pitched whimper” and nine enormous dogs burst into the barn, chasing Snowball through a gap in the hedge. He is never seen again.
Napoleon had secretly taken nine puppies from their mothers early in the novella, claiming he would “educate” them. They reappear as his personal attack force — representing Stalin’s secret police (the NKVD/KGB). Orwell shows that Napoleon planned this coup from the very beginning.
This moment transforms the farm from a flawed democracy into a dictatorship. Napoleon immediately abolishes the Sunday meetings where animals could debate and vote. Instead, a committee of pigs will make all decisions privately. The animals are stunned but cannot resist — the dogs growl at anyone who starts to protest.
How Napoleon Consolidates Power
After expelling Snowball, Napoleon uses several strategies to cement his authority. Each mirrors a technique used by real-world dictators, particularly Stalin.
1. Military force (the dogs): The dogs act as Napoleon’s bodyguards and enforcers. They surround him, growl at dissenters, and later participate in the purges. They represent the secret police who maintained Stalin’s power through fear and violence.
2. Propaganda (Squealer): After every controversial decision, Squealer explains why it was necessary. He rewrites history, fabricates statistics, and uses the constant threat of Jones’s return to justify Napoleon’s actions.
3. Scapegoating Snowball: Napoleon blames Snowball for everything that goes wrong. When the windmill collapses, it is “Snowball’s sabotage.” When crops fail, Snowball is the cause. This gives the animals an external enemy to fear, diverting attention from Napoleon’s failings.
4. Controlling information: With Snowball gone and the Sunday debates abolished, Napoleon controls all communication. The animals receive information only through Squealer, and they cannot verify anything independently.
Orwell shows that Napoleon rarely appears in public after seizing power. Orders and explanations come through Squealer. This intermediary system prevents direct accountability — Napoleon can deny anything Squealer says if it proves unpopular.
The Windmill — Napoleon’s Hypocrisy
Three weeks after expelling Snowball for proposing the windmill, Napoleon announces that the windmill will be built after all. Squealer explains that Napoleon had never actually opposed the windmill — his apparent opposition was a “manoeuvre” to get rid of Snowball, who was “a dangerous character and a bad influence.” This hypocrisy is breathtaking, yet the animals accept it.
Boxer is confused by Napoleon’s reversal on the windmill. He tries to think it through but ultimately falls back on his personal motto: “Napoleon is always right.” This is one of the novella’s most powerful and tragic moments.
Boxer represents the decent, hardworking majority who are exploited by authoritarian leaders. His loyalty is genuine but unthinking — and Orwell shows that such blind loyalty is exactly what dictators need to stay in power. Boxer’s strength could overthrow Napoleon, but his trust prevents him from ever using it.
The contrast between Boxer and Benjamin the donkey is also significant. Benjamin is intelligent enough to see through the pigs’ lies, but his cynical passivity (“Donkeys live a long time”) makes him equally complicit. Orwell criticises both blind loyalty and intellectual apathy.
Orwell’s Warning
Chapter 5 is the turning point of the novella. Orwell shows that the transition from democracy to dictatorship can happen in a single moment — the coup is swift, violent, and irreversible. Once the dogs enforce Napoleon’s will, there is no mechanism for the animals to remove him. Orwell’s warning is clear: democratic institutions must be protected, because once they are destroyed, they are almost impossible to restore.