You can apply it to any political situation, but it wasn't really about Russia, more than anywhere else. Could have been written about the power brokers in UK folk scene. (The Hooray Henries of the traddy scene whoop it up globetrotting round the various folk festivals of the world, whilst the sexy young contemporary singers who spearhead the music revolution - filling the folkclubs in the 1960's, die prematurely having been driven into exile!)

Orwell had just come back from the Spanish Civil war and his narrative directly addressed his experiences there.

He had been involved with a republican militia called POUM, who like Snowball's followers, were done for by people who had been their comrades. The skilful storytelling of how self interest is pursued by the pigs under the guise of idealism, are what make Animal Farm a great human document.