How does Napoleon gain power over Animal Farm, and how does he maintain it?
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Napoleon uses propaganda to persuade the other animals against questioning his authority and twists information to convince the animals of lies instead of the truth, for instance in getting everyone to turn on Snowball and believe the windmill had always been Napoleon's idea. Eventually we also see Napoleon keep his power by instilling fear by threat of his vicious dogs.
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Napoleon gains power over Animal Farm first and foremost by careful planning. As early as chapter 3, when the other animals are busying themselves with the harvest and Snowball is organizing committees, Napoleon quietly appropriates Jessie and Bluebell's nine puppies and takes them to a loft where he keeps them in seclusion until they are grown. It may be that if Napoleon's campaign "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger" had been successful, he would not have used the dogs against Snowball in chapter 5 . Probably he would have found occasion to call on them sooner or later in any case. The point is that he had a back-up plan...
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