Global Communism

The Communist World in 1970 About 1/3 of the world’s population lived in communist countries Ideology rooted in 19th century European socialism Based on the teachings of Karl Marx

The Most significant Communist Nations The Soviet Union China Eastern Europe Poland, East Germany Czechoslovakia Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria North Korea North Vietnam Cuba

A Common Ideology Shared by communism governments and movements Minimize claims of national loyalty Advocate an international revolutionary movement Of the “industrial proletariat” Russian Revolution inspired others revolutions Soviet Union aided and advised revolutionaries Communist International – the Comintern Soviet Union tried to control the policies and actions

Communist alliances During the Cold War (1940s-1990s) Military and political alliances The Warsaw Pact – military alliance USSR Eastern European Nations Council on Mutual Economic Assistance USSR and China Treaty of Friendship, 1950

The Communist World - Divided The West viewed communism as unified Committed to destroying the West Communist world was NOT fully united Eastern Europeans resented Soviet control Hungary (1956) Czechoslovakia (1968) Soviet Union vs. China Close to war, late 1960s

The Mystique of the French Revolution Drew comparisons to the French Revolution Like the French, the Russian & Chinese revolutions ousted an old ruling classes involved rural peasants led by an urban elite sought to modernize their societies

Communist Revolutions were distinct They were led by highly organized parties They were guided by a Marxist ideology They were committed to an industrial future They pursued BOTH economic AND political equality They sought the abolition of private property.

Working Class Revolutions Communist revolutions acted on behalf of Exploited urban workers Impoverished rural peasants (soldier, farmer, worker) Middle classes suffered under communists They benefitted from French Revolution Communists spoke of gender equality French and American Revolutions did not

The Russian Revolution, 1917 During World War I Going very badly for Russians Workers were exploited and suffering Outraged by incompetence of the elite St. Petersburg; 100,000 soldiers wives demonstrate Demand bread and peace. February 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated Provisional Government established

abdication of Tsar caused upheaval Ordinary soldiers deserted in large numbers Trade unions seized control of factories. Workers & soldiers form grassroots organizations Called “soviets” Peasants seized landlords’ estates burn manor houses, redistributed the land Non-Russian nationalists demand changes

The Provisional Government Fails Social revolution reveals weakness of Provisional Government. Led by middle-class politicians Led by some moderate socialists Divided and ineffectual Did not help Russia’s revolutionary masses Refused to take Russia out of the war

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Commonly known as Lenin Led a small socialist party called Bolsheviks Their message becoming more popular end to the war land for the peasants workers’ control of factories self-determination for non-Russians October 1917 -- seized power in a coup Bolsheviks withdrew from World War I

Civil War, November 1917 – October 1922 The Bolshevik coup triggered a Civil War The Bolsheviks “Red Army” The “White Army” Tsarist officials, landlords disaffected socialists, regional nationalist forces Red Army battled foreign troops United States, Britain, France, and Japan Both the Red and White armies committed atrocities The Bolsheviks won

authoritarian tendencies One party rule Intolerance of opposition Suppression of nationalist movements Harsh treatment of peasants State control the economy 1922 - Communists renames country the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR or Soviet Union

Communism imposed on Eastern Europe Next major extension of communism Imposed on Eastern Europe Between 1945 & 1948 Poland, Czechoslovakia Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary Eastern portion of Germany Soviet Union’s Primary Objective Security Establish “buffer” states

Communists in Eastern Europe Local communist parties had some domestic support In Eastern Europe Many communists had ties anti-Nazi movements The resistance Yugoslavia: A popular communist movement “Partisans” Led resistance against Nazi occupation Yugoslavia liberated itself from Axis domination Leader openly defied Soviet control of Yugoslavia Josip Broz, known as Tito

The Chinese Revolution Chinese Revolution lasted several decades The Chinese Communist party (CCP) Founded in 1921 Over the next 28 years, it grew enormously Mao Zedong

The Kuomintang 1928, Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) takes power Chiang Kai-shek – a military officer The Nationalist party had a narrow base of support urban elites, rural landlords, and Western powers Nationalist tended to benefit people in the cities Rural areas remained impoverished Most Chinese people lived in rural areas

Adapting communism to china CCP seeks support from peasant villages Tactic at odds with classical Marxism A revolution of the industrial proletariat European Marxism was adapted to fit the situation in mostly peasant China. Mao and his Party won respect and support among China’s peasants.

World war II Japanese forced Kuomintang to retreat to the interior Becomes more dependent on conservative landlords The CCP and communist-led People’s Liberation Army grew greatly in size. wins over the hearts & minds of peasants People’s Liberation Army – a massive fighting forced fought epic struggle against the Japanese

Chinese Civil War, 1945-1950 After the World War II Communists vs Kuomintang In 1949 the communists won Mao Zedong proclaims birth of People’s Republic 1 October 1949 Tian men Square Many of the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan

Constructing socialist societies Communist parties create socialist societies Soviet Union, 1920s and 1930s Joseph Stalin China, 1950s and 1960s Mao Zedong Modernization and industrialization A socialist modernity attacked inequalities of class and gender prevented emergence of new inequalities Promoting selflessness and collectivism

One-Party Rule Full implementation of these policies required one-party rule Top-ranking party members enjoyed various privileges The party penetrated every level of society Other parties forbidden The state controlled almost the entire economy Political authorities monitored information Political opposition rarely tolerated

Transforming the economy Communists transformed agriculture and industry Process controlled by the ruling communist party Agriculture land redistribution and collectivization Industry state ownership of property centralized planning priority given to heavy industry mobilization of the nation’s resources

Nations Transformed Both Russia and China experienced Rapid urbanization Exploitation of the countryside The growth of a privileged elite bureaucratic and technological