The Rise and Fall of World Communism, 1917-Present

Communism Communism had originally been greeted by many as a promise of liberation. Communist regimes had transformed their societies Provided a major political/ideological threat to the Western world The cold war (1946–1991) – was a scramble for influence in the third world between the United States and the USSR, a massive nuclear arms race and then it collapsed

Communism and Marx Communism had its roots in nineteenth-century socialism, inspired by Karl Marx. Most European socialists believed that they could achieve their goals through the democratic process Those who defined themselves as “communists” in the twentieth century advocated revolution “Communism” in Marxist theory is the final stage of historical development, with full development of social equality and collective living Communism’s height in the 1970s, almost one-third of the world’s population was governed by communist regimes the most important communist societies by far were the USSR and China communism also came to Eastern Europe, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, Afghanistan                         3.  none of these countries had the industrial capitalism that Marx thought necessary for a socialist revolution                         4.  communist parties took root in many other areas

Common Grounds of Communism Common ideology, based on Marxism an international revolutionary movement was more important than national loyalties Inspiration of the 1917 Russian Revolution USSR provided aid and advice to aspiring revolutionaries elsewhere through Comintern (Communist International) During the cold war, the Warsaw Pact created a military alliance of Eastern European states and the USSR Council on Mutual Economic Assistance tied Eastern European economies to the USSR’s Treaty of Friendship between the USSR and China (1950) Relations between communist countries were also marked by rivalry and hostility, sometimes war

Communism and French Revolution French Revolution had gotten rid of landed aristocracies and the old ruling classes Involved peasant upheavals in the countryside; educated leadership in the cities French, Russian, and Chinese revolutions all looked to a modernizing future, eschewed any nostalgia for the past Differences with the French Revolution: Communist revolutions were made by highly organized parties guided by a Marxist ideology. The middle classes were among the victims of communist upheavals, whereas middle classes were chief beneficiaries of French Revolution Communist revolutions drew on the mystique of the French Revolution

Russian Revolution Russia’s revolution (1917) was sudden, explosive Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate the throne in February 1917, and there was a massive social upheaval Deep-seated social revolution soon showed the inadequacy of the Provisional Government, it would not/could not meet the demands of the revolutionary masses Most effective opposition group was the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) – They seized power in a coup (October 1917), claimed to act on behalf of the “soviets” Three-year civil war followed: Bolsheviks vs. a variety of enemies By 1921, Bolsheviks (now calling their party “communist”) had won                                     b.  refused to withdraw from WWI                                     c.  left opening for the rise of more radical groups

Civil War and Spread of Communism During the civil war, the Bolsheviks: regimented the economy, suppressed nationalist rebellions, integrated many lower-class men into the Red Army and into local governments For 25 years, the new USSR was the only communist country There was expansion into Eastern Europe thanks to Soviet occupation at the end of WWII Stalin sought a buffer of “friendly” governments in Eastern Europe; imposed communism from outside                                  committed atrocities (as did their enemies claimed to defend Russia from imperialists as well as from internal exploiters                                     f.  strengthened their tendency toward authoritarianism i.  there was also domestic support for communism                                                 ii.  in Yugoslavia, development of a popular communist movement under Josef Broz (Tito)

China: A Prolonged Revolutionary Struggle Communism won in China in 1949, after a long struggle The Chinese imperial system had collapsed in 1911 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded 1921 Over the next 28 years, the CCP grew immensely and transformed its strategy under Mao Zedong Had a formidable enemy in the Guomindang (Nationalist Party), which ruled China after 1928 Chiang Kai-shek led the Guomindang and promoted modern development, at least in cities, the countryside remained impoverished

Chinese Communist Party CCP’s new strategy - looked to the peasants for support, not city workers, gradually won respect and support of peasants Given a boost by Japan’s invasion of China The CCP addressed both foreign imperialism and peasant exploitation and expressed Chinese nationalism and demand for social change given a boost by Japan’s invasion of China                                                 i.  destroyed Guomindang control of much of the country                                                 ii.  meanwhile, the CCP grew enormously                                                 iii.  CCP’s People’s Liberation Army waged vigorous war against Japanese invaders using guerrilla warfare tactics                                                 iv.  the CCP instituted reforms in areas it controlled gained a reputation for honesty, unlike the Guomindang

Leaders of Communism Joseph Stalin built a socialist society in the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s; Mao Zedong did the same in China in the 1950s and 1960s. First step: modernization and industrialization Attack on class and gender inequalities Both created political systems dominated by the Communist Party High-ranking party members were expected to exemplify socialism, all other parties were forbidden, the state controlled almost the entire economy China’s conversion to communism was a much easier process than that experienced by the USSR the USSR had already paved the way                                     b.  Chinese communists won the support of the rural masses                                     c.  but China had more economic problems to resolve

Communist Feminism Communist countries pioneered “women’s liberation” which were largely directed by the state USSR almost immediately declared full legal and political equality for women 1919: USSR’s Communist Party set up Zhenotdel (Women’s Department) male communist officials and ordinary people often opposed it, Stalin abolished it in 1930 Communist China also worked for women’s equality  Marriage Law of 1950 ordered free choice in marriage, easier divorce, the end of concubinage and child marriage, and equal property rights for women The CCP tried to implement pro-female changes against strong opposition divorce, abortion, pregnancy leave, women’s work were all enabled or encouraged Zhenotdel (Women’s Department)                                     a.  pushed a feminist agenda The CCP tried to implement pro-female changes against strong opposition      c.  women became much more active in the workforce Limitation of Liberation Stalin declared the women’s question “solved” in 1930 no direct attack in either state on male domination within the family Women retained burden of housework and child care as well as paid employment few women made it into top political leadership

Socialism in the Countryside In both states, the communists took landed estates and redistributed the land to peasants Russia: peasants took and redistributed the land themselves China: land reform teams mobilized poor peasants to confront landlords and wealthier peasants  1 million–2 million landlords were killed in the process

Collective Farming Second stage of rural reform: effort to end private property in land by collectivizing agriculture China, collectivization was largely peaceful (1950s) USSR, collectivization was imposed by violence (1928–1933) kulaks (rich peasants) were killed or deported, the result was a massive famine (around 5 million died) China’s collectivization went further than the USSR’s creation of huge “people’s communes” during the Great Leap Forward (late 1950s), the result was a massive famine (1959–1962) in which 20 million people or more died

Communism and Industrial Development Both states regarded industrialization as fundamental needed to end humiliating backwardness and poverty and a desire to create military strength to survive in a hostile world

Soviet Model of Industrialization China largely followed the model established by the USSR: State ownership of property Centralized planning (five-year plans) Priority given to heavy industry Mobilization of resources Intrusive party control of the whole process Both countries experienced major economic growth improvement in literacy and education, increase in social mobility, urbanization and development of a privileged bureaucratic and technological elite USSR leadership largely accepted the social outcomes of industrialization gradual move away from revolutionary values

Social Effects of Industrialization in China China under Mao Zedong tried to combat the social effects of industrialization The Great Leap Forward (1958–1960) promoted small-scale industrialization in rural areas, tried to spread technological education widely Hoped to bring full communism to the “people’s communes” without waiting for industrial development Result: massive disruptions, accompanied by natural disasters, caused a massive famine The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (mid-1960s) intended to combat capitalist tendencies, an effort to bring health care and education to the countryside and to reinvigorate rural industrialization under local control

The Search for Enemies- Great Purge USSR and China under Stalin and Mao were rife with paranoia  fear that important communists were corrupted by bourgeois ideas; became class enemies USSR: the Terror (Great Purges) of the late 1930s enveloped millions of Russians, including tens of thousands of prominent communists, many were sentenced to harsh labor camps (the gulag) Nearly a million people were executed between 1936 and 1941 b.  fear of a vast conspiracy by class enemies and foreign imperialists to restore capitalism

China’s Cultural Revolution China: the search for enemies was a more public process The Cultural Revolution (1966–1969) escaped control of communist leadership Mao had called for rebellion against the Communist Party itself  purge of millions of supposed capitalist sympathizers Mao had to call in the army to avert civil war Both the Terror and the Cultural Revolution discredited socialism and contributed to eventual collapse of communist experiment

Military Conflict and the Cold War Europe was the cold war’s first arena Soviet concern for security and control in Eastern Europe American and British desire for open societies linked to the capitalist world economy Communism spread into Asia (China, Korea, Vietnam), caused conflict North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 bitter war (1950–1953), with Chinese and American involvement, ended in a standoff and a divided Korea Vietnam: massive U.S. intervention in the 1960s Vietnamese communists successfully united the country by 1975

NATO and Warsaw Pact Creation of rival military alliances (NATO and the Warsaw Pact) American sphere of influence (Western Europe) was largely voluntary Soviet sphere (Eastern Europe) was imposed “Iron Curtain” divided the two spheres

Cold War Conflict in Afghanistan Marxist party took power in 1978 but soon alienated much of the population Soviet military intervention (1979–1989) met with little success USSR withdrew in 1989 under international pressure; communist rule of Afghanistan collapsed

Cold War and Cuba Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 Nationalization of U.S. assets provoked U.S. hostility Castro gradually aligned himself with the USSR Cuban missile crisis (October 1962) Khrushchev deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba the U.S. government detected the missiles United States nearly invaded Cuba Khrushchev and Kennedy reached a compromise

Nuclear Standoff and Third World Rivalry The USSR succeeded in creating a nuclear weapon in 1949 Massive arms race: by 1989, the world had nearly 60,000 nuclear warheads, with complex delivery systems 1949–1989: fear of massive nuclear destruction and even the possible extinction of humankind Both sides knew how serious their destructive power was, there was careful avoidance of nuclear provocation, especially after 1962 United States and the USSR courted third world countries United States intervened in Iran, the Philippines, Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile, the Congo, and elsewhere because of fear of communist penetration Some countries (e.g., India) claimed “nonalignment” status in the cold war b.  avoidance of any direct military confrontation, since it might turn into a nuclear war the United States often supported corrupt, authoritarian regimes                                     c.  many third world countries resisted being used as pawns e.  some tried to play off the superpowers against each other                                                 i.  Indonesia received Soviet and Eastern European aid but destroyed the Indonesian Communist Party in 1965                                                 ii.  Egypt turned toward the USSR when the United States wouldn’t help build the Aswan Dam; turned back toward the United States in 1972

The U.S.A. Superpower of the West 1945 - 1975 United States became leader of the West against communism  led to the creation of an “imperial” presidency in the United States Power was given to defense and intelligence agencies, creating a “national security state”, fear that democracy was being undermined U.S. military effort was sustained by a flourishing economy and an increasingly middle-class society U.S. industry hadn’t been harmed by WWII, unlike every other major industrial society American popular culture also spread around the world anticommunist witch-hunts (1950s) narrowed the range of political debate                                     e.  strengthened the influence of the “military-industrial complex” U.S. industry hadn’t been harmed by WWII, unlike every other major industrial society                   b.  Americans were a “people of plenty”                                     c.  growing pace of U.S. investment abroad American popular culture also spread around the world                a.  jazz, rock-and-roll, and rap found foreign audiences                                     b.  by the 1990s, American movies took about 70 percent of the European market                                     c.  around 20,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 100 countries

The Communist World, 1950s–1970s Nikita Khrushchev took power in the USSR in 1953; in 1956, he denounced Stalin as a criminal The cold war justified a continuing Soviet emphasis on military and defense industries continuous government propaganda glorified the Soviet system and vilified America There were growing conflicts among the communist countries Yugoslavia rejected Soviet domination, Soviet invasions of Hungary (1956–1957) and Czechoslovakia (1968) to crush reform movements Brutal suppression of reform tarnished the image of Soviet communism, gave credence to Western views of the cold war as a struggle between tyranny and freedom c.  early 1980s: Poland was also threatened with invasion

USSR vs. China Sharp opposition between the USSR and China Territorial disputes, ideological differences, rivalry for communist leadership 1960: the USSR withdrew Soviet advisers and technicians from China China developed its own nuclear weapons USSR and China were close to war by the late 1960s China went to war against a communist Vietnam in 1979 World communism reached its greatest extent in the 1970s

End of the Communist Era The communist era ended rapidly and peacefully between the late 1970s and 1991. China: Mao Zedong died in 1976  the CCP gradually abandoned Maoist socialism Europe: popular movements overthrew communist governments in 1989 USSR suffered political disintegration on Christmas Day, 1991

Economic Failure of Communism Communist states couldn’t catch up economically Soviet economy was stagnant Failures were known around the world Economic failure limited military capacity

Moral Failure of Communism Stalin’s Terror and the gulag Mao’s Cultural Revolution Near-genocide in Cambodia - Pol Pot All happened in a global climate that embraced democracy and human rights The Cambodian genocide, of course, occurred in the country of Cambodia, located in the continent of Asia bordering the countries of Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, and Vietnam to the southeast, as shown in the map.       This tragic event has sadly occurred because of the Khmer Rouge regime, the name given to the followers of the Communist party of Kampuchea. Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, and several other led this party that ruled Cambodia from approximately 1975 to 1979.     This Democratic party was in charge of condemning about 1.7 million people to their death out of 8 million, which is about 21% of their population. Political execution, starvation, and forced labor were to blame.

China: Abandoning Communism China: Abandoning Communism and Maintaining the Party Deng Xiaoping came to power in 1976  relaxed censorship, released political prisoners,  dismantled collectivized farming system China opened itself to the world economy result: stunning economic growth and new prosperity Generated massive corruption among officials, urban inequality, pollution, and inequality between coast and interior Chinese Communist Party has kept its political monopoly Brutal crushing of democracy movement in late 1980sTiananmen Square massacre China is now a “strange and troubled hybrid” that combines nationalism, consumerism, and new respect for ancient traditions

The Soviet Union – Collapse of Communism Mikhail Gorbachev became general secretary in mid-1980s Launched economic reform program (perestroika, or “restructuring”) in 1987 and was met with heavy resistance Gorbachev responded with glasnost (“openness”) to greater cultural and intellectual freedoms in an effort to end the deep distrust between society and state Glasnost revealed what a mess the USSR was (crime, prostitution, suicide, corruption, etc.)  the extent of Stalin’s atrocities was uncovered, new openness to religious expression, ending of government censorship of culture Democratization—free elections in 1989 Move to end the cold war by making unilateral military cuts, negotiating arms control with United States

Collapse of the USSR Gorbachev’s reforms collapse of the USSR Planned economy dismantled before a market-based system could develop New freedoms more strident demands Subordinate states demanded autonomy or independence Gorbachev refused to use force to crush the protesters Eastern European states broke free from USSR-sponsored communism Conservatives attempted a coup (August 1991) coup collapsed within three days, due to popular resistance Fifteen new and independent states emerged from the breakup of the USSR

Shrinking Communist World By 2000, the communist world had shrunk considerably. Communism had lost its dominance completely in the USSR and Eastern Europe China had mostly abandoned communist economic policies Vietnam and Laos remained officially communist but pursued Chinese-style reforms Cuba: economic crisis in the 1990s, began to allow small businesses and private food markets North Korea is the most unreformed and Stalinist communist state left International tensions remain only in East Asia and the Caribbean