1. Chapter 8: Current and Former Communist Regimes

3. Thinking about the Current and Former Communist Regimes
Weaknesses of Communist regimes appeared by 1980s
States relaxed repressive policies
Factional disputes divided Chinese rulers
Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of USSR

4. Thinking about the Current and Former Communist Regimes
Former Communist states declared themselves democracies
Transitions very difficult
Success stories in Poland, Hungary, and others
China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Cuba remained Communist regimes

5. Thinking about Communism
Marxist-Leninist Regimes in Eastern Europe and Asia
Several Marxist-like regimes in North Africa, Arabia, and South America
The Leninist State
Communist Party controlled all political life
Democratic centralism was regime paradigm
Until 1950s, USSR controlled “Communist World”
China and USSR split in late ‘50s offered an alternative model

6. Thinking about Communism
Command Economies
Government owned and controlled nearly all industrial and retail activity
State planning committees determined output and consumption goals
Benefits of command economies began diminishing in late ‘80s

8. Thinking about Communism
Key Questions
What contemporary and historical, domestic and international forces shaped their development?
How are decisions made in these countries?
What role do average citizens play in policy making?
What are the public policies?
How is political life affected by global forces?
How could regimes that seemed so strong collapse so quickly?
What have some Communist systems survived?
What are the political implications of economic reform in countries that have kept Communism and in those that have abandoned it?
Why are they all facing much more serious domestic and global challenges than any of the countries covered in Part 2?

9. Socialism, Marxism, Leninism
Public ownership of means of production
Substantial material equality
Economic and political democracy

10. Socialism, Marxism, Leninism
Evolution of society
Dialectics
Historical materialism
Revolution

14. Socialism, Marxism, Leninism
Marxism-Leninism – democratic centralism
Stalinism - totalitarianism
Expansion
Third International (Comintern)
Eastern Europe
Asia

16. Socialism, Marxism, Leninism
De-Stalinization
Khrushchev’s “secret speech” (1956)
Slight loosening of intellectual controls
Brezhnev era of more control and economic stagnation
No longer a unified Communist movement
Need to change grew at a time leaders were trying to prevent change

17. The Marxist-Leninist State
The Party State
Secretariat
Politburo
nomenklatura
The Graying of Communism: “thumbs” and “fingers”

18. The Crisis of Communism: Suicide by Public Policy
Reform: too little, too late
Glasnost
Democratization of the Party
Perestroika
New thinking in foreign policy
Change and resistance in Eastern Europe

20. The Crisis of Communism: Suicide by Public Policy
1989: The Year That Changed the World
Solidarity in Poland
Opening the Iron Curtain in Hungary
Emigration and protest in East Germany
Czechoslovakia’s “Velvet Revolution”
Violent revolution in Romania
Massive protest in Tiananmen Square

21. The Crisis of Communism: Suicide by Public Policy
The Remnants of the Communist World
A few Parties and governments were willing to continue to use force
Countries too poor and too closed to outside influences
Most had been outside Soviet Union’s sphere of influence for some time

22. Transitions Relative Success: Eastern and Central Europe
Relative ethnic homogeneity
Economic progress with reform
Communist leaders made common cause with opposition (pacting)

24. Transitions Troubled transitions: The former Soviet Union
No real shift of power to new leaders
Great problems with corruption
Ethnic conflict
The former Yugoslavia
Russian war with rebels in Chechnya

25. Transitions What's left of Marxism?
North Korea and Cuba have maintained Marxist-Leninist systems
China and Vietnam have reformed economies
Monopoly power of Communist Parties remains

26. Feedback Marxist-Leninist regimes controlled all media
Loosening of controls in 1980s
Radio, satellite television, cell phones, and the Internet have made controls much more difficult

27. Conclusion: The End of the Cold War important because
Cold War determined the evolution of Communist and non-Communist states
Communist past vital to understanding present of Communist and former Communist states today

28. Learning Objectives
After mastering the concepts presented in this chapter, you will be able to:
Comprehend the development of communist doctrine and ideology in Europe.
Differentiate among and define the following: Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, Totalitarianism
Comprehend political and economic doctrines of Karl Marx on communism and class exploitation.
Define Marxist theory and explain the following notions and terms: Historical materialism, Dialectics, Proletarian revolution
Understand the role of Russian Revolution in 1917 in the development of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Comparatively define socialism and communism.
Understand the notion of totalitarian regime and totalitarian form of governance.
Assess major differences between the command and free market economies.
Comparatively analyze similarities and differences between the USSR and the People’s Republic of China in managing economy and political process under communist ideology and party system.

29. Learning Objectives
After mastering the concepts presented in this chapter, you will be able to:
Recognize the role of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong in the process of communist state formation and development.
Discuss the structure of the Communist Party and government institutions in the Soviet Union. Define the following terms: Nomenklatura, Central Committee, Politburo, General Secretary
Understand the role of Mikhail Gorbachev in the process of party, state and ideological reformation in the USSR. Define the following terms: Glasnost, Perestroika
Recognize factors that contribute to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Identify challenges of post-communist democratization in Eastern Europe.
Define social and political, including of revolutionary character movements in Hungary, Romania, Soviet Union, Poland and other countries against communism.
Recognize the process of the USSR disintegration.
Discuss the implications of the shock therapy in post-communist countries.
Identify remaining communist regimes and discuss their political, economic and social challenges.