throughout history how have communist governments performed course hero

by Prof. Elwyn Schiller I 9 min read

What is the historical background of communism?

History and Backround of Communism. Foundation, Goals, and Priorities. Communism was an economic-political philosophy founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the second half of the 19 th century. Marx and Engels met in 1844, and discovered that they had similar principles. In 1848 they wrote and published "The Communist Manifesto."

What are some examples of communism in history?

They then nationalized all public property as well as putting factories and railroads under government control. Stalin continued leading by the communist philosophies, and extended the growth of the the USSR. This example of Communism has been followed in many countries since then, including China.

What are the characteristics of communism?

Communism is both a political system and an economic one. Communist parties have absolute power over governance, and elections are single-party affairs. The party controls the economic system as well, and private ownership is illegal, although this facet of communist rule has changed in some countries like China.

What are some good books on the history of communism?

Gracchus Babeuf: the first revolutionary communist. Arnold. pp. 32, 332. ISBN 0-7131-5993-6. OCLC 780996378. ^ Woolsey 1880, p. 102. ^ Doug Enaa Greene (October 2, 2017). Communist Insurgent: Blanqui's Politics of Revolution. Haymarket Books. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-60846-888-1. ^ Hodges 2014, p. 36-37.

What is communism history?

What was the ideology behind the Cold War?

What was the motto of the Bolsheviks?

When did the Cold War start?

What happened on May 9, 1945?

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History of communism - Wikipedia

The history of communism encompasses a wide variety of ideologies and political movements sharing the core theoretical values of common ownership of wealth, economic enterprise and property. Most modern forms of communism are grounded at least nominally in Marxism, a theory and method conceived by Karl Marx during the 19th century. Marxism subsequently gained a widespread following across much ...

Is Russia Communist Today? Find Out Here! - History

In fact, one modern answer to the question “Is Russia Communist” is that it is not communist at all but in fact a deranged form of a right-wing government structure that is run by a despotic maniac.They report:. Russia is a dictatorship in all but name, controlled at the top by President Vladimir Putin with his cronies and oligarch friends below him.

Rise Of Communism In China - AllAboutPhilosophy.org

Rise Of Communism In China QUESTION: What led to the rise of Communism in China? ANSWER: The rise of Communism in China is largely due to a man named Mao Zedong.

Chinese Communist Party - Wikipedia

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang, and in 1949 Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

What is communism history?

Since its start a century ago, Communism, a political and economic ideology that calls for a classless, government-controlled society in which everything is shared equally, has seen a series of surges—and declines.

What was the ideology behind the Cold War?

It was the ideology behind one side of the Cold War and saw a symbolic decline with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

What was the motto of the Bolsheviks?

Its motto, “Workers of the world, unite!” quickly became a rallying cry. • November 7, 1917: With Vladimir Lenin at the helm, the Bolsheviks, ascribing to Marxism, seize power during Russia’s October Revolution and become the first communist government.

When did the Cold War start?

Cold War Begins. • May 9, 1945: The U.S.S.R. declares victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. With Japan’s defeat, Korea becomes divided into the communist North (which the Soviets occupied) and the South (which had been occupied by the United States).

What happened on May 9, 1945?

• May 9, 1945: The U.S.S.R. declares victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. With Japan’s defeat, Korea becomes divided into the communist North (which the Soviets occupied) and the South (which had been occupied by the United States).

What is communism history?

The history of communism encompasses a wide variety of ideologies and political movements sharing the core theoretical values of common ownership of wealth, economic enterprise and property. Most modern forms of communism are grounded at least nominally in Marxism, a theory and method conceived by Karl Marx during the 19th century.

Who believed in communism?

One of the first writers to espouse a belief in the primitive communism of the past was the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca who stated," How happy was the primitive age when the bounties of nature lay in common...They held all nature in common which gave them secure possession of the public wealth.".

What is communism in ancient times?

Communism in antiquity. Further information: Pre-Marxist communism, Primitive communism, and Religious communism. The 1st century BC Roman philosopher Seneca believed that humans had fallen from a Golden Age of primitive communism. Many historical groups have been considered as following forms of communism.

What was the impact of the Soviet Union on the spread of communism during the 20th century?

This was to have a phenomenal impact on the spread of communism during the 20th century as the Soviet Union installed new Marxist–Leninist governments in Central and Eastern Europe following World War II and indirectly backed the ascension of others in the Americas, Asia and Africa.

How did the Cultural Revolution affect China?

The movement paralyzed China politically and weakened the country economically, culturally and intellectually for years. Millions of people were accused, humiliated, stripped of power and either imprisoned, killed or most often sent to work as farm laborers. Mao insisted that these he labelled revisionists be removed through violent class struggle. The two most prominent militants were Marshall Lin Biao of the army and Mao's wife Jiang Qing. China's youth responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country. The movement spread into the military, urban workers and the Communist Party leadership itself. It resulted in widespread factional struggles in all walks of life. In the top leadership, it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a " capitalist road ", most notably Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. During the same period, Mao's personality cult grew to immense proportions. After Mao's death in 1976, the survivors were rehabilitated and many returned to power.

When did the Marxist-Leninist movement end?

In 1978, Spain's PCE replaced the historic "Marxist–Leninist" catchphrase with the new slogan of "Marxist, democratic and revolutionary". The movement faded in the 1980s and collapsed with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989.

Which African country was the only to have a communist government?

Angola was perhaps the only African state which made a longstanding commitment to communism, but this was severely hampered by its own war-burdened economy, rampant corruption and practical realities which allowed a few foreign companies to wield considerable influence despite the elimination of the domestic Angolan private sector and a substantial degree of central economic planning. Both Angola and Ethiopia built new social and political communist institutions modeled closely after those in the Soviet Union and Cuba. However, their regimes either dissolved after the collapse of the Soviet Union due to civil conflict or voluntarily repudiated communism in favour of social democracy.

Who was the founder of communism?

The basic principles of communism were articulated in the mid-1800s by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, two German economic and political philosophers. But it wasn't until the Russian Revolution of 1917 that a communist nation—the Soviet Union—was born.

Why are some states not considered communist?

However, these states are not considered truly communist because of the presence of other political parties, and because the Communist Party is not specifically empowered by the constitution.

How many communist countries are there?

While the world has just five truly communist countries, socialist countries (countries whose constitutions include statements about the protection and rule of the working class) are relatively common Examples include Portugal, Sri Lanka, India, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania.

What happened to Cuba after the Soviet Union collapsed?

Because of this, when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba was forced to find new sources for trade and financial subsidies. It did so in countries including China, Bolivia, and Venezuela. In 2008, Fidel Castro stepped down and his brother, Raul Castro, became president; Fidel died in 2016.

Where was post-Soviet communism found?

During the time of the Soviet Union (1922–1991), communist countries could be found in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Where were communist countries located?

During the time of the Soviet Union (1922–1991), communist countries could be found in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some of these nations, like the People's Republic of China, were (and still are) global players in their own right.

Is a socialist a democratic country?

By contrast, socialist nations are generally democratic with multi-party political systems. A socialist party does not have to be in power for socialist principles—such as a strong social safety net and government ownership of key industries and infrastructure—to be part of a nation's domestic agenda. Unlike communism, private ownership is encouraged in most socialist nations.

What was the communist movement?

In 1848 they wrote and published "The Communist Manifesto." They desired to end capitalism feeling that it was the social class system that led to the exploitation of workers. The workers that were exploited would develop class consciousness. Then there would be a fundamental process of class conflict that would be resolved through revolutionary struggle. In this conflict, the proletariat will rise up against the bourgeoisie and establish a communist society. Marx and Engels thought of the proletariat as the individuals with labor power, and the bourgeoisie as those who own the means of production in a capitalist society. The state would pass through a phase, often thought of as a socialism, and eventually settle finally on a pure communist society. In a communist society, all private ownership would be abolished, and the means of production would belong to the entire community. In the communist movement, a popular slogan stated that everyone gave according to their abilities and received according to their needs. Thus, the needs of a society would be put above and beyond the specific needs of an individual.

Where did communism originate?

In the late 19th century, communist philosophy began to develop in Russia. In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power through the October Revolution.

What did Stalin do to the USSR?

They then nationalized all public property as well as putting factories and railroads under government control. Stalin continued leading by the communist philosophies, and extended the growth of the the USSR.

What is the proletariat against the bourgeoisie?

In this conflict, the proletariat will rise up against the bourgeoisie and establish a communist society. Marx and Engels thought of the proletariat as the individuals with labor power, and the bourgeoisie as those who own the means of production in a capitalist society.

What is communism history?

Since its start a century ago, Communism, a political and economic ideology that calls for a classless, government-controlled society in which everything is shared equally, has seen a series of surges—and declines.

What was the ideology behind the Cold War?

It was the ideology behind one side of the Cold War and saw a symbolic decline with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

What was the motto of the Bolsheviks?

Its motto, “Workers of the world, unite!” quickly became a rallying cry. • November 7, 1917: With Vladimir Lenin at the helm, the Bolsheviks, ascribing to Marxism, seize power during Russia’s October Revolution and become the first communist government.

When did the Cold War start?

Cold War Begins. • May 9, 1945: The U.S.S.R. declares victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. With Japan’s defeat, Korea becomes divided into the communist North (which the Soviets occupied) and the South (which had been occupied by the United States).

What happened on May 9, 1945?

• May 9, 1945: The U.S.S.R. declares victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. With Japan’s defeat, Korea becomes divided into the communist North (which the Soviets occupied) and the South (which had been occupied by the United States).

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Soviet Union Emerges from October Revolution

Communism Takes Hold in China and Beyond

  • • July 1, 1921:Inspired by the Russian Revolution, the Communist Party of China is formed. • January 21, 1924: Lenin dies at age 54 of a stroke, and Joseph Stalin, who had served as Lenin’s general secretary, eventually takes over official rule of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953 from a brain hemorrhage. He industrialized the country throug...
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Cold War Begins

  • • May 9, 1945: The U.S.S.R. declares victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. With Japan’s defeat, Korea becomes divided into the communist North (which the Soviets occupied) and the South (which had been occupied by the United States). • March 12, 1947: President Harry S. Truman addresses Congress in what would come to be known as the Truman Doctrine, calling f…
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Communists Win in Cuba, Vietnam

  • • January 1, 1959:Fidel Castro overthrows the corrupt Fulgencio Batista regime, and Cuba becomes a Communist state. • April 25, 1976: Following the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, South Vietnam’s capital is seized by communist forces. A few months later, in July, the nation is reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under communist rule. • October 25, …
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Berlin Wall Falls, Soviet Union Dissolves

  • • November 9, 1989: The Berlin Wall—that separated communist East Berlin from democratic West Berlin for nearly 30 years—falls. The years 1989-90 see the collapse of communist regimes in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Benin, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Yemen. • December 25, 1991: With the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union is diss…
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Sources

  • “History of Communism,” Stanford University “Communism: Karl Marx to Joseph Stalin,” Center for European Studies, University of North Carolina “From Tsar to U.S.S.R.: Russia’s Chaotic Year of Revolution,” National Geographic “The Truman Doctrine, 1947,” U.S. Department of State “The Chinese Revolution of 1949,” U.S. Department of State “The Korean War: Timeline," CBS News “Ti…
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Overview

The history of communism encompasses a wide variety of ideologies and political movements sharing the core theoretical values of common ownership of wealth, economic enterprise and property. Most modern forms of communism are grounded at least nominally in Marxism, a theory and method conceived by Karl Marx during the 19th century. Marxism subsequently gained a widespread following across much of Europe and throughout the late 1800s its militant support…

Origins of communism

Many historical groups have been considered as following forms of communism. Karl Marx and other early communist theorists believed that hunter-gatherer societies as were found in the Paleolithic through to horticultural societies as found in the Chalcolithic were essentially egalitarian and he, therefore, termed their ideology to be primitive communism. One of the first writers to espouse …

Periodisation of international communism of 1993

The historical existence of the Communist International (Comintern) and the broader communist movement is divided among periods, regarding changes in the general policy it followed.
• The War Communism period (1918–1921) which saw the forming of the International, the Russian Civil War, a general revolutionary upheaval after the October Revolution resulting in the formation of the first communist parties across the world and the defeat of workers' revolutionary moveme…

Early socialist states (1917–1944)

At the start of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was an autocracy controlled by Tsar Nicholas II, with millions of the country's largely agrarian population living in abject poverty. The anti-communist historian Robert Service noted that "poverty and oppression constituted the best soil for Marxism to grow in". The man most responsible for introducing the ideology into the country was Georg…

Spreading communism (1945–1957)

As the Cold War took effect around 1947, the Kremlin set up new international coordination bodies including the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the International Union of Students, the World Federation of Trade Unions, the Women's International Democratic Federation and the World Peace Council. Malcolm Kennedy says the "Communist 'front' system included such internatio…

Cold War and revisionism (1958–1979)

The Cultural Revolution was an upheaval that targeted intellectuals and party leaders from 1966 through 1976. Mao's goal was to purify communism by removing pro-capitalists and traditionalists by imposing Maoist orthodoxy within the Chinese Communist Party. The movement paralyzed China politically and weakened the country economically, culturally and intellectually for years. Milli…

End of the Eastern Bloc (1980–1992)

Social resistance to the policies of communist regimes in Eastern Europe accelerated in strength with the rise of the Solidarity, the first non-communist controlled trade union in the Warsaw Pact that was formed in the People's Republic of Poland in 1980.
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev rose to power in the Soviet Union and began policie…

Contemporary communism (1993–present)

With the fall of the communist governments in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, the influence of state-based Marxist–Leninist ideologies in the world was weakened, but there are still many communist movements of various types and sizes around the world. Three other communist nations, particularly those in East Asia such as the People's Republic of China, Vietnam and Laos, all moved toward market economies, but without major privatization of the state secto…