USSR - Communism Chapter

So, we discussed the basics of MARXISM

Basically, a critique of CAPITALISM - which was already well into swing by the 20th century

But, lots of economic oppression, lots of poverty, lots of inequality

So, the world was rife for a Communist revolution, according to some historians

So COMMUNISM - not purely economic: was political and social as well

He believed that the most pervasive and MOST IMPORTANT social cleavage was between ECONOMIC CLASSES

PROLETARIOT VS BOURGEOISIE

Marx's SUPERSTRUCTURE - was the base of society that allowed economic injustice to continue...so in the revolution, EVERYTHING must be destroyed to start anew

"false consciousness" - capitalist world has imposed a reality which is not accurate, human beings must free themselves from this deception

Nationalism, religion, ethnicities - all diversions to distract people from the ROOT problem of their unhappiness

So capitalist democracy would eventually be overthrown by its flaws

Important to note that Marx believed ENGLAND would be the best example for a Communist state

He said, Communist revolution would BEST occur in a state that was:

INDUSTRIALIZED

URBANIZED

DEVELOPED

CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY

As you'll see, neither Russia nor China fell into this category

The rebellion would occur once the proletariat GAINED CONSCIOUSNESS

An important component of MARXISM: INTERNATIONAL REVOLUTION

Will be a source of contention in the USSR

Then Marx envisioned "dictatorship of the proletariat" - didn't really happen, we'll discuss reasons why

HISTORY OF THE USSR

Russia - vast expanse and vast empire, ruled by TSARS since the 1400s, of the Romanov clan

Very feudal system - serfs were only given freedom in 1881, under Alexander III

1917 - Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra on the throne

Tsarist state had been weakened by several forces: greater agitation for democratic reform

great losses in WWI - forced Russia's withdrawal

loss of power and prestige

economic crisis as well

Revolution of 1917

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - was exiled for a while, but came back to stir up trouble

However, when the Tsar was overthrown, it was done so by the February Revolution - Aleksandr Kerensky, attempted to establish DEMOCRATIC REGIME

Many problems, Lenin in Switzerland - DEAL STRUCK TO GET HIM BACK TO RUSSIA

Arrived, and instated the OCTOBER REVOLUTIONwith Leon Trotsky

So it overthrew Kerensky's Provisional Government, which led to a Civil War between 1918-1920, during which the Whites (old order) fought the Reds (Communists)

So what did October Revolution accomplish?

Decree on Land - all peasants who had seized land during war were free from persecution

Also, many peripheral areas declared their independence - Baltic States, Ukraine, some parts of Central Asia

Lenin's Philosophy

Marxism-Leninism:

What Is To Be Done?

Lenin diverged from Marxist theory on a few points:

He asserted that Marxism would happen in DEVELOPING countries

On the matter of achieving consciousness: can only be done through the leadership of the "revolutionary vanguard" - effectively justifying a dictatorship

Also involved "democratic centralism" - party members should be elected democratically, but once the Party makes a decision, all must follow it

Lenin enforced Marx's ideal of WORLD REVOLUTION - one communist state cannot stand alone

Lenin in power:

December 30, 1922 - Lenin declares Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (includes Russia, Belarussia, Ukraine, and Transcaucasian Republics)

NEW ECONOMIC POLICY -

needed to rebuild economy after years of war

somewhat free enterprise

tax agricultural goods - allow farmers to sell them for a profit

peasants can lease land and hire farm laborers

small factories can be owned by individuals

retail trade is allowed

but state would retain control of heavy industry, foreign trade, and banking

Was successful - by 1928, economy had recovered to pre-WWI levels

STALIN

Lenin left no clear successor - battle between Trotsky and Stalin over party leadership

Stalin eventually prevailed - sent Trotsky to Latin America, where he was later killed in a

suspicious car crash

Stalin - small man from Georgia, solidified his leadership in 1929

Important Developments in Stalinist Russia:

Collectivization Campaigns

agricultural production was very low

to stimulate production, Stalin COLLECTIVIZED farms - made larger, state-controlled farms out of the smaller, privately owned farms of the KULAKS (peasants)

KULAKS: opposed collectivization, state control, were richer peasants

Stalin: "eliminate Kulaks" - 5 million sent to Siberia, one million deported, catastrophic famine in 1932, 1940 - 95 percent of farms collectivized - some numbers say that some 10 million were killed in the Ukraine

marked the end of the NEP - full state interference in the economy from now on

Industrialization

ran according to FIVE YEAR PLANS (28-32, 32-37, 37-41..WWII)

CENTRAL PLANNING/CENTRAL ECONOMY - discuss

focused all Soviet resources on development of HEAVY INDUSTRY

wanted to forcibly drag USSR out of traditional, agrarian state into modern

developed economy

thought the success of rapid industrialization would prove to the world the benefits

of socialism

First Five Year Plan - partial success - industrial growth rates at 12 percent

production failed to meet targets

out of balance - sometimes requested less resources than

needed

Second and Third Plans: continued heavy industry push

lowered targets, tried to improve quality of goods

failed targets as well...BUT managed to industrialize the

nation, caught up to speed with West

Came at great cost - consumer goods scarce, many goods rationed

couldn't provide decent housing or sanitation

city populations exploded

1926 - 18 % lived in cities

1940 - 33% lived in cities

International Affairs

Stalin rejects idea of "exporting revolution," focuses only on USSR

But, still supports idea of "world revolution" - Comintern - gather support for Marxism

FP full of contradictions

Expanded contact and trade with capitalist nations

Built up a relationship with Communist China, as Japan attempted to expand inward

became even more involved with Western countries as WWII seemed imminent

Purges

Stalin a very paranoid leader

Purge of the Communist Party - remove all traitors - began in late 1920s, continued for years

Sergei Kirov, party leader in Leningrad, assassinated

Great Purge begins - 8 million citizens arrested on suspicion of disloyalty to state

Most sent to labor camps

Military hard hit, nearly all officers removed

Communist Party - only 37 percent survived purges

Post WWII

Era of cooperation with Allies over after the blockade of Berlin

Era of expansion - USSR reinvaded Baltic republics, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Romania - by 1948 they all established Communist regimes, directly influenced by Moscow

Descent of "Iron Curtain," formal diplomatic break with the West (detente), and Cold War

Stalin's legacies: torturing, killing, repressing religion, attacking humanities- Solzhenitsyn

estimated 20 million died under rule, 14.5 million from starvation

died in 1956

KHRUSCHEV

1956-1964

February 1956 - Secret Speech - denounced personality cult of Stalin and the Great Purges

Key events:

1955 - Warsaw Pact - Done to counter NATO

1956 Revolution in Hungary - after speech, Hungarian nationalists attempted to overthrow Soviet-imposed government. Khruschev brought in tanks, suppressed the freedom fighters, re-instated Communist govt

Split with China over nuclear program

Peaceful coexistence - took a different tact than Stalin, didn't want to engage in full on warfare, just wanted to work at surpassing the West in power

1961 - constructed the Berlin Wall to solidify Cold War and Iron Curtain

exonerated many political prisoners - amnesty program to allow them to live in peace

Liberalisation of the arts - enabled Solzhenitsyn and other controversial writers to publish in USSR

Negatives - suppression of Hungary, construction of Berlin Wall, very poor diplomatic skills, couldn't manage the economy well, very near miss with the Cuban Missile Crisis

Removed from power in 1964

BREZHNEV

1964-1982

Khruschev's protege

Conservative and regressive

tried to emulate Stalin's method of rule

First show trials since Stalin of intellectuals and artists - KGB became very powerful once again

Responsible for bloody crackdown of the Prague spring, in which Dubcek attempted to remove Soviets from power

Brezhnev Doctrine - USSR had right to interfere in the politics of their satellite states

Sino-Soviet relations still bad. In an effort to prevent Sino-American alliance, Brezhnev negotiated Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty 1 (SALT 1) with Nixon, beginning of DETENTE - a relaxation in tensions

1970s - Soviet Union at the height of political power, real rival for the US, extended power to Middle East and Africa, intervened in Angolan civil war, helped with Ethiopia-Somalia war

Economically - a mess

Still relied too much on agriculture

Incapable of modernization or innovation, because it depended on state to decide

Economic stagnation

Too many demands - space program, Afghan war, etc

Standard of living decreased, state provisions deteriorated

High corruption, and growth of the shadow, or black, economy

Brezhnev - era of Stagnation

Andropov

1982-1984 - 16 months in power

tried to improve economy/curtail corruption

anti-alcohol campaign, used Stalinist methods to enforce it

war in Afghanistan continued, relationship with US became worse (military actions, threats of war)

but, he was thought to be in favor of gradual reform - which is why he promoted Gorbachev

Gorbachev - we'll discuss tomorrow

So Soviet Union:

was a repressive state

harsh policies

no freedom whatsoever

very stagnated, very repressive

However, a few positives:

gender equality at all time high - women work as much as men, no gender distinction

moved Russia from an agrarian society to an industrial society in 15 years

successfully united 15 different republics with different religions and cultures, and almost 130 different languages

Required the cooperation of MANY people - nomenklatura - politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or the economy that are staffed by people chosen or approved by the communist party

also called APPARATCHIKS

So that's the Communist history of the SOVIET UNION

Let's discuss the evolution of Communism in CHINA

Brief overview of modern China

January 1, 1912 - Republic of China declared, ending Qing empire. Power held by Sun Yat-sen of the KMT/Nationalist Party

Overthrown by a former Qing general, who took the presidency

After general died, China became politically fragmented

In late 1920s, Chiang Kai-shek, of Nationalist party, reunified the country, attempted to turn China into a politically modern and democratic state

1947 - Constitutional rule is established, ongoing war with Communists

1949 - Mao Zedong (Tsetong) took power, forced Nationalists to Taiwan (where they maintain they are the "true" China).

People's Republic of China - October 1, 1949

Known as PRC

Developed infrastructure, industry, health care, education - first time in Chinese history

Attempted to follow Soviet example - attempted land redistribution and forced industrialization, to some succeess

Great Leap Forward - began in Hunan in 1958, soon was expanded

the idea was to overtake the UK's economy in 15 years

GLF - produce STEEL - 25,000 communes set up - each commune included 5,000 households

resulted in the forced collectivization of peasants

Economic disaster - killed between 25 and 60 mill people (no agricultural production, mass starvation)

1959 - Three Bitter Years (natural disasters)

CULTURAL REVOLUTION -

1969 - 1976 (arrest of gang of four)

Mao wanted to curtail the power of the communist party - so encourage students to rise up against them

Power struggle with Liu Shaoqi, so Mao wanted to remove his power base

China now would openly persecute intellectuals and artists

great purges and hunts for "counter-revolutionaries"

tried to make people repent and confess in public - this evidence would later be used in show trials and for execution

perpetuated by the "Red Guards"

aim was to destroy the "Four Olds" - old customs, habits, culture, and thinking

a guise to remove threats to communist power

colleges shut - everything was attacked and destroyed that stood for old authority

schools, temples, etc

Mao then purged CP of thousands of officials - one of them was Deng Xiaoping

wound up destroying most of China's social fabric

ended with arrest of "Gang of Four" - led Cultural Revolution, drove hundreds of thousands of people to suicide

(allowed to be arrested in 1976 because Mao died in 1976)

China's historical legacy was nearly destroyed

Minority culture in China was viciously attacked

Was the inspiration for Pol Pot to commit genocide in Cambodia

Social displacement at an all time high

PRC Post-Mao

Deng Xiaoping became leader - not as harsh as Mao

Government gave more and more freedom to citizens (but it's still very limited)

Many economic reforms, inspiring some to label it as a mixed economy

Open Door policy - foreign businesses can invest in China

four special economic zones in S. China - with tax incentives, to encourage investment

since early 1980s - one of the fastest economic growths in world history

creation of urban middle class (15% of population), higher living standards, high GDP

Some negative aspects of limited privatisation of economy: greater wealth disparity, environmental destruction, rampant corruption, widespread unemployment

Still tight control over Tibet and potential dissenters

1989 - Tianenmen Square Massacre

Death of reformist Hu Yaobang, led to student demonstrations in Beijing

Began April 15 - ended brutally on June 4

Protests started out small, got much larger

made demands for a free media, and formal dialogue between authorities and elected representatives of the people

Government declared martial law on May 20, but protests continued

Finally, state decided to use military force

Sent out soldiers, who were attacked by civilians - then state authorized killings

Death toll varies - Chinese Red Cross say 2600 died, protesters say 7000 died, BBC News says "several hundred people"

Black eye and massive human rights violation

Worldwide uproar - international condemnation

Jiang Zemin

became premier after Tianenmen Square

Three goals: maintain social stability, continue gradual economic reforms, and keep Party's grip on power

was very talented at manipulating the media

began crackdown on Falun Gong

Legacy: some say he focused too much on economic growth, ignored environmental damage

also, enabled widening of gap between rich and poor

left a very unbalanced and potentially polarized populace

added the theory of capitalist business laws into Chinese communism

Contemporary China under Hu Jintao

became premier in 2002

so far, not much independence from Party

although, claims to focus on "putting people first"

Right now, China is cultivating expanding business opportunities with the West

Member of the WTO

preparing for 2008 Olympics

extra-careful about human rights - but abuses still continue - arrest of Falun Gong and journalists still occur

crackdown on foreign Internet and news services

Problems facing China

Too much industrialization in the East (Beijing, Shanghai), not enough in the rural West (Xinjiang)

Curbing population growth -

Most populous country - 1.3 bn (1/5 of world pop)

"One child" policy - only rural families are allowed a second child if first born is female

Leads to infanticide, abandonment, and prostitution

Mass migration from west to east

Ethnic issues

55 minority groups - although 95% are Han

mostly in border areas

Two big forces - Tibet and Uighurs in Xinjiang

Poverty

According to China, they say it was 85 million in 1990 to 29 million now. World Bank disagrees

new class of dispossessed - urban poor

widening wealth gap

Environment

World Bank - 16/20 most polluted cities were in China

also spreading to Japan and Korea

World's second biggest emitter of CO2

Also, rivers in the south are drying up

Social change

switch from traditional lifestyle to modern, urban one

90 million internet users

But...many more without

How to fix?