Communism and postcommunism Postcommunist states State Population Russia

Communism and postcommunism

Post-communist states • State Population • Russia 142, 893, 540 • Poland 38, 536, 869 GDP per capita $12, 100 (P. P. P. ) $14, 100 (P. P. P. )

Communist states under reform • State Population GDP per capita • P. R. C. 1, 313, 973, 713 $7, 600 (P. P. P. ) • Vietnam 84, 402, 966 $3, 100 (P. P. P. )

Communist states • State Population GDP per capita • Cuba 11, 382, 820 $3, 900 (P. P. P. ) • D. P. R. K. 23, 113, 019 $1, 800 (P. P. P. )

Historical origins of the regimes • October Revolution in Russia (1917) – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics • East Europe and North Korea after WWII • Chinese revolution (1911 -1949) – Chinese Communist Party • Vietnamese revolution (1945 -1975) • Cuban revolution (1959)

“Arc of Containment”

A Soviet camp? • Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 in Eastern Europe to counter NATO • divisions within world communist movement – Albania and Yugoslavia broke free from Soviet control after the late 1940 s – USSR-PRC ideological and military conflicts after the late 1950 s

3 pillars of communist regime • Marxist ideology – Karl Marx (1818 - 1883) • Communist Party – Lenin (1870 - 1924) • command economy – Stalin (1879 - 1953)

Leninist party • Party monopoly – of the “correct ideology” – of political power • Communist Party – proletarian vanguard – alone could comprehend and represent the objective long-term interests of the masses

The Party State • Communist Party held monopoly on real decision-making power – government responsible for implementation • Communist Party leaders – cult of personality around Stalin – de-Stalinization after 1956 – collective leadership

Organization of Leninist party • nomenklatura – Party control of government – appointment to key positions • “democratic centralism” – centralized decision-making • internal discipline

Organization of Leninist party • hierarchy – General Secretary – Secretariat – Politburo – Central Committee – Party Committees at local levels • republics, provinces, counties, etc. – Party Committees/Branches in firms etc.

Command economy • state ownership of property • state management of firms • central planning

Command economy • Early successes – mobilization of resources – heavy industry – reduce poverty • later problems – consumer goods shortage – technologically backward – international competition

Reforms • Deng Xiaoping’s “reform and opening up” since late 1970 s

Gorbachev’s Reforms (1985 -91) • glasnost – openness in the political system • perestroika – economic restructuring • foreign policy – improved relationship with the West – transformed relationship with East European states

Collapse of communism (1989) • Democratization in East Europe – Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, etc. • pro-democracy student movement in China – Tian’anmen Square • breakup of the Soviet Union – 1991