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COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST COUNTRIES. Karl Marx. “Father of Communism” German Socialist The Communist Manifesto (1848). Principles of Socialism. Capitalists control private enterprise (means of production ), creating an unacceptable inequality - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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COMMUNIST AND POST-
COMMUNIST COUNTRIES
Karl Marx
• “Father of Communism”• German Socialist• The Communist
Manifesto (1848)
Principles of Socialism
• Capitalists control private enterprise (means of production), creating an unacceptable inequality
• In favor of the equality of outcome (no hunger or poverty)
• People as a whole should control economic enterprises.
• Capitalist elite exploit masses
Principles of Marxism
• Society passes through stages– Pre-modern to industrial
• Class conflict– Bourgeoisie (Capitalist elite)– Proletariat (working masses)
• Elite capitalists create a SUPERSTRUCTURE– Institutions to control the masses
• GOVERNMENT• RELIGION
Principles of Marxism
• Revolution occurs in an industrialized society– Proletariat masses rise up
• Post-Revolution– No superstructure– No exploitation of worker– No private ownership– “From each according to his abilities,
to each according to his needs.”• Society w/no superstructure (no state institutions
or private property)=“Communism”
Russian Revolution, 1917• BOLSHEVIKS overthrew Russian government.
– “Larger Faction” of Social Democratic Party– Actually: the minority– Eventually call themselves “COMMUNISTS”
• V.I. Lenin: Marxist leader of Bolsheviks
• Rivals killed or sent to gulags
• Solidified control in 1921.
• Renamed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Leninism v. Marxism• Russia was pre-industrial• A VANGUARD of the
REVOLUTION (small group of revolutionary leaders) was necessary to provoke revolution.
• DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM– Rule by a few key leaders.
• Primacy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU)– THE superstructure.
• New Economic Policy (NEP)– Allowed some private
property and businesses
Marxism-Leninism
• Marx’s revolutionary anti-capitalism; Lenin’s reliance of communist party-state.
• 1924: Lenin dies • Named no successor• 1927: Joseph Stalin
took control.
Stalin’s Two-Part Plan
COLLECTIVIZATION• Ended private
ownership (NEP)• Collective Farms
– Huge, state-run farms
INDUSTRIALIZATION• Forced society to
industrialize.• Surplus peasants farmers
forced to cities.• Five Year Plan
– Double production of all major industries.
• Gosplan– Central State Planning
Commission created goals for entire economy.
Stalinism
• Collectivization and industrialization by central planning, executed with force and brutality.
PURGES• Millions of citizens and
party member killed.• Obsessed with
disloyalty within party.• Millions more sent to
labor camps (gulag)
Command v. Market EconomyCOMMAND ECONOMY MARKET ECONOMY
Resource use and production
Ownership of Industry
Property RightsEmployment
Determined by Central Planning
Determined by supply
and demand.State owns
most economic resources
Private ownership of
resources.
Little to none Fully Protected
State-controlled
Individual-controlled
The Party State• CPSU ran the state.• Oversaw all people and
institutions.• CPSU only route to
success.• 10% of adults were
members• Power centered with
POLITBURO & SECRETARIAT– Democratic Centralism– GENERAL SECRETARY
was head of both
Recruitment of Party Elites
• Nomenklatura– Lists of “qualified” CPSU members who could fill
important party positions.– Secretariat controlled appointments– Elite ruling class
Communism and the Cold War
• Nikita Khrushchev (1953-64)– Loosened censorship– Denounced Purges– Decreased Cold War
tensions• Leonid Brezhnev
(1964-1982)– Stagnating economy– Massive military
spending
Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991)New Programs
• GLASNOST: – political “openness”– Allowed political dissent
• PERESTROIKA:– Economic “restructuring”– Introduce elements of
market economy– Private enterprise and
private ownership (farms)
Flaws in the Soviet System
Lack of incentive for workers• “They pretend to pay us; we pretend to work.”• “The system is not working because we are
not working.”
Flaws of Soviet System
Lack of innovation• Nomenklatura– Inbred spoils system– Encourages status quo
• RAMPANT BUREAUCRATIC INEFFICIENCY– Poorly planned/run economy
Flaws of the Soviet System
Excessive Defense Spending• 40% of the Budget• 15-20% of GDP
• 4 times greater than U.S.
Glasnost: Soviet Republics USSR• 15 republics• 92 different ethnic groups• 112 different languages• Various republics (regions) pushed for independence.
• Baltic States: 1989– Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
1991 Coup Attempt
• Communist hard-liners oppose Gorbachev’s reforms.
• 3-day coup• Gorbachev
detained at dacha.
1991 Coup Attempt
• Boris Yeltsin– President of Russian Republic– USSR’s largest “state.”
• Rallied public• Opposed Coup• Gorbachev resigns• USSR disbands– Dec 1991
Commonwealth of Independent States (1991-current)
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