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UNIT 3: COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST STATES Jessica Ryan 20 th Century History

UNIT 3: COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST STATES Jessica Ryan 20 th Century History. COMMUNIST WORLD . Where is/was the communist world? Eastern Europe, Asia, Cuba 1989-91 period of change Most countries moved away from communism and toward economic and political liberalization

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UNIT 3: COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST STATES Jessica Ryan 20 th Century History

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  1. UNIT 3: COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST STATES Jessica Ryan 20th Century History

  2. COMMUNIST WORLD • Where is/was the communist world? • Eastern Europe, Asia, Cuba • 1989-91 period of change • Most countries moved away from communism and toward economic and political liberalization • Remaining communist countries • China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam • Given reforms in many of these countries, how communist are they?

  3. EVOLUTION OF COMMUNIST THEORY • Karl Marx (1818-83) • Communist Manifesto (1848) • Two classes: bourgeoisie and proletariat • Exploitation of proletariat  revolution • Ideal society: “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” • Communism as culmination of capitalism: revolutions most likely in industrialized societies • “What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.”

  4. EVOLUTION OF COMMUNIST THEORY • Lenin (1870-1924) • Adapted Marx’s ideas to Russian realities • Vanguard party: would lead the revolution (not spontaneous) • Democratic centralism: competition within single party • “Imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism” • Cominternto export the revolution to other countries • Came to power in Russia 1917, died 1924 • Mao Zedong (1893-1976) • Adapted ideas for non-industrial China • Peasant army • Communal production, reject elitism • Inspired nationalist movements in many countries • Came to power in China 1949, died 1976

  5. FEATURES OF COMMUNIST STATE • Party state • Parallel communist party and govt institutions at all levels • Politburo in party similar to cabinet in government • General Secretary of party = leader of country • Party makes policy, government implements • Command economy • All decisions about production, supply, costs made by government planners • Five-year plans • High degree of social control • Police state, party spies at local level • Dual economic and political transition in recent years

  6. Case Study of Russia

  7. 1ST TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1917 RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONS • Significance: after 1000+ years of feudalism, the communists take charge • Prior to 1917, Russian exiles split into 2 factions • Bolsheviks vs. Mensheviks • March 1917 food riots overthrow of Tsar Nicholas • November 1917: Lenin and followers took over • Lenin in power 1917-24 • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1921 • Proposed free market reforms, but no chance to implement • Stalin wins power struggle, in charge 1928-53 • Collectivization of agriculture  widespread famine • Totalitarian system (quite different from Lenin’s vision)

  8. 2ND TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1957 SPUTNIK LAUNCH • Significance: demonstrates Soviet power and fuels competition with United States • USSR had superpower status after WWII • Satellite states in Eastern Europe through Warsaw Pact • Proxy war in Korea early 1950s • Escalation of Cold War • 1957 Sputnik launch  panic in United States • 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis: narrowly avoided nuclear war • Proxy war in Vietnam (late 1960s, early 1970s) • 1970s détente: easing of tensions, arms agreements • 1980s renewed arms race • Followed Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, proxy war

  9. 3RD TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1991 DISSOLUTION OF SOVIET UNION • Significance: emergence of the “new” Russia • Gorbachev (1985-91) • Glasnost and perestroika: lost control of his own reform process, and USSR soon fell apart • Yeltsin (1991-99) • Serious challenges, inc corruption, organized crime, Chechnya • Personal health problems • Putin (1999-2008) • Moved country in more authoritarian direction • Medvedev (2008) (Putin became prime minister) • Some questions about which one was really in charge • Putin returns to presidency (2012) (Medvedev now PM!) • High domestic approval ratings, but criticized as undemocratic

  10. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS • Dual executive • President: directly elected, very powerful • 2008 amendment: will switch from 4-year terms to 6-year terms • Prime Minister: appointed and confirmed • Some tension, esp when Putin was PM and Medvedev was Pres • Federal Assembly • Federation Council: less powerful, represents regions • State Duma: maximum 4-year terms, PR only since 2005 • Judicial branch: two separate high courts • Constitutional Court: interprets constitution • Supreme Court: highest court of appeal • Federal system with 83 sub-national governments • Some say real power rests with “the oligarchs” (business tycoons), though Putin has acted against any who openly engage in politics (gets them for tax evasion, etc.)

  11. Case Study of China

  12. 1ST TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1911 NATIONALIST REVOLUTION • Significance: end of imperial dynasties and European domination • Trade with Europeans began 1500s, but tightly controlled • 1839-42 Opium War with Britain • Forced China to open to European traders, ceded Hong Kong to UK • Series of rebellions against dynasty • 1911: Nationalist Party (Guomindang) came to power in coup • Sun Yat-sen succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek at death in 1925 • Country torn apart by competing warlords (1916-26) • Rise of Chinese Community Party (formed 1921) • 1934 Long March • 1937-45 Japanese occupation: brief collaboration, but CCP took more active role against Japanese (won supporters) • 1945-49 civil war between Nationalists and Communists

  13. 2ND TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1949 COMMUNIST REVOLUTION • Significance: beginning of communist era • 1949 CCP victory People’s Republic of China • Nationalists fled to Taiwan (Republic of China) • 1960 Sino-Soviet split: Mao kicked out Soviet advisors • Series of mobilization campaigns • Hundred Flowers Campaign (1957) • Encouraged public debate, but cut short when CCP was criticized • Great Leap Forward (1958-60) • Policies resulted in famine, demotion of Mao within CCP leadership • Socialist Education Movement (1962) • Allowed Mao to regain control of CCP by purging it of rivals • Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-69+) • Targeted capitalists, intellectuals, etc. sent to re-education camps • Period of great social upheaval and violence (Ten Catastrophic Years)

  14. 3RD TURNING POINT IN HISTORY: 1978 DENG XIAPING TAKES POWER • Significance: (economic) reformers take charge • After Mao’s death 1976, tensions in CCP between hardliners and reformers (continue even today) • Reformer Deng Xiaoping became paramount leader 1978 • Major economic policy changes… • Sell for profit, foreign direct investment (FDI), etc. huge growth • …but no political reform • April 1989 Tiananmen Square • Pattern continued under Jiang Zemin (1993) and HuJintao (2003) • Minor political reforms (independents can run in local elections, for ex), but radical change unlikely • 1980s Democracy movement: many now living in exile or prison • 1992 Falun Gong: claim to be apolitical, but more members than CCP • Rising international prominence, inc 2008 Beijing Olympics

  15. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: PARTY STATE • Main point: Govt is subordinate to the CCP. Its role is to implement party decisions. • Government institutions • President: maximum of two 5-year terms • State Council: similar to cabinet, but larger • National People’s Congress: meets annually to pass laws • Supreme People’s Court: not independent • People’s Liberation Army: plays important political role • CCP institutions • General Secretary: country’s leader, often holds title of president • Politburo: approx 25 most senior members of CCP • This is where true political debate takes place: discuss policies, argue, etc. • National Party Congress: meets every five years to develop party platform, rally support among faithful, select leaders, etc. • Quite similar to RNC and DNC conventions in US!

  16. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHILE WATCHING “THE TANK MAN” VIDEO • Who was the Tank Man? What happened to him? • How has China changed since 1989? How is it the same? • What is the role of international actors in China? • What did you learn from the video? • With the current economic downturn, how will things change?

  17. PRACTICE QUESTION 1: WHICH COUNTRY IS NOT COMMUNIST TODAY? a)North Korea b)Poland c)Vietnam d)Cuba

  18. PRACTICE QUESTION 2: HOW DID FARMERS FIT INTO MARX’S THEORIES? a)They would lead the communist revolution. b)They would cooperate with workers to revolt. c)They would hide and protect revolutionaries. d)They didn’t because they were too conservative.

  19. PRACTICE QUESTION 3: WHO WAS THE SOVIET LEADER DURING THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS? a)Joseph Stalin b)Nikita Khrushchev c)Leonid Brezhnev d)Mikhail Gorbachev

  20. PRACTICE QUESTION 4: WHO IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA? a)Putin b)Yeltsin c)Medvedev d)Gorbachev

  21. PRACTICE QUESTION 5: WHAT IS THE MORE COMMON NAME FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA? a)Mainland China b)Manchuria c)Hong Kong d)Taiwan

  22. PRACTICE QUESTION 6: WHO IS THE CURRENT LEADER OF CHINA? a)HuJintao b)Deng Xiaoping c)Mao Zedong d)Jiang Zemin

  23. ANSWERS TO PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1)b 2)d 3)b 4)a 5)d 6)a

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