SUDHIR RITESH

ASHISH DEEPAK

GROUP - 9
 D

Communism is a socioeconomic
structure that promotes the
establishment of a classless, stateless
society based on common ownership of
the means of production and property.
D
 D

Communism grew out of the socialist movement of

19th-century in Europe.
German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels believed that violent revolution was all but
inevitable; They called their theory “scientific
socialism,” or COMMUNISM.
They saw socialism as an intermediate stage of
society in which most industry and property were
owned in common but some class differences
remained. Then they reserved the term communism
for a final stage of society in which class differences
had disappeared, people lived in harmony, and
government was no longer needed.
In 1917, Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik
D
Party seized power in Russia and then
there was a shift in the meaning of the
word COMMUNISM.
The Bolsheviks changed their name to the
Communist Party and installed a
repressive, single-party regime devoted
to the implementation of socialist policies.
The Communists formed the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR, or Soviet
Union) from the former Russian Empire
and tried to spark a worldwide revolution
to overthrow capitalism.
 D
After World War II (1939-1945), regimes calling
themselves communist took power in China,
Eastern Europe, and other regions.
This marked the beginning of the Cold War, in
which the Soviet Union and the United States,
and their respective allies, competed for
political and military supremacy.
These regimes shared certain basic features:
– an embrace of Marxism-Leninism,
◦ a rejection of private property and capitalism
◦ state domination of economic activity
◦ absolute control of the government by one party - the
communist party.
The party’s influence in society was pervasive
and often repressive. It controlled and
censored the mass media, restricted religious
worship, and silenced political dissent.
Elimination of the institution of private
property, private ownership of means of
production, production of private profit.
They advocate violence to overthrow
capitalism.
Once the working class acquired control
over the State, as they were not trained in
the art of administration, there was a
temporary period of dictatorship to bring
resistance of all anti-communists to
communism.
The policy formulation and implementation
of economic plans under communism was
in the hands of the Communist Party.
 Communism is based on common ownership of
property.
During the October Revolution in 1917, the communist
Bolshevik Party was able to seize state power in Russia.
Following that revolution, Marxism-Leninism emerged as
the mainstream tendency of communism in world politics.
After the Secret Speech of 1956, a new form of Marxism-
Leninism, pioneered by Mao Zedong and often known as
Maoism outside China, spread worldwide; this ideology
stresses the role of the peasant class and careful
guerrilla warfare as important agents of the communist
revolution.
The idea of a classless, stateless society
based on communal ownership of
property and wealth stretches far back in
Western thought long before The
Communist Manifesto.
Some have traced communist ideas back
to ancient times, such as in
Pythagoreanism and Plato's or to the
early Christian Church, as described in the
Acts of the Apostles.
In the 16th century, the English writer St.
Thomas More portrayed a society based
on common ownership of property in his
treatise Utopia.
Criticism of the idea of private property
continued into the Enlightenment era of the
18th century, through such thinkers as the
deeply religious Jean Jacques Rousseau.
Maximilien Robespierre and his reign of
terror, was greatly admired among
communists. Robespierre was in his turn a
great admirer of Rousseau. The Shakers of
the 18th century practiced communalism as
a sort of religious communism.
Belief-early communist-like utopias also
existed outside of Europe, in Native
American society, and other pre-Colonialism
societies in the Western Hemisphere.
The rise of Communism in China is largely due to a
man named Mao Zedong. He was poorly educated as
a child but highly intelligent. Zedong left home and
had become a member of the Nationalist Army. He
was soon introduced to, and was influenced by the
philosophies of Marxism.

Boxer Rebellion In 1900, China's citizens experienced

starvation, extreme poverty, and grief resulting in
the loss of many innocent lives. This lead to the
acceptance of men like Zedong and the godless
Communistic philosophies of Karl Marx. After
being under the rule of warlords, Chinese begin
joining revolutionary groups & political parties in
order to change their country.
Zedong had the support of roughly 85
percent of the nation who were poor
farmers.

He started a society for the study of

Marxism, and in 1921 its members started
the Chinese Communist Party.
Result of World War II- left many countries
in ruins, great masses of countrymen were
suffering leading to devastating effects. At
such a critical time, an ideal revolution was
required and for China. Communism
inevitably became the glorious path
towards restoration.
Implementation of a new communistic
society required the destruction of the
previous anti-communist Guomindang
regime. Political aid, along with military
support played a significant role of spread
of communism.
Mao Zedong, China's dictator, launched and
raised the communist government in China,
employing many of Stalin's tactics.
He developed a plan called the Great Leap
Forward, which forced collectivization of
agriculture and mass industrialization,
killed somewhere around 16.5 million to 40
million Chinese from 1957 to 1961. He also
ordered the executions of Communist Party
members during his tenure.
Increased health care was given .
Mao focused mainly on the uprising of the
peasant class, as they consisted of 85% of
the population
Focus of Mao’s revolution was on the
peasants, where new land reforms obtained
land from the rich landlords to be given to
the poorer peasants.
By 1945, the majority of power was shifted
towards Communist favor.
Previously arrival of Chiang’s armies
(Nationalist) often indicated theft, rape,
and murders to common villagers, while
Mao’s armies were more educated and
trained to protect the needs of the
peasants in order to win their support
The Chinese Communist Party was under
the leadership of a group called
"PRAGMATISTS”.
The most prominent pragmatist leader,
Deng Xiao-Ping had a nationalistic goal of
making China economically competitive
with the nations of Western Europe and
Japan, and ultimately with the United
States.
No. CHINA USSR
1 Initial years faced less Enormous problem in
resistance. transition from
capitalism- socialism.
2 Had experiences of Being the first faced lots
USSR. of problems.
3 Adv of winning the civil After gaining control
war before gaining plunged into civil war
national control. (1918-22).
4 Civil war, world war Civil war, world war
strengthened . weakened.
5 Had support &guidance Faced the problems on
of USSR, Communist their own.
leaders.
6 Initially Marxist & Marxism, Leninism &
Leninism, Maoism. Trotskyism of
communism.
7 Roots in rural china, Monarchical transitions.
peasants.
8 Mao lived for 27 years Lenin disabled and died
after coming to power only a few years after
and guided. coming into power
9 Party adhered to Party dominated the
ideologies and modified. ideologies.
10 Adopted gradual Adopted sudden
economic reforms. economic reforms when
everything was going
out of control
11 Importance to agricultureInitially no investments
given from second five in agricultural field.
year plan.(2% till 1979,
7% now)