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Communism as a Historical Force - Coggle Diagram

- - - - "Although Marxist theory suggested that the places ripest for social revolution, either through peaceful transition or by force of arms, were industrial societies, communism was mostly successful in underdeveloped countries with endemic poverty such as the Russian Empire and the Republic of China."
      - Didn't account for nations that had a different culture
  - - - Bourgeois (middle class) revolution-
        Industry growth sees the middle class gaining power. They then can reshape the government and society to benefit them. They take power away from the monarchy. This revolution can be violent and quick (France), or drawn-out and non-violent (Britain).
        
        Lenin's changes to Marxism
        
        Revolution accomplished my a highly professional small group of dedicated revolutionaries. Needed to develop revolutionary consciousness of workers.
        
        Believed that revolution would occur in bourgeois conflict. Accepted Trontsky's weakest link theory.
        
        He though the Russian middle class would be too weak to carry through the Bourgeois revolution. The working class and peasants could work together. The bourgeois and socialist revolution could be rolled into one.
        
        Socialist Revolution
        The proletariat moves from class consciousness to revolutionary leaders (often from the middle class) They now form the majority of the population, and Bourgeoisie form the minority. Proleteriats rise up against the enemy, Bourgeoisie. The socialist revolution starts in a highly industrialised country.
        
        Socialism
        Government Workers control the state. At first the government is the dictatorship of the proletariat, a period of strict control necessary to deal with the counter-revolution (old capitalist enemies trying to recover power) and root out non-socialist attitudes.
        Means of production Factories, machines not owned by individuals (capitalist era) They are owned by everyone collectively
        Social organisation Everybody is equal, the class system is brought to an end. Wealth and goods are produced by industry and shared out equally. Everybody has equal access to housing and decents standards of living
        
        Transistion to communism
        The need for government declines because there are no competing classes
        
        Communism
        Government There is no state, just people who are interested in managing the day-to-day business of keeping society going.
        Social Organisation Everybody is equal. There is an abundance of goods produced machinery rather than by worker's labour, so everyone has much more leisure time. People work on principle - take what they can from the community pool, and contribute to society in whatever way they can (Marx's view of Communist society is not very clear)
        
        Capitalism-
        Government:Democracy with civil rights elections and freedom of the press. Largely run by the middle class.
        Means of Production: Industrial premises, factories, and banks owned by capitalists. The land is not as important, industry increase and national wealth is more shared than before
        Social Organisation:Middle class (Bourgeois) is the ruling class. Aristocracy holds positions of power and prestige. The Proletariat (peasants) become industrial workers and are forced to work long hours for little reward
        Revolutionary change: Capitalism grows so does the amount of proletariats. More workers needed to work in more factories. great wealth and materials andmaterial goods are produced. Bourgeois get more wealthy and proletariats become more poor. Development of class consciousness and proletariats relaise being oppressed
- - - - Radical Marxists.
        Led by Lenin.
        Believed in small group of well organised revolutionaries should act on behalf of proletariat to organise revolution.
        Organise into cells to spread propaganda
        Believed it necessary to modify Marx ideas to suit Russia Split caused loss of support- they were initially small and weak.
        Wanted a small elite party to force the pace of revolution.
      - Did not believe Russia was ready for revolution.
        Wanted to educate proletariat to prepare them for revolution which would happen naturally as class conflict developed.
        Wanted to help workers through trade unions Trotsky thought Lenin’s ideas would turn to dictatorship.
        Believed in a broad based party Although had more support, never became well-organised.
    - - Establish the soviet union in 1917 (October Rev), Lenin and Stalin, Soviet Union became the major world power and leading advocate of communism.
        
        In 1917, the Bolshevik Party seized power during the Russian Revolution and in 1922 created the Soviet Union, the world's first self-declared socialist state.
        
        Popular with the people because of “LAND, BREAD, PEACE” - everything
        
        Violence was inherent in Bolshevik ideology as it was forged in revolution.
        
        “The Soviet Union had the audacity to use brute force to transform the world, which was followed by China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia and other smaller communist nations, however, none proved to be working.”
        
        COMINTERN “Pivotal to this policy was the Communist International, also known as the Comintern, formed with the perspective of aiding and assisting communist parties around the world and fostering revolution. This was one major cause of tensions during the Cold War as the United States and its military allies equated the global spread of communism with Soviet expansionism by proxy.”
  - - - “Firmly adhered to the guidance of Marxism” “whilst constantly ensuring that it keeps pace with the times and the country’s changing needs”
        
        “China offers an example for other developing countries that are struggling to modernise, as well as developed countries troubled by the shortcomings of capitalism”
        
        Communism, by itself, was really a foreign concept, but when the CCP brought it to its people, it had universal appeal: equal opportunities for all, no more war and no more suffering, a fresh new start. CCP made the same promise as other peasant revolts had made before it, and China rallied behind it.”
  - - - Only wanted independence, became a proxy war in the Cold war
    - - The Khmer Rouge (communist) army was supported by the North Vietnamese army and the Chinese Communist Party. Despite a massive American bombing campaign (Operation Freedom Deal) against them, the Khmer Rouge won the Cambodian Civil War when they captured the Cambodian capital and overthrew the Khmer Republic in 1975.
    - - Fought between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army and the military forces of the Federation of Malaya, British Empire and Commonwealth
    - - The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government. It was also a proxy war between China/USSR and USA
  - - - It had some success in winning over Egypt, Ghana and the Congo - at least initially, but most of its success came in the 1960s with Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola and Ethiopia.
        
        After 1945, with the outbreak of the ‘Cold War’, the USSR competed with the USA for the ‘hearts and minds’ of those countries of Asia and Africa that were fighting for independence.
        
        African Nationalist reasons, many wanted their freedom, LUSOPHONE countries (Portuguese), Portugal became socialist (not communist) briefly, gave independence to African colonies in the 1960s
        
        This resonated in the 1960s, people turned to Leninism to see how they could organise the overthrow of these colonial powers
        
        Communism has been transplanted/imposed into Africa, doesn't really work out, FUNDAMENTAL WEAKNESS different cultural values and issues. It was a construct placed on to Africa, it was never going to last, but they wanted to get rid of their colonial chains
- - - - Not orchestrated by the CPNZ but some memebers of the party and sympathisers were involved in supporting the striking workers. Providign financial and moral support but no ochestration.
        
        Occured in a political environment that was scared due to the cold war and there was a present anti-communism sentiment
        
        As it had left-winged orientations, some leaders and members were sympathetic to the communist ideas
        
        But the waterfront strike of workers cannot be characterised as a communist event. Instead as a complex play of labour, political and social forces in NZ during the early 1950s.
        
        The Government saw the strikes as a threat to national security, accusing the strikers of being influenced by communists -- state of emergency called troops deployed and emergency regualtions used to break the strikes
  - - - They had limited electoral success, CPNZ contested several general elections during this period but they didnt win any seats = marginal infuence on NZs political landscape.
  - - - NZ governement during the cold war feared the spread of communism. To limit the extent to which it was able to spread, suppression of activities occured.
        
        SIS secret service was implemented to watch over and control communist directed activity. CPNZ memebers were closely monitored by the government to limit their ability to spread ideologies
  - - - Communism was present in NZ but as a minor political force compared to other influences such as westernisation
        
        Influence was greatly limited by the electoral success of CPNZ and mainstream acceptance greatly controlled by the governments fears when looking at the impacts of the cold war- media provoking these fears to generate newspaper articles
  - - - NZ aligned with the Western Bloc (US and UK included) both sharing anti-cmmunist beliefs. The visit from the queen reinstated the foreign relationship between the 2 nations
        
        Didn't directly influence the impact of communism in NZ, but did indirectly remind the nation of their foreign relations and historical ties to the crown and UKs political standings.