The Communist World (1945-1982): Characteristics, Countries, and Tensions
Classified in History
Written at on English with a size of 3.54 KB.
The Communist World (1945-1982)
General Characteristics
- Political System: Dictatorship of the proletariat. The common interest was prioritized over individual rights and freedom.
- Countries established institutions that merged executive and legislative powers, allowing only the existence of a single party: the communist party.
- Economy: Controlled by the state.
- Collectivized land
- Nationalized industry and services
- Controlled the market and prices
- Economic Performance:
- 1945-1960: Recovered from the war crisis.
- Post-1960: Economic slowdown due to:
- Low productivity
- Lack of economic incentives
- Technological backwardness compared to the West
- Lack of consumer products leading to rationing
- Communist Society:
- In theory: Egalitarian and classless.
- In practice: Significant differences between the communist party (controlling the state bureaucracy) and the rest of the population.
- Improved standard of living after the war, but not to Western levels.
- State-guaranteed:
- Full employment
- Basic needs (education and health)
- Improved public services (though with poor equality)
The Communist Countries
Communist Bloc (Soviet Union):
- Central and Eastern Europe (Soviet troops after WWII)
- Revolutions in China (1949) and Cuba (1959)
- Parts of Asia (North Korea and Indochina)
- Parts of Africa (Angola and Namibia)
The Soviet Union
- Stalin's death in 1953
- Khrushchev's de-Stalinization: Combating abuse of power and the cult of personality; allowing some freedom of speech and thought.
- Brezhnev's halt to reforms after Khrushchev's death in 1964.
- Soviet Satellites in Eastern Europe: State repression of revolts and independence claims (e.g., Hungary in 1956, Prague Spring in 1968).
Communist China
- Post-WWII civil war between Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist government and Mao Zedong's communist rebellion.
- Mao's victory in 1949: Establishment of the People's Republic of China; Nationalist government's retreat to Formosa (Taiwan).
- Characteristics of Maoist China:
- Repression of opposition
- Strict control by the communist party
- Cultural Revolution (1966-1971): Forced abandonment of traditional ways of life.
- Collectivization and communes: Self-sufficient units combining agriculture and industry.
- "Great Leap Forward": Economic plans for heavy industry development in 1958.
Extreme Tension (1947-1956)
The Blockade of Berlin
- Berlin, located in the Soviet occupation zone, was divided into four sectors (British, French, American, and Soviet).
- 1948: Allies unified their sectors; Stalin responded with a blockade of West Berlin.
- Allies airlifted supplies to West Berlin.
- Blockade ended in 1949.
The Korean War
- Post-war Korea divided at the 38th parallel:
- North: Communist government backed by the USSR.
- South: Anti-communist dictatorship supported by the USA.
- North Korea invaded the South, triggering the war.
- China and Russia supported North Korea; the USA aided South Korea.
- War ended in 1953 with the restoration of the previous border.