East European Communism and Its Collapse, Part I

2 PERSPECTIVES ON COMMUNISM

Communism understood as a global systemic phenomenon – a product of, and a challenge to, global capitalism, vision of a post-capitalist system of the future

Communism understood as a regional and civilizational phenomenon - a phase in the historical development of a group of Eurasian countries, starting with Russia

A global system perspective: communism as a product of capitalism

Capitalism

A social system based on private ownership of the means of production, in which:

the main goal of economic activity is the maximization of profit, and

the main mechanism of social coordination is the market

Guided by the “unseen hand” of the market, individuals buy and sell labour, land, goods, services, stocks, information

The capitalist system began to form about 500 years ago when the following developments converged:

Formation of the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie - literally, the word means “the city dwellers”): first, merchants and bankers, later, industrialists – people whose main source of power is money derived from the workings of the market economy

Creation of nation-statesExpansion of international trade and conquest of

coloniesNew technologies made human labour more

productiveThe rise of new ideas – social change, progress,

democracy

Capitalism gives a new meaning to the word “revolution”

Capitalism thrives on change and constantly generates it - technological, economic, social, cultural, political

Economic and social instability, booms and busts, political upheavals

How can such an unstable system be maintained?

Changing relations between the state, society and the market economy

Market forces, not subject to effective control by society, can turn against man:

-- inadequacy of the profit motive to meet many human needs

-- the destructive power of the market (creative or not)

Capitalism, through increasing inequality of social power, creates its own enemies in society – the dispossessed, the exploited, which become breeding grounds for movements for radical change

Liberal democracy opens opportunities for radical forces in society seeking to overthrow capitalism. Whether the radical impulses can be tamed through reforms is a matter of debate

The rise of socialism: 19th-20th centuriesFollow the link: The Socialist International Socialist movements accompany the development of capitalism They follow on the steps of capitalist development Most socialists start out as radical democrats, disappointed with the

failures and limitations of liberal democracy The socialist movement emerges as a product of the age of liberal

revolutions, triggered off by the American War of Independence and the Great French Revolution of 1789-93

1848: After an unsuccessful wave of democratic revolutions swept through Europe, a group of German radical democrats led by journalist Karl Marx and industrialist Friedrich Engels founded “The League of Communists”

Their founding document was “The Communist Manifesto” The Communist Manifesto:

http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html

Marx and Engels in London, 1867

Marxism is born as a new philosophy and ideology addressing the new set of problems posed by the development of capitalism:

Recognizes capitalism as the new stage of progress, which speeds up development of society and integrates humanity on a global basis

Offers a critical analysis of how capitalism works Offers a diagnosis of the profound contradictions of the

capitalist system Predicts that, having developed fully, capitalism will at some

point need to be replaced with a “communist” system That system will not based on private ownership, profit motive

and free market The transition from capitalism to communism will require

revolutions led by the international working class

Starting from 1860s - rise of the socialist movement in Europe

Working-class parties based on Marxist ideology Early 20th century: split in the socialist movement

Social Democrats, struggling for reforms of capitalism, believing in an evolutionary transformation of capitalism into socialism

vs. Communists, rejecting the evolutionary approach and

preparing revolutions for the overthrow of capitalism

World War I shakes global capitalism to its foundations 1917: Russia explodes in a revolution. Russian Communists led by Vladimir Lenin take power

through an armed uprising, build a one-party dictatorship and proceed with creation of a non-capitalist (“socialist”) system, vowing to promote “world revolution”

Under Stalin’s totalitarian rule, Russia, constituted as the Soviet Union, undergoes rapid modernization at enormous human cost, becoming an industrial state with a powerful army

In World War II, the Soviet Union is invaded by Nazi Germany

The communist system is subjected to a deadly test by war - and passes it

The USSR, USA, Britain and China form an alliance against Hitler and his allies

By 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies are defeated The Soviet Union establishes control of Eastern Europe,

helping Eastern European Communists set up Communist regimes there

1949: Communists take control of China In the West, Social Democrats pursue successful reforms

of capitalism, defending it from the Communist challenge

The impact of Marxism: In Eastern Europe:

the rise, reform and fall of socialist states in Russia and Eastern Europe (1917-1991)

In Western Europe: Social democracy became a key political pillar of 20th

century capitalism, helping stabilize the system through social reforms and becoming an integral part of capitalist political elites

In Asia: Communists ensured national independence of China,

North Korea and Vietnam The rise of Communist China through successful

integration into the global capitalist economy

Capitalism has not collapsed

It has continued to develop

It has spread throughout the world

Marxists (communists and social democrats) have not succeeded in overthrowing capitalism

In fact, they have helped prolong its life by:

Promoting social reforms

Helping overthrow empires and replace them by nation-states

Modernizing backward societies

Facilitating economic globalization and the spread of liberal democracy

21st century:

A triumph of capitalism?

Or – a new crisis of capitalism?

“Thoroughly Modern Marx”, by Leo Panitch, “Foreign Policy”, May/June 2009

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4856

A regional-civilizational perspective on Communism:

Why Eastern Europe?

What is the basis of Eastern European regional identity?

Europe’s Eastern frontier The belt between the Baltic and the Adriatic

Human settlement patterns Variables:

Search and struggle for resources Potential for development Degree of security

Proto-Indo-Europeans, 4,500-3,500 BCE

Indo-Europeans, 3,500 – 2,500 BCE

Indo-Europeans, 2,500 - 1,800 BCE

Indo-Europeans, 1,800 – 1,200 BCE

East European state-forming nations: Greeks Germans Slavs

• Eastern: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians• Western: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks• Southern: Serbs, Croatians, Slovenians, Macedonians,

Montenegrins, Bosniaks, Bulgarians Hungarians (Magyars) Finns Balts (Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians) Romanians (19th-century name) Albanians Turks TatarsAll, with the exception of Finns, Greeks and Turks, lived under

Communist regimes in the 20th century

EUROPE 0001

EUROPE 1000

EUROPE 1600

Nation-states vs. empires A 3-way conflict of civilizations for control of Eastern

Europe. Objects of the struggle: Resources Trade routes Security

The East European empires Western Christian (German) – “successors” to the

Western Roman Empire, “The Holy Roman Empire of the German People”, later the

Habsburg Empire (Austria-Hungary) The Hohenzollern Empire (Germany)

Orthodox Christian (Russian) – “successor” to Eastern Roman Empire (The Romanov Empire)

Muslim (Turkish) – “successor” to the Arab Caliphate (The Ottoman Empire)

EUROPE 1900

How Europe’s East fell behind the West 16th-17th centuries: modernization begins in

Western Europe Eastern Europe as the West’s defence barrier in

numerous wars Eastern Europe as the West’s agricultural base The West:

Industrializing Global trade Capitalism Nation-state

The East: Agricultural (with pockets of industry) Regional trade Feudalism Empire

Modernization challenges in Eastern Europe Political independence: building modern nation-

states Industrialization The agrarian question: turning peasants into

productive farmers, developing modern agriculture

Social development Building civil societies

Political options Western liberalism? Socialism of various types? Conservative nationalism or fascism?

The role of Russia in Eastern Europe In the Modern Age, Russia expands to

incorporate most of the Eurasian Heartland Expansion driven by:

Struggle for independence and security Access to resources and trade routes Human settlement Political interests of imperial elites

Coat-of-arms of the Russian Empire

Moscow KremlinMoscow Kremlin

The Winter Palace of Russian Emperors, St. Petersburg

THE HISTORICAL RUSSIAN SYSTEM

The world’s biggest state - costly, militarized Society (especially the peasantry) is exploited heavily by

the state The state is a highly centralized autocratic hierarchy, with

bureaucracy controlling the economy Society has very little autonomy from the state Individual rights and liberties are limited Market economy has very limited potential for

development When reforms become necessary, the state acts as the

main agent of reforms Society influences the state mostly by resistance to it

(passive or active)

By the end of the 19th century, the flaws of the Russian system become manifest

The gap between Europe and Russia widens fast, the Russian system is too inefficient, too rigid, resistant to reform

The 1904-05 war with Japan and then World War I exhaust the Russian state

1905-07: the first Russian Revolution

World War I

What made world wars possible: An integrated world – globalization Struggle for power within countries acquires international

dimensions Availability of economic resources Development of military technologies The new culture of war

New rationalizations of war The idea of total war

World War I: 1914-1918

Resulted from: - -Rivalries between states (Germany-Britain, France-

Germany, Russia-Austria, Russia-Turkey, etc.)- -Social tensions within states- -Nationalist struggles against empires

The war for power and influence in the global capitalist system

1914

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRtDWMke79c&feature=related

It was expected to be brief The reality: a bloody 4-year stalemate Ended by revolutions in Russia (1917) and Germany (1918) 15 mln. deaths, incl. 9 mln. combat The flu pandemic of 1918-1919: 20-40 mln. deaths: a direct

environmental effect of “the Great War”

Western losses in World War I (incl. civilians) France – 1.5 mln. dead, 2.8 mln. wounded Britain – 0.7 and 1.6 mln. Italy – 0.6 and 1 mln. USA – 0.12 and 0.2 mln. Canada – 0.056 and 0.15 mln. Australia – 0.06 and 0.015 mln. Total – 2.6 mln. dead and 6 mln. wounded

HUMAN TOLL: 8.6 mln.

Eastern and Central European losses in World War I (incl. civilians):

Russia – 3.3 mln., 3.75 mln. wounded Germany – 2 and 4.2 mln. Austro-Hungary – 2 and 2.6 mln. Turkey – 3.6 and 0.76 mln. Bulgaria – 0.2 and 0.15 mln. Serbia – 0.5 and 0.2 mln. Romania – 0.5 and 0.2 mln. Total: 12 mln. killed and 11 mln. wounded

HUMAN TOLL: 23 mln.

The fall of the four empires As a result of World War I, the four empires which had

dominated Eastern Europe – Russian, Turkish, Austro-Hungarian, German –

collapsed.