CommunismCommunism

Soviet Empire and Utopian Soviet Empire and Utopian DreamsDreams

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The History of Communism was defined by the interests, needs The History of Communism was defined by the interests, needs and goals of the Soviet Union for most of the 20th Centuryand goals of the Soviet Union for most of the 20th Century.

Russian Revolution

Fall of USSR

……but there was more to Communism than but there was more to Communism than just the USSRjust the USSR.

Hugo Chavez

Marxism :Marxism :

Karl MarxKarl Marx, 1818-1883, 1818-1883

The theory behind Comunism““Workers of the World, Unite ! You Workers of the World, Unite ! You have nothing to lose but your chains !”have nothing to lose but your chains !”

Classical Economist, Philosopher and Journalist

•History is shaped by “Class Struggle”“Class Struggle”

•New productive technologies create new social groups who eventually have a Revolution !

•Ancient--->Feudal --->Capitalist--->Socialist--->

•Capitalists exploit workers by taking “surplus “surplus value”value”

• History has scientific laws just like nature

•Revolution was coming soon !

Friedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels:

Supported Marx’s writings

and political activity $$$

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 !1917 !

“ “ Ten Days That Shook The Ten Days That Shook The World ”World ”

Tsar Nicholas Tsar Nicholas II “ The II “ The Unlucky”Unlucky”

WWI Exhausts Russia

Democrats, Liberals and Moderate Socialists overthrow Tsar in February, 1917 BolsheviksBolsheviks & Anarchists Anarchists topple Provisional Government in October

Lenin creates the Red Guards & CHEKA CHEKA secret police - launches “ Red Terror”“ Red Terror” against “ Class Enemies”. Tsarist “ Whites”“ Whites” fight back

“Former Classes”

“Rich” Peasants & Middle-Class

Capitalists & Priests

Nobility & White Guards

Poor and “ Middle” Peasants

Workers

Bolshevik Party

“ Soviet People”

“Enemies of the People”

“Iron Felix” Dzerzhinsky

The first Soviet Secret Police were known as “The CHEKA”All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-revolution & Sabotage

Used Terrorism, Torture, Assassination and Espionage

Had its own special elite military units and concentration camps

Separate from regular criminal police ( MVD) and military intelligence (GRU)

Spied on everyone

Answered only to the leadership of the Bolshevik Party

Known by many names - GPU, OGPU, NKVD, MGB and KGB

CHEKA -KGB badge

Party Members

Local, Provincial, Regional, Republic Party Officials ( “Nomenklatura” Nomenklatura” )

Central Committee

Secretariat

Politburo

Leader Power was Power was rigidly rigidly centralized in a centralized in a pyramidpyramidDiscipline Discipline waswas

harshharsh

Lenin set down the brutal rules for the Soviet System.

Stalin built that system into a global powerLenin was willing to share power & tolerate some debate inside the Party.

Stalin insisted on absolute obedience and all the power.Lenin took great risks to spread Communist Revolution.

Stalin wanted security and power for the Soviet Union even if it harmed the chances for Communist revolution elsewhere.

Lenin’s death set off a fearsome power struggle between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky with terrible consequences for the Russian people….