An ideology derived from socialist theory of the nineteenth century. Communism defines a condition in which socialist development has lead to the virtual elimination of economic class. This is ultimately achieved by worker ownership and control of the means of production (defined as the tools & ...
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1answer
104 views
How independent were the Eastern European countries from the Soviet Union?
How much influence did the Soviet Union have over the other Warsaw Pact countries? Did Moscow directly control them, and direct what they did? Did they often disagree with the USSR over policy? If so, ...
2
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0answers
54 views
Kazakhstan and anti-capitalism in the 1990s
What drove anti-capitalist sentiments from Kazakh intellectuals and economists in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union?
It is my understanding that Kazakhstan was a low level ...
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1answer
107 views
Did Gorbachev ever admit that his intention was to destroy Communism?
As I remember the 1980s and the Perestroika epoch, the reforms were advertised to the people as "return to Leninist principles", even deeper implementation of Socialism. The posters claimed it was ...
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4answers
163 views
How far should I go back in Russian History in order to understand Communist Russia? [closed]
I'm writing a story and need information on the Russian communist rule because I'm writing a book about a government much like that of communist Russia, specifically focused on a police state ...
5
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2answers
119 views
What was the reaction of Western Communist Parties to Kruschev's 1956 speech denouncing Stalin?
I am also curious about the reactions of left-leaning intellectuals (aka "fellow-travellers").
1
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1answer
72 views
Was the IMF complicit in destroying the Romanian economy?
Wikipedia claims that despite the unprecedented growth of Romanian industry and food and production at the rate of 22% per year, Romania experienced serious shortage of food and petrol in the late 80s ...
2
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0answers
46 views
Credibility of “Mao: The Unknown Story” [closed]
I was reading a controversial book, Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, and found it quite biased. However, they cite a variety of sources to back up their information. Therefore, I ...
6
votes
2answers
142 views
How would one have gone about setting up a business during Communist Revolutionary China?
In 1966, Mao Zedong launched a movement towards Socialism, to, solidify his power after a disastrous Great Leap Forward, called the Cultural Revolution. Though the movement moved towards a total ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
When did the Vietnam War start?
I embarrassingly don't know much about the history of the Vietnam War.
I would like to learn more about the war, but I can't figure out when exactly the war started and ended. World War 2 was from ...
2
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2answers
107 views
Did Leon Trotsky get stopped by authorities in Halifax?
In Antony C. Sutton's book Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution he argues that Leon Trotsky was given $10,000 in New York.
...
4
votes
2answers
347 views
How did the Chinese Self-Criticism work in practice?
During the Maoist era often "enemies" were put through "self-criticisms" where they needed to note where they were in error and how they strayed from the party. I've seen multiple records of this in ...
5
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1answer
67 views
Why Was the Republican Government of Spain So Slow to React to the Nationalist Revolt?
I have been reading the Battle for Spain by Antony Beevor. One of the arguments the author makes is that the first 48 hours of the July 17th military uprising was the most vital period in which a ...
8
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1answer
174 views
How Successful Were the International Brigades?
During the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) to what extent did the International Brigades play a role in fighting the fascists coup? My understanding is that they were a relatively minor element, ...
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6answers
492 views
What was the reason of extreme anti-Communism in the first half of 20th century? [closed]
It is often alleged that a grand part in the success of the Nazi and fascist movements in Europe was their hard-line anti-Communism. Thy used anti-Communist sentiments to gain popularity and even many ...
7
votes
2answers
226 views
What sources or documentation exists to indicate Stalin's level of popularity in Russia today?
migrated from comments http://history.stackexchange.com/a/1710/682
To what extent is Stalin still loved and/or respected by Russians (and for extra points former USSR states)
while articles like ...
5
votes
5answers
587 views
Are there any communist leaders without a record of acts we consider as a crime (against humanity)?
I have taken an interest in dictators a while ago, especially communist dictators and the Cold War in general. As I read through the articles throughout time about these individuals, it came to me ...
1
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4answers
322 views
Correlation between capitalism/democracy and communism/dictatorship?
Some people often equate capitalism with democracy and communism with dictatorship, is this necessarily true?
What are good examples and counter-examples of these associations?
Should kingdoms etc. ...
10
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1answer
610 views
What was Lenin's major criticism of or differences with Marx?
I'm interested in what specific differences in Lenin's writing might address what he perceived to be the shortcomings of Marx's work. Wikipedia is weak on this topic.
12
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4answers
191 views
Why were the Prague Spring leaders treated more leniently than Nagy and his colleagues?
Following the Warsaw Pact's 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia the lead Czech reformer Alexander Dubček was dismissed and given a lowly job with the forestry commission.
A decade or so earlier, the ...
3
votes
1answer
95 views
What unique personal experiences contributed to the formation of Mao's brand of Communism?
Political scientists cite his personal attributes and exposure to the proletariat as synergistic in the formation of his doctrine. What particular experiences in Mao Zedong's formative years ...
