Transcript File

Intro to Communism
Terms: Bourgeoisie, Proletariat, Marx
Marx’s View on Capitalism
Communism was a theory by Karl Marx as
a way to organize society fairly and value
people’s labour.
 The Industrial Revolution reduced people’s
value to simply a part of the machinery of
factory.
 No creativity or attachment to work.
 Boring, repetitive tasks.

Views on Capitalism
Marx saw that capitalism created classes
in society.
 Bourgeoisie are the owners of capital.
 Proletariat are the workers.
 These two classes will continually be in
conflict.

Marx’s View on Capitalism
Bourgeoisie own all the capital
(factories, tools etc)
 They also get all the profits.
 They can reinvest the profits in the
company or remove it and pay
themselves.
 They control the economy.

Socialism v. Capitalism
Usually 1 party state
 Elections and more
than one political
 Industry and
party.
agriculture owned by
the state. People
 Most industry and
encouraged to work
agriculture owned by
for the common good.
individuals.
 Classless society with
 They employ workers
no profit making
and keep all profits
made.
 Profits create classes
of people.

Marx’s View on Capitalism
Proletariat – These are the workers and
get paid a wage.
 They get no share in company profits.
 At the mercy of the Bourgeoisies.
 The goal of the Bourgeoisie is to reduce
the costs of production and pay as little as
possible to maximize profits.

Term
“Dictatorship of the Proletariat”
A “dictatorship of the proletariat” will be
created to organize the country.
 They will ensure that the gains of the
revolt is secured from the capitalist.
 Most “Communist regimes” have only
achieved this.

Person
Vladimir Lenin
Lenin was leader of the Communist
Bolshevik party.
 Aided by Germany because he wanted
Russia to get out of the war.
 Party increased from 26000 to 2 million
 Created a military group called the red
Guards

November 1917
Lenin and the Bolsheviks seize power in a
revolution.
 Lenin gives all land to the peasants
 Factories are given to the workers who
elect a committee to run them.

Term: Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Lenin sets up a Dictatorship of the
Proletariat
 Kills all political opponents including the
tsar
 Education increased
 Religion banned in schools, priests
prosecuted
 Labour laws include 8 hour days, health
benefits, Holidays, pension mandatory

Term: Truman Doctrine
U.S. President Harry Truman believed that
is was the responsibility of the U.S. to
prevent the spread of Communism in the
world.
 Change in foreign policy from isolationism
which was practiced throughout the two
world wars.

UN Involvement
Term: Domino Theory
Truman was afraid that if Korea fell to
Communism than so would Japan and
other Capitalists countries. (Domino
Theory).
 16 countries supported the UN invasion of
Korea including Canada.
 Truman chose General Macarthur to lead
the force.

Marshall Plan
Truman believed Communism grew in
countries in poverty.
 Many governments were struggling to
rebuild after the war.
 They realised that if they built up Europe
now, they could have a trading partner for
life and keep it from falling to
communism.
 Created by General George Marshall

Marshall Plan
The USA offered money, equipment and
goods to states willing to work together to
create recovery.
 Included cash machinery, food and
technology.
 In return, they would agree to buy
American goods and allow American to
invest capital in their in their industries.

Results
16 nations set up the Organisation for
European Economic Cooperation.
 In 1953 US gave 17 billion
 Increased tensions and divide between
East and West.
 Stalin prevented Soviet countries from
engaging in the plan.

Results
Stalin accused the USA of using the plan
for their own selfish interests
 Plan to dominate Europe and help the
American Economy.

Berlin Blockade 1948-49
Term: Potsdam
Potsdam Conference
Occupation zones decided.
 Nazi party banned and were to be tried as
war criminals.
 For reparations each power was to collect
industrial equipment from its zone. USSR
zone was mostly agriculture.
 Germans living in Poland, Hungary, and
Czechoslovakia were to return to
Germany.

Berlin Blockade
Political Divisions
After Potsdam Berlin was divided between
West (allied controlled and East USSR
controlled.
 West was capitalist democracy and East
was Socialist.

Berlin Blockade
Reconstruction Differences
Allies wanted to rebuild Germany to be a
strong country.
 Wouldn’t fall to Communism
 Create a trading partner
 Act as a shield against the spread of
communism in Europe

Berlin Blockade
Reconstruction Differences
USSR wanted a weak Germany that would
be incapable of an attack.
 USSR refused to let their zone trade with
the Western allied zone (West Berlin)

Berlin Blockade
Conflict
Since Berlin was in Soviet zone, they
controlled all access to city.
 Believed the Allies had no business in
Berlin since it was in the Soviet zone.
 U.S put up a military base.
 Capitalist way of life was on show as the
U.S tried to make their zone better.

Berlin Blockade
In protest, Stalin decided to restrict access
to Berlin by the Allies.
 Hoped to get the allies to pull out of Berlin
by starving the people.
 Abandon plans to develop Germany
 Eventually the people would turn to him
and switch to Communism and create one
city.

Berlin Blockade
Western Options
Ignore and drive through Blockade.
Advantages: 1)Show the Russians the U.S
could not be blackmailed.
2)They were the only ones with an A
bomb.
Disadvantages: 1)High risk of War
2)Russian forces outnumbered U.S forces in
Europe.

Berlin Blockade
Option 2: Pull Out of Berlin
Advantages:
1) Avoid any risk of War
Disadvantages:
1)Loss of prestige (positive reputation) for
the Western powers.
2) No one trust the Americans in the future
to stand against Communism.
Berlin Blockade
Option 3: Supply West Berlin by Air
Advantages:
1)Less risk of War than option 1
Disadvantages:
1) Risky Operation 4000 tons of supplies
required daily.
2) Costly to supply by two million people by
air.
Korean War
Background
1945 after Truman dropped the bomb
Japan surrendered to the allies.
 Russia was fighting Japan on the Asian
continent as well.
 Korea was a colony of Japan.
 USSR invaded Korea in the North
 USA invaded from the south.

Background

They meet at the 38th parallel (latitude)
and divide the country in two.
United Nations
In 1945 the UN is formed.
 Had a general assembly that met every
year.
 A security council that met more regularly
on current issues.
 Security Council = Britain, USA, USSR and
elected representatives from other
countries.

U.N.
UN decided that Korea was to have
elections to choose a national government
for the whole country and reunify.
 The US set up a parliament in the South
based on Capitalism with the capital in
Seoul. (Republic of Korea)
 The USSR set up a communist regime in
the North with the capital of Pyongyang
(People’s Democratic Republic of Korea).

The US and USSR withdraw troops but
continue to fund and supply the Korean
Militaries.
 1949 a civil war in Korea’s Neighbour,
China, results in the formation of
Communist government under Mao.


Start of War
1950
Both sides believed their government
should rule the whole country.
 With the encouragement of USSR and
China, North Korea, under Kim Il Sung,
invaded the South.

UN Involvement
China was represented at the UN by the
former Capitalist regime.
 UN would not recognize the Mao
Communist government.
 USSR was absent from Security Council in
protest.

Since USSR was not there to veto, a
resolution was passed saying the North
broke peace and had to withdraw to the
38th parallel again.
 North refused.
 UN called on its members to us force and
the US was to lead the attack.

UN Involvement
Truman was afraid that if Korea fell to
Communism than so would Japan and
other Capitalists countries. (Domino
Theory).
 16 countries supported the UN invasion of
Korea including Canada.
 Truman chose General Macarthur to lead
the force.

Events of the War
1st phase
June – Sept.
 North Korea pushes
the South all the way
back to a small corner
of the country called
Pusan.

2nd phase
Macarthur organised
a landing at Inchon.
 Effectively surrounds
N Korean troops.
 Despite China’s
warnings they cross
the 38th parallel.

3rd phase
US ignore China and
push all the way to
the Yalu River.
 This borders with
China.
 Macarthur ignored
Truman’s orders and
began to approach
the Yalu.

China enters the war.
 Pushes the force back
past the 38th parallel.
 Un counter Attack
drives them back to
the 38th parallel.
 Armistice signed in
1953.

Cuban Missile
Crisis
Person Fulgencio Batista
In 1950, Cuba was
ruled by a ruthless
dictator Fulgencio
Batista.
 He killed all opponents
and used the military
to support his rule.

Batista Government
Capitalist government.
 Military supported by the U.S
 He and members of his government were
very rich while the rest of Cubans were
poor.
 Disliked Communists.

Batista Government
The capital, Havana,
was treated as a
playground for rich
Americans.
 It was controlled by
American Italian Mafia
Leader Lucky Luciano.
 Lucky set up a
cocaine operation and
ran casinos.

Batista Government
Was also used to hide money from illegal
activities in the U.S.
 Many Americans set up factories in Cuba
to take advantage of local resources like
sugar cane and tobacco. Ex. Palmolive –
Colgate.
 This resulted in many rich Americans and
very poor citizens of Cuba

Cuban Revolution
Person: Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was a lawyer and was
appalled at the corruption for the Batista
government.
 Received support through educating the
poor on the corruption of the government.
 He joined forces with Che Guevara and
organised an army which overthrew the
Batista government.

Castro Regime
Castro’s first business was to execute all
the corrupt government officials that
abused the poor.
 Then he nationalised all the foreign
American assets.
 Wealth was to be invested in Cuba.
 With this money he set up free health
care.

Term: Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuba has fell to Communism and Castro is
allied with the USSR because of the trade
embargo.
 Kennedy could not have a communist ally
50 miles off the coast of Florida.
 Many people who did not agree with
Castro and Communism fled the country
and became exiles.

Bay of Pigs 1961
Kennedy decided to get the CIA to train
the exiles and plan an invasion of Cuba.
 Exiles taking country back sounds a lot
better than a US invasion.
 The invasion was a great failure and
Castro captured and jailed many of the
exiles.

Results of Bay of Pigs 1961
Because of this Castro felt threatened and
allied closure with the USSR.
 He needed them for protection.
 Allowed Russia to install military bases.
 Russia began shipping weapons into Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis
Kennedy’s Options Cuban Missile
Crisis
Option 1 Do Nothing
He could do nothing and ignore the
missiles.
 This would have been political
suicide and if the Russians had seen
this as weakness on his part, they
could have taken advantage of it.
 Lose public support and be seen as a
weak president.

Option 2 Invasion
He could order a full scale military
invasion of Cuba.
 This would escalate the problem as
there were 22000 Soviet troops
there.
 Heavy casualties would look bad on
the presidency.
 Did not know where all the sites
were or if any were operational and
would be fired before they were
captured.

Option 3 - Air Strike
He could order an air strike against
the missile bases only.
 The problem again would be Russian
casualties.
 Air Force was not sure it could deliver
pin-point bombing raids on what
were relatively small targets.

Option 4 - Diplomacy
He could call on the Russians to remove
the missiles explaining the damage their
presence was doing to Russian/American
relations.
 However, the Russians were highly
unlikely to listen to a ‘polite’ request
especially as they even refused to
recognise the existence of the missiles at
the United Nations emergency meeting on
the matter.

Option 5 - Blockade
He could put a naval blockade around
the island - quarantine it - and not
allow any more Russian ships to
enter Cuba.
 This would still leave missiles on
Cuba but the negotiations would
continue in the background while
publically Kennedy would be seen to
be doing something specific.

Stalin’s USSR
Purges
Stalin was always fearful of losing power.
 Used terror in the form of Purges to get
rid of any opposition.
 This also helped with labour in mines

Purges 1930-40
Managers and workers that did not meet
the five year plans or talked bad about
them
 Kulaks that opposed collectivisation
 1934 Opposition party members
 1935 senior communists that may support
Other leaders (Trotsky)

Purges
Ordinary citizens – if someone suspected a
neighbour of not supporting the
government they could be arrested.
 Children were encouraged to tell on their
parents.
 People tortured to confession
 1 million people in Moscow killed

Purges and Results
1937 the Red Army – Most senior officers
and officials were killed or sent to Gulags.
 Left the army unprepared against Hitler’s
invasion.
 Executed = 1 million
 Died in Camps = 2 million
 In prison = 1 million
 Gulags = 8 million
 These are figures form one year.

Results Continued
Most of the advantages of Communism
was nullified after this.
 Expert scientists, administrators and
Engineers were usually sent to “Gulags” or
killed.
 People would tell on each other for self
interest.
 Stalin even killed members of his own
family.

The Later Cold War Vietnam
1964-91
Vietnam War
Before the war France controlled Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia
 Called the area Indo-china
 People hated the oppressive French rule.

WW2
Japan invades Indo-China.
 Group called the Vietminh was set up to
resist the Japanese.
 Led by Ho Chi Minh who was a
communist.
 Allies worked with the Vietminh to get rid
of Japanese.

WW2
Two weeks after the end of ww2 the
French turn on the Vietminh and tried to
regain control.
 China and the USSR help the Vietminh
 French are defeated 8 years later at Dien
Bien Phu and pull out of Northern
Vietnam.

1954 Geneva Conference
Ended war in Vietnam
 Independence granted to Laos, Vietnam,
Cambodia
 Vietnam divided between Northern
communist Vietminh and Southern
Vietnam backed by France and U.S.
 South ruled by unpopular dictator Diem
who was opposed by a communist group,
the Vietcong

Vietcong was supplied by the USSR and
China through the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
 Popular with the rural people and the
force grew to 100,000 troops occupying
40% of the land.
 Communism was on the verge of
spreading throughout South East Asia.

Ho Chi Minh Trail
1964 North Vietnam torpedoes US ships in
the gulf of Tonkin.
 President Johnson starts bombing the
North and sends in US troops to the
South.
 Believes it will be a quick war.

Timeline
1964 Operation Rolling thunder
 Aims to destroy bases, ports and supply
lines through bombing.
 More bombs dropped here then in all
previous wars combined.
 Troops fight the Vietcong in the South.

1968 Tet offensive
 Vietcong conducts surprise attacks on U.S
bases.
 Shows the Vietcong can strike in American
held territory.
 Hurts American morale believe war cannot
be won.
 Johnson stops bombing and negotiates
peace.

1969 Vietnamization
 Nixon hand over fighting to the South
Vietnamese army and pulls out troops.
 1970 US invades Cambodia to sneak
attack North Vietnamese bases. Failed
 1971 South Vietnam fails to destroy Ho
Chi Minh Trail
 1972 North attacks the South, Nixon
reorders bombing of North.

1973 US agrees to ceasefire with the Two
Vietnams and Vietcong.
 Pulls out remaining troops.
 North invades South Vietnam,
 Cambodia, and Laos form Communist
governments.


Unpopular War
1.
 High level of casualties 50.000
 300 dying per week
 2. economic cost of 30000000 or half a
billion a year in today’s terms.
 3. Use of horrific weapons like Napalm and
Agent Orange.
4. Stories of drug addiction among US
troops.
 5. US atrocities – My Lai – US soldiers
attack an undefended village raping and
killing 300 villagers, mainly women and
children.
 6. Protests at Kent State University turns
violent when Nixon calls in National Guard
and they shoot on protesters. 4 Killed.

Why was US defeated?
Failed to respond to guerilla warfare
tactics by Vietcong.
 US troops were inexperienced, low morale,
avg age of 19.
 The South army was weak.
 US failed to win support of peasants who
then helped Vietcong.
 US support lost at home.

Why Was the Vietcong Successful?
High morale, believed they were helping
their people against invaders.
 Effective guerilla tactics.
 Backed by China and the USSR using Ho
Chi Minh Trail.
 Hide bases underground away from
bombing (300 kms worth)
