Communism is a political and economic system meant to eliminate the capitalist inspired class system where the elite class benefits by exploiting the working class. While all communist regimes have undergone a violent Stalinist or Maoist phase in their initial attempts at a socialist government, their paths have later diverged; some states, such as China, Cuba, and the Soviet Union, have democratized and opened their doors to foreign influence and trade, while others, such as North Korea, remain trapped in an ongoing period of Stalinist stasis. By analyzing the internal and external influences on each state, it is evident these factors are responsible for their respective divergences from Stalinism and Maoism, and several patterns offering
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They utilize censorship, frequent discipline, and training of cadres to prioritize national security and independence from the capitalist world economy. As a result of this constant surveillance, citizens begin monitoring themselves. Additionally, Stalinism is characterized by a centralization of the economy through implementation of a system of collectivized agriculture; private land is seized and redistributed by the state. This has immense consequences, often resulting in famine or mass …show more content…
Under the “High Stalinist” regime, the anti-imperialist Soviet Union had transformed from a peasant society to a military superpower. Khrushchev’s leadership marked a return in Soviet politics to Leninist policies and a firm rejection of Stalinist techniques. Through a series of high ranking leaders that followed, such as Brezhnev and Gorbachev, the Soviet Union diverged from Stalinist methods and transitioned to a system of managerial Leninism, heavy bureaucratism, and attempted transparency.
There were several key internal and external factors which allowed for this transition to occur. Stalin’s purging institutionalization and Great Terror had been enormously traumatizing on a national level. Cadres were under constant threat of violence and the populace was untrusting and vulnerable. Khrushchev built his glorified image upon this damage and boldly contradicted Stalin’s cult of personality, claiming in his 1956 “Secret Speech” to the cadres that the government was no longer the enemy of the people, and that “in the basis of socialist victory there was no basis for mass terror in this country” (Khrushchev 14). In what became known as the Thaw, Khrushchev initiated a unified “gradual liberalization” and attempted to reduce socioeconomic oppression by relaxing censorship, releasing prison inmates, and attempting peaceful
They utilize censorship, frequent discipline, and training of cadres to prioritize national security and independence from the capitalist world economy. As a result of this constant surveillance, citizens begin monitoring themselves. Additionally, Stalinism is characterized by a centralization of the economy through implementation of a system of collectivized agriculture; private land is seized and redistributed by the state. This has immense consequences, often resulting in famine or mass …show more content…
Under the “High Stalinist” regime, the anti-imperialist Soviet Union had transformed from a peasant society to a military superpower. Khrushchev’s leadership marked a return in Soviet politics to Leninist policies and a firm rejection of Stalinist techniques. Through a series of high ranking leaders that followed, such as Brezhnev and Gorbachev, the Soviet Union diverged from Stalinist methods and transitioned to a system of managerial Leninism, heavy bureaucratism, and attempted transparency.
There were several key internal and external factors which allowed for this transition to occur. Stalin’s purging institutionalization and Great Terror had been enormously traumatizing on a national level. Cadres were under constant threat of violence and the populace was untrusting and vulnerable. Khrushchev built his glorified image upon this damage and boldly contradicted Stalin’s cult of personality, claiming in his 1956 “Secret Speech” to the cadres that the government was no longer the enemy of the people, and that “in the basis of socialist victory there was no basis for mass terror in this country” (Khrushchev 14). In what became known as the Thaw, Khrushchev initiated a unified “gradual liberalization” and attempted to reduce socioeconomic oppression by relaxing censorship, releasing prison inmates, and attempting peaceful