1. East European Communism and Its Collapse, Part I

2. 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

3. A global system perspective: communism as a product of capitalism

4. 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

5. The capitalist system began to form about 500 years ago when the following developments converged: Formation of the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie - l iterally, 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-states Expansion of international trade and conquest of colonies New technologies made human labour more productive The rise of new ideas – social change, progress, democracy

6. 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

7. 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

8. The rise of socialism: 19 th -20 th centuries Follow the link: The Socialist InternationalThe 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 http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html

9. Marx and Engels in London, 1867

10. 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

11. Starting from 1860s - rise of the socialist movement in Europe Working-class parties based on Marxist ideology Early 20 th 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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 20 th 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

15. 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

16. 21 st century: A triumph of capitalism? Or – a new crisis of capitalism?

17. “Thoroughly Modern Marx”, by Leo Panitch, “Foreign Policy”, May/June 2009 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.p hp?story_id=4856 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.p hp?story_id=4856

18. A regional-civilizational perspective on Communism: Why Eastern Europe?

19. What is the basis of Eastern European regional identity? Europe’s Eastern frontier The belt between the Baltic and the Adriatic

22. Human settlement patterns Variables:  Search and struggle for resources  Potential for development  Degree of security

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

25. Indo-Europeans, 3,500 – 2,500 BCE

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

27. Indo-Europeans, 1,800 – 1,200 BCE

31. 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 (19 th -century name)  Albanians  Turks  Tatars All, with the exception of Finns, Greeks and Turks, lived under Communist regimes in the 20 th century

32. EUROPE 0001

33. EUROPE 1000

34. EUROPE 1600

35. Nation-states vs. empires A 3-way conflict of civilizations for control of Eastern Europe. Objects of the struggle:  Resources  Trade routes  Security

36. 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)

37. EUROPE 1900

38. How Europe’s East fell behind the West 16 th -17 th 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

39. 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?

40. 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

42. Coat-of- arms of the Russian Empire

43. Moscow Kremlin

44. The Winter Palace of Russian Emperors, St. Petersburg

45. 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)

46. By the end of the 19 th 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

47. World War I

48. 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

54. 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

55. 1914 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRtDWMke79c&feature=related

60. 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”

61. 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.

62. 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.

63. 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.