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The rise of
Communism in the European countries and Russia began the downfall of political
policies and established principles. Communism is said to have begun with the
ancient Greek idea of the Golden Age – the concept of the world in communal
bliss and harmony without the institution of private property. A communist,
someone who stresses the abolition of all private property except immediate
personal goods, ultimately seeks to overthrow capitalist order by innovative
means and establish a classless civilization in which all goods are socially
owned.
The
development of Communism was ultimately begun with the split of the Russian
Social Democratic Labor party into the Bolshevik and the Menshevik alliances.
Credited with beginning Communism is Bolshevik Leader Vladimir Lenin – while
Lenin was alive and reigned, he was the undisputed leader of the Russian
Communist Party. As opposition increased, he became alarmed and persuaded others
to ban the formation of factions, as it would divide and weaken Communism as a
whole. Lenin’s reign lasted a number of years, and after his death, Joseph
Stalin took over and began his Reign of Terror.
Many movements
were held concerning Communism and its effects on the people as a whole, and
prominent leaders of the Communist effort published pamphlets, brochures, and
books promoting Communism. The Communist Manifesto, one such document, tells how
Communism sprouted, explains the role of Communists, attacks other forms of
socialism, and appeals to all to embrace Communism. Two prominent authors of
Communist paraphernalia who managed to stir up a lot of dissension were Karl
Marx and Freidrich Engels.
By the end of
the Civil War, the Communist leaders realized that spontaneous revolutions in
Europe weren’t going to happen, so they settled for ruling Russia. The country
had to be built back up after its destruction from the revolutions that took
place – under Communist rule it was rebuilt, with little or no enthusiasm from
the Russian people.
When Joseph
Stalin began his reign, people began to fear him and his orders. He purged
thousands of those whom he thought might create a threat to his power, including
thousands of Bolsheviks who were originally associated with Lenin and more that
80% of his own government delegates. A secret police agency was formed to
search out those who wanted to remove Stalin from power. He wanted to crush all
opposition in Russia, and accomplished this the only way he knew – through
terror. He killed every person who helped him rise to power because he so feared
that they could be a threat to his reign. Stalin was hated and feared by people
worldwide.
Communism
confiscated all private property, forced people to work in atrocious
environments, and seized the belongings of everyone so the people were left
destitute. Government owned all machines, tools, and raw materials, and no one
could buy or sell them. Food became a shortage, and since fewer people were
growing food, those few had to produce even more to provide for everyone else.
Stalin forced industrialization on the country and tried to create fifty to a
hundred years of work in ten years. He forced millions of Russians to work in
factories and produce machinery. People were put on trial and executed for no
reason, and thousands of Russians died from starvation and lack of resources.
Once people
began to realize how Communism affected them directly, they began to rebel. They
attacked the Soviet leaders and refused to work…however, no progress was made
for quite some time. People who wanted Parliamentary reform initiated the
Chartist Movement, which was the most serious threat to the Communist
government. Although many conventions and petitions were held, no debates were
allowed and the movement eventually collapsed.
Ronald Reagan, a former US president,
played a very important part in defeating Communism’s hold on Europe and the
Soviet Union. Reagan was the only person who foresaw the changes and effects
Communism would have on the country, and in 1981 was even quoted as having said
it would be a bizarre chapter of our history whose last pages were being
written. Ronald Reagan performed near miracles in keeping Communism from
overrunning the world. He limited commercial credit allowed to the Soviets, he
blocked their access to the advanced technology of the Western world, kept its
armies bogged down, and cost them billions of dollars in forced arms shipments.
It was the massive military buildup he formed that culminated the demise of the
Soviet Union’s Communist policies and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the
incredible amount of money he spent of weapons systems and technology paid off
with the mere threat they imposed on the Soviet Union. Despite the protests of
others who believed his ways wouldn’t work, Reagan persevered and ultimately
saved millions of lives by terminating the reign of Communism.
Communism, which had reigned for nearly 150
years, was coming to an end. After so many years of demoralization, disillusion,
degeneration, division, and decay of the Soviet Union, Communism had reached the
end of its rope. Because the nation rebelled against Communism so strongly,
although they feared its leaders such as Stalin, Communism could not keep on.
Without the support of the people, no regimes could withhold. The people were
now beginning to stand on their own two feet and take responsibility for their
own actions. Although Communism deprived people of freedom and choice, the need
for an organization of political protest fortified with an emotionally
reassuring set of action based premises is still around, and Communism is
probably guaranteed an existence for quite some time to come.
10/29/2003
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