Communism

History of Communism This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... // What is Communism As a theoretical social and economic system, communism would be a type of egalitarian society with no state, no privately owned means of production and no social class. ... Schools of communism Marxism · Leninism Trotskyism · Maoism Left communism Council communism Eurocommunism Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism (a form of Communism) and is a branch in its own right (it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... Trotskyism can refer to either the body of ideas associated with Leon Trotsky or the movement based on those ideas. ... Left Communism is a term describing a whole range of communist viewpoints which oppose the political ideas of the Bolsheviks from a position which is asserted to be more authentically Marxist and proletarian than the views held by the Communist International after its first two Congresses. ... Council communism was a radical Left movement originating in Germany and the Netherlands in the 1920s. ... Eurocommunism was an attempt in the 1970s by various European communist parties to widen their appeal by embracing public sector middle-class workers, and new social movements such as feminism and gay liberation and rejecting unquestioning support of the Soviet Union, and express more clearly their fidelity to democratic institutions. ... Communist party Communist International World Communist Movement In modern usage, a Communist party is a political party which promotes Communism, a sociopolitical philosophy based on the particular interpretation of Marxism put forth by Vladimir Lenin. ... The first edition of Communist International, journal of the Comintern published in Moscow and Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in May 1919. ... The World Communist Movement is an informal community of certain parties around the world. ... Communist states The Soviet Union People's Republic of China Cuba · Vietnam Laos · North Korea A Communist state is a state governed by a single political party which follows the principles of Marxism-Leninism. ... Related Subjects Socialism Planned economy Anarcho-communism Stalinism Anti-communism Criticisms of communism The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... A planned economy is an economic system in which economic decisions are made by centralized planners who determine what sorts of goods and services to produce and how they are to be priced and allocated, and may include state ownership of the means of production. ... Anarcho-Communism, or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ... Stalinism is a brand of political theory, and the political and economic system implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. ... Anti-communism Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Note that Communism is a branch of Socialism. ...

Maoism or Mao Tse-tung Thought (Chinese: 毛泽东思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), is a variant of Marxism-Leninism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893–1976). In the People's Republic of China (PRC) it is the official doctrine of the Communist Party of China. Since the reforms of Deng Xiaoping started in 1978, however, the definition and role of Mao Tse-tung's ideology in the PRC has radically changed. Pinyin (拼音, pÄ«nyÄ«n) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976; Mao Tse-Tung in Wade-Giles) was the chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: ) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping   listen? (Simplified Chinese: 邓小平; Traditional Chinese: 鄧小平; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; pronounced Dung Shyao-ping; August 22, 1904—February 19, 1997) was a revolutionary elder in the Communist Party of China (CPC) who served as the de facto ruler of the Peoples Republic of... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

It should be noted that the word "Maoism" has never been used by the PRC in its English-language publications except derisively: "Mao Tse-tung Thought" has always been the preferred term. Likewise, Maoist groups outside China have usually called themselves "Marxist-Leninist" rather than Maoist. This is a reflection of Mao's view that he did not change, but only developed, "Marxism-Leninism". The word "Maoist" has been used either as a pejorative term by other communists, or as a descriptive term by non-communist writers. However, some Maoist groups, believing that Mao's theories were substantial additions to the Marxist canon, call themselves "Marxist-Leninist-Maoist" or simply "Maoist"; for example, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), who distinguish themselves from the much more mainstream Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). PRC is a common abbreviation for: Peoples Republic of China Palestinian Red Crescent Popular Resistance Committees This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) or CPN(M) is a Maoist political party and military organization founded in 1994 and led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal (referred to as Chairman Prachanda). It launched what it refers to as the Nepalese Peoples War on February 13, 1996, and now controls... Categories: Stub | Nepali political parties | Communist parties ...

Outside the PRC, the term Maoism was used from the 1960s onwards, usually in a hostile sense, to describe parties or individuals who supported Mao Zedong and his form of Communism, as opposed to the form practised in the Soviet Union, which the parties supporting Mao denounced as "revisionist." These parties usually rejected the term Maoism, preferring to call themselves Marxist-Leninists. Since the death of Mao and the reforms of Deng, most of these parties have disappeared, but various small Communist groups in a number of countries continue to advance Maoist ideas. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... Revisionism is a word which has several meanings. ...

Maoist theory

Unlike the earlier forms of Marxism-Leninism in which the urban proletariat was seen as the main source of revolution, and the countryside was largely ignored, Mao focused on the peasantry as a revolutionary force which, he said, could be mobilized by a Communist Party with "correct" ideas and leadership. The model for this was of course the Chinese Communist rural insurgency of the 1920s and 1930s, which eventually brought Mao to power. Furthermore, unlike other forms of Marxism-Leninism in which large-scale industrial development was seen as a positive force, Maoism made all-round rural development the priority. Mao felt that this strategy made sense during the early stages of socialism in a country in which most of the people were peasants. Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is called a proletarian. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion by any irregular armed force that rises up against an established authority, government, administration or occupation. ...

Unlike most other political ideologies, including other socialist and Marxist ones, Maoism contains an integral military doctrine and explicitly connects its political ideology with military strategy. In Maoist thought, power comes from the barrel of the gun, and the peasantry can be mobilized to undertake a "people's war." This involves guerrilla warfare using three stages. The first stage involves mobilizing the peasantry and setting up organization. The second stage involves setting up rural base areas and increasing co-ordination among the guerrilla organizations. The third stage involves a transition to conventional warfare. Maoist military doctrine likens guerilla fighters to fish swimming in a sea of peasants, who provide logistical support. Peoples war (also called protracted peoples war) is a military strategy invented by Mao Zedong. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ...

Maoism emphasizes revolutionary mass mobilization, village-level industries independent of the outside world (the Great Leap Forward urged each and every Chinese to melt down industrial pots and pans to smelt their own iron from scratch), deliberate organizing of mass military and economic power where necessary to defend from outside threat or where centralization keeps corruption under supervision, and strong control of the arts and sciences. The Great Leap Forward (Simplified Chinese: 大跃进; Traditional Chinese: 大躍進; pinyin: ) was a campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of the Peoples Republic of China from 1958 to early 1960 aimed at using mainland Chinas plentiful supply of cheap labor to rapidly industrialize the country. ...

A key concept that distinguishes Maoism from other left-wing ideologies is the belief that the class struggle continues throughout the entire socialist period (as a result of the fundamental antagonistic contradiction between capitalism and communism). Even when the proletariat has seized state power through a socialist revolution, the potential remains for a bourgeoisie to restore capitalism. Indeed, Mao famously stated that "the bourgeoisie [in a socialist country] is right inside the Communist Party itself", implying that corrupt Party officials would subvert socialism if not prevented. This was the main reason for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, in which Mao exhorted the public to "Bombard the [Party] headquarters!" and wrest control of the government from bureaucrats (such as Liu Shaoqi) perceived to be on the capitalist road. Class struggle is class conflict looked at from a Marxist, libertarian socialist, or anarchist perspective. ... Antagonistic contradiction is the impossibility of compromise between different social classes. ... Capitalism has been defined in various ways (see Capitalism in Wikiquote). ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is called a proletarian. ... Look up Revolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. ... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century Bourgeoisie (boorzhwäz-ee´) in modern use refers to the wealthy or propertied classes in a capitalist society. ... A poster during the Cultural Revolution The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: 无产阶级文化大革命; Traditional Chinese: 無產階級文化大革命; pinyin: wú chǎn jiē jí wén huà dà gé mìng, literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wén huà dà gé mìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or simply 文革 wén gé... Liú Shàoqí (Simplified Chinese: 刘少奇 Traditional Chinese: 劉少奇 Wade-Giles: Liu Shao-chi) (November 24, 1898 – November 12, 1969) was a leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Mao's doctrine is best summarized in the Little Red Book of Mao Zedong, which was distributed to everyone in China as the basis of revolutionary education. This book consists of quotations from the earliest days of the revolution to the mid-1960s, just before the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Cover of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong with Chinese words Supreme Directives Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (毛主席语录 Pinyin: Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù), better known in the West as The Little Red Book, has been published by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China since 1966. ... A poster during the Cultural Revolution The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: 无产阶级文化大革命; Traditional Chinese: 無產階級文化大革命; pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wén huà dà gé mìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or simply 文革 wén gé, literally Cultural Revolution) in the Peoples Republic of China...

Maoism after Mao

Since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, and the reforms of Deng Xiaoping starting in 1978, the role of Mao's ideology within the PRC has radically changed. Although Mao Zedong Thought nominally remains the state ideology, Deng's admonition to seek truth from facts means that state policies are judged on their practical consequences and the role of ideology in determining policy has been considerably reduced. Deng also separated Mao from Maoism, making it clear that Mao was fallible and hence that the truth of Maoism comes from observing social consequences rather than by using Mao's quotations as holy writ, as was done in Mao's lifetime. 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping   listen? (Simplified Chinese: 邓小平; Traditional Chinese: 鄧小平; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; pronounced Dung Shyao-ping; August 22, 1904—February 19, 1997) was a revolutionary elder in the Communist Party of China (CPC) who served as the de facto ruler of the Peoples Republic of... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Seek truth from facts (Chinese: 实事求是, pinyin: shí shì qiú shì) is a slogan in the Peoples Republic of China referring to pragmatism. ...

In addition, the party constitution has been rewritten to give the pragmatic ideas of Deng Xiaoping as much prominence as those of Mao. One consequence of this is that groups outside China which describe themselves as Maoist generally regard China has having repudiated Maoism and restored capitalism, and there is a wide perception both in and out of China that China has abandoned Maoism. However, while it is now permissible to question particular actions of Mao and to talk about excesses taken in the name of Maoism, there is a prohibition in China on either publicly questioning the validity of Maoism or questioning whether the current actions of the Communist Party of China are "Maoist." Capitalism has been defined in various ways (see Capitalism in Wikiquote). ... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: ) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Although Mao Zedong Thought is still listed as one of the four cardinal principles of the People's Republic of China, its historical role has been re-assessed. The Communist Party now says that Maoism was necessary to break China free from its feudal past, but that the actions of Mao are seen to have led to excesses during the Cultural Revolution. The official view is that China has now reached an economic and political stage, known as the primary stage of socialism, in which China faces new and different problems completely unforeseen by Mao, and as such the solutions that Mao advocated are no longer relevant to China's current conditions. The four cardinal principles (四項基本原則, pinyin: sì xiàng jīběn yuánzé) were stated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979 and are the four issues for which debate was not allowed within the Peoples Republic of China. ... A poster during the Cultural Revolution The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: 无产阶级文化大革命; Traditional Chinese: 無產階級文化大革命; pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wén huà dà gé mìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or simply 文革 wén gé, literally Cultural Revolution) in the Peoples Republic of China...

Both Maoist critics outside China and most Western commentators see this re-working of the definition of Maoism as providing an ideological justification for what they see as the restoration of the essentials of capitalism in China by Deng and his successors.

Mao himself is officially regarded by the Chinese communist party as a "great revolutionary leader" for his role in fighting the Japanese and creating the People's Republic of China, but Maoism as implemented between 1959 and 1976 is regarded by today's Communist Party of China as an economic and political disaster. In Deng's day, support of radical Maoism was regarded as a form of "left deviationism" and being based on a cult of personality, although these 'errors' are officially attributed to the Gang of Four rather than to Mao himself. 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: ) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. ... The Gang of Four on trial The Gang of Four (Chinese: 四人帮; pinyin: ) was a group of Communist Party leaders in the Peoples Republic of China who were arrested and removed from their positions in 1976, following the death of Mao Zedong, and were blamed for the events of...

Although these ideological categories and disputes are less relevant at the start of the 21st century, these distinctions were very important in the early 1980s, when the Chinese government was faced with the dilemma of how to allow economic reform to proceed without destroying its own legitimacy, and many argue that Deng's success in starting Chinese economic reform was in large part due to his being able to justify those reforms within a Maoist framework. Economic reforms have triggered internal migrations within China. ...

Some historians today regard Maoism as an ideology devised by Mao as a pretext for his own quest for power. The official view of the Chinese government was that Mao did not create Maoism to gain power, but that in his later years, Mao or those around him were able to use Maoism to create a cult of personality. Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. ...

Both the official view of the Communist Party of China and much public opinion within China regards the latter period of Mao's rule as having been a disaster for their country. The various estimates of the number of deaths attributable to Mao's policies that have been offered remain highly controversial. For more discussion of this period, see the article Cultural Revolution. Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: ) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A poster during the Cultural Revolution The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: 无产阶级文化大革命; Traditional Chinese: 無產階級文化大革命; pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wén huà dà gé mìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or simply 文革 wén gé, literally Cultural Revolution) in the Peoples Republic of China...

At the same time, even this period is largely seen both in official circles and among the general public as preferable to the chaos and turmoil that existed in China in the first half of the twentieth century. Among some people there is nostalgia for the idealism of revolutionary Maoism in contrast to the corruption and money-centeredness some see in current Chinese society. Many also regret the erosion of guaranteed employment, education, health care, and other gains of the revolution that have been largely lost in the new profit-driven economy. On December 24, 2004, four Chinese protesters were sentenced to prison terms for distributing leaflets entitled "Mao Forever Our Leader" at a gathering in Zhengzhou honoring Mao Zedong on the anniversary of his death. Attacking the current leadership as "imperialist revisionists", the leaflets called on lower-level cadre to "change (The Party's) current line and to revert to the socialist road." The Zhengzhou incident is one of the first manifestations of public nostalgia for the Mao era to make it to the international press, although it is far from clear whether these feelings are isolated or widespread.

In the West, Maoism is remembered as one of the more violent manifestations of the 1960s wave of student-led radicalism. Major ideological disputes among the Western groups that continue to uphold Maoism are common. For example, the Maoist Internationalist Movement regards the white working class in the First World as a non-revolutionary "labor aristocracy", whereas the Revolutionary Communist Party (USA) claims that all but a minority of white workers in countries such as the US have revolutionary potential. The Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM) is a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist organization based primarily in the United States. ... The terms First World, Second World, and Third World were used to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. ... The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP, USA), known originally as the Revolutionary Union, is a revolutionary Maoist organization that was formed in 1975. ...

In Europe, several parties that were created in the 1960s and '70s under the influence of Mao Zedong Thought continue to support his ideas. Among the most active are the Workers Communist Party (Norway), the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany, the Maoist Communist Party (Turkey-Northern Kurdistan), the Communist Organization of Greece, and several others.

However, the strongest Maoist parties exist outside the Western world, mainly in Latin America (for example, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina) and in Asia (several Indian parties, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the Communist Party of the Philippines, etc.).

In general, Maoist movements outside China are strongly opposed to the current Chinese government, which they see as having hopelessly strayed from the principles of Maoism.

Military strategy

The military aspects of Maoist theory have garnered much more universal respect than his political or economic ideas. Mao is widely regarded as a brilliant military strategist even among those who oppose his other ideas. His writings on guerilla warfare and the notion of people's war are now generally considered to be essential reading, both for those who wish to conduct guerilla operations and for those who wish to oppose them. Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Peoples war (also called protracted peoples war) is a military strategy invented by Mao Zedong. ...

As with his economic and political ideas, Maoist military ideas seem to have more relevance at the start of the 21st century outside of the People's Republic of China than within it. There is a consensus both within and outside the PRC that the military context that the PRC faces in the early 21st century are very different from the one faced by China in the 1930s. As a result, within the People's Liberation Army there has been extensive debate over whether and how to relate Mao's military doctrines to 21st-century military ideas, especially the idea of a revolution in military affairs. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The military concept of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is a theory about the future of warfare, often connected to technological and organizational recommendations for change in the U.S. military and others. ...

See also: Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong Cover of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong with Chinese words Supreme Directives Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (毛主席语录 Pinyin: Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù), better known in the West as The Little Red Book, has been published by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China since 1966. ...

External links

General

• The works of Mao Zedong
• The Encyclopedia of Marxism Mao Zedong Thought.
• The Encyclopedia of Marxism Mao's life.
• Monthly Review January 2005 Text of the leaflets distributed by the Zhengzhou Four.

Maoist parties (listed alphabetically)

• Maoist Internationalist Movement
• Revolutionary Communist Party of Canada (PCR-RCP)
• Revolutionary Communist Party USA Revolution paper online
• International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations Coalition of 30 Marxist-Leninist parties from around the world, "having a positive attitude towards Stalin and Mao"
• Revolutionary Internationalist Movement Coalition of various Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties from around the world

Revolutions

• A paper on "Maoists of Nepal" from website of "South Asia Analysis Group" www.saag.org
• Committee to Support the Revolution in Peru Information on Shining Path.
• Philippine Revolution Web Central Information on the Philippine Communist Party, the New People's Army, and Revolution in the Philippines
• Committee to Defend the democratic rights of Jose Maria Sison Jose Maria Sison, Founding Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines
• Search BBC for news about Maoists (using Google)
• Search for Maoists on Google News