Description
Book SynopsisA concise, readable, and novel interpretation of the history of communist states.Sixteen states came to be ruled by communist parties during the 20th century. One, the Soviet Union, was geographically the largest nation in the world and a superpower. Another, China, had the world''s largest population. At communism''s high point, its adherents envisioned global triumph. Today, however, only five communist regimes remain in power. Why?In The Rise and Demise of World Communism, George Breslauer, a specialist who has spent decades observing the evolution of communist states, provides a sweeping history of the world communist movement, focusing in particular on what communist states shared in common and why they began to differ from each other over time. Throughout, Breslauer explores the relations among communist states as well as the relations between those states and the world of increasingly affluent, and militarily formidable, democratic-capitalist powers. He finds that these regimes
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Part I. General Patterns in World Communism Chapter 1. What did Communist Regimes Have in Common? Chapter 2. How did Communist Regimes Differ from Each Other? Chapter 3. The World Communist Movement: From Moscow-Centric to Pluralistic Part II. Ideology and Organization: The Heritage Chapter 4. Marxism: The Vision Chapter 5. Leninism: The Instrument Part III. Coming to Power and "Building Socialism" in Russia Chapter 6. The Bolshevik Seizure of Power Chapter 7. Consolidating Bolshevik Power Chapter 8. Respite Chapter 9. Building Socialism: Stalin's Revolution from Above, 1928-1934 Chapter 10. The Great Terror and Stalinist Despotism Chapter 11. Was Stalinism a Logical Continuation of Marxism-Leninism? Chapter 12. Was Stalin's Revolution from Above a Rational Strategy of Modernization? Chapter 13. Stalinism and World Communism in the 1930s Chapter 14. The Impact of World War II on the Soviet Union and World Communism Part IV. The Stalinist Model Spreads Westward and Eastward Chapter 15. The Creation of East European Communist States Chapter 16. Origins and Entrenchment of the Cold War Chapter 17. World War II and the Creation of Asian Communist States: The People's Republic of China Chapter 18. Consolidating Power and Building Socialism in China Chapter 19. Communist Parties Come to Power in Korea and Vietnam Part V. After Stalin: From Similarity to Difference Chapter 20. What Follows Stalinism in the USSR? Chapter 21. Diversity and Defiance Within the World Communist Movement Chapter 22. "Building Communism": Competition for Ideological "Correctness" Within the World Communist Movement Chapter 23. The Sino-Soviet Schism, 1957-1963 Chapter 24. Cuba's Indigenous Revolution, 1959-70 Chapter 25. The Soviet Union After Khrushchev: Bureaucratic Leninism Chapter 26. Alternatives to Utopia in China, 1960-1965 Chapter 27. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, 1966-1969 Chapter 28. Maoism: An Accounting Part VI. The Realignment of International Relations: From Proletarian Internationalism to Balance-of-Power Politics Chapter 29. The Collapse of the World Communist Movement and the Rise of Detente Chapter 30. Why US-Soviet Détente Failed Chapter 31. Post-Detente Realignment: the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, December 1979 Part VII. The Collapse of European Communism Chapter 32. Varieties of Opposition to the Soviet Model in Eastern Europe, 1968-1985 Chapter 33. Gorbachev's Peaceful Revolution from Above Chapter 34. Gorbachev and the Abandonment of Anti-Imperialist Struggle Part VIII. The Remains of Communism in a Post-Communist World Chapter 35. From Maoism to Market Leninism: The Chinese Economic Miracle After Mao Chapter 36. China in a Post-Communist World: Can Leninism Survive Market Leninism? Chapter 37. Market Leninism in Vietnam Chapter 38. Market Leninism in Laos Chapter 39. Bureaucratic Leninism in Cuba Chapter 40. Stalinism in North Korea Part IX. Conclusions Chapter 41. Why the Drive to Difference? Chapter 42. Assessing the Communist Experience: Achievement or Tragedy? Chapter 43: Is There a Future for New Communist States?
