During the XXth century, the communist system, an alternative political system to capitalism, emerged in Russia after the October Revolution. The features of this system are the important ideologies, the role of the communist party, the central planned economy and also the terror that took place with the secret police during this period. What explains the development of this system in Soviet Union and Eastern Europe? This question raises various issues first; it focuses on the influences that lead to the development of the communist system. Then it highlights that, the process was not exactly the same in Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. Actually, to answer this question, it must be focused on what had an effect on the development of communist system and why these factors lead to a differential development. What legacy from heterogeneous past and new influences can explain the differential development of the communist system?
Firstly, I shall explain the legacy of the past that influenced the development of the communist system in Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. Secondly, it can be argued that new influences also led to the differential development of communist systems.
We shall study the legacy of the past that shaped the development of communist system in Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe.
[...] Communist systems of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe During the XXth century, the communist system, an alternative political system to capitalism, emerged in Russia after the October Revolution. The features of this system are the important ideologies, the role of the communist party, the central planned economy and also the terror that took place with the secret police during this period. What explains the development of this system in Soviet Union and Eastern Europe? This question raises various issues first; it focuses on the influences that lead to the development of the communist system. [...]
[...] As far as Eastern Europe is concerned, Lenin was an internationalist and wanted nations to take part of Soviet revolution by will but not by force whereas Stalin was nationalist and imposed with the Red Army state socialism in Eastern Europe. Moreover, the development of communism with Stalin aimed at using Eastern countries as a protective belt and not at rising new revolutionary processes. Another rupture and new influence upon the development of communism is characterized by the desalinization. The last influence that led to the fall of communism is Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost. [...]
[...] To conclude, I would like to emphasize that the differential development of communist system in Eastern Europe and in Soviet Union is due to two factors. On one hand, the different legacies from the past had an impact on the spreading of the communist system. It can explain why some populations of Eastern Europe were reluctant to this system and why soviet values could not penetrate through some Eastern European societies. On the other hand, new influences shaped the development of the communist system. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
