The Rise of Communism

Marxism v Socialism
  • Karl Marx:
    • Wants a utopia to be there with Communism
    • Did not like Socialism because according to Socialist Values the wealth will trickle down
    • Believed that the Bourgeoisie must die for a utopia to exists
    • He believes everything is caused by money, and who holds it
  • Britain was on the verge of a Communist Revolution
  • Bourgeoisie Regularly manipulate the workers and don't pay them a high amount of 

Stages of Marxist Communism
  1. Massive Exploitation: Workers are manipulated by the bourgeoisie
  2. Bloody Revolution: A spontaneous revolution where the workers rise up and slaughter the bourgeoisie
  3. Proletariat Dictatorship: A brief period is set up where the educated will split up everything equally and set up jobs and housing
  4. Controlled Anarchy: The government withers away, and everyone is equal

Soviet Union
  • The Soviets were stuck in Stage 3
  • The Soviet Union came up with the reason for not withering the government that:
    • There are enemies abroad so they cannot dissolve \

Marxist-Leninism
  • Lenin realizes that he has to tweak Marxism
  • Russia is an Agrarian not properly industrialized country
  • It would be the last place Marxism would occur naturally in Europe
  • Lenin suggests skipping the Industrialism stage and go straight to Communism
  • Lenin realizes that he needs to cause it to occur in an Agrarian country rather than an Industrial country
  • Farmers:
    • Farmers won't rise up naturally, they are contempt to live that way
    • Lenin suggests that they need an intellectual vanguard to impose the revolution
  • Not in Europe:
    • To explain the fact that Europe has not had a revolution
    • Lenin says that to postpone a revolution Europe is no longer exploiting the Proletariats but exploiting the Third World ( ie: Africa )
    • They went into colonies and expropriated and stole raw materials and enslaved the people

The Rise of Communism
  • 2 Revolutions of 1917
    • March Revolution ( Mar. 12 )
    • November Revolution ( Nov. 6 )