Communist state

:This article is about one-party states governed by Communist parties. For information regarding communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, or as a popular movement, see the main Communism article.

Historical examples

As noted in the introduction, a "Communist state" is a state where a Communist Party holds power within the context of a single-party system of government. Thus, a country where a Communist party is part of the government is not automatically a "Communist state."

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Furthermore, the historical states of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, Slovak Soviet Republic and Bavarian Soviet Republic were short-lived revolutionary entities that are difficult to define as Communist states, because the status of non-Communist political parties and movements within them remained unclear.

Related Topics:
Hungarian Soviet Republic - Slovak Soviet Republic - Bavarian Soviet Republic

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Communist governments have typically arisen during times of general political instability. Most have come to power through revolutions led by Communist parties. Several of these parties operated illegally for a long period of time before the revolution, and developed disciplined and effective structures, together with a cadre of committed leaders able to mobilize elements of society dissatisfied with the current government. The support base of the communists typically consisted of poor laborers, intellectuals, and, especially in the case of China, peasants. Following a successful revolution, the Communist Party took on the goal of building a new society.

Related Topics:
Laborers - Intellectuals

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Early examples of communist societies

:See also:

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Societies based on communism and ideologies similar to communism have existed throughout history, and many exist today, but it was not until the 20th century that highly organized Communist Parties based on Marxist-Leninist ideology gave rise to Communist states. Information regarding early, traditional and/or religious forms of communism (as well as information on other socialist societies in the Marxist meaning of the word, such as the Paris Commune) is to be found in the Communism article. Many researchers prefer to use term communalism to distinguish various communal societies from communism, which is generally associated with Marxism.

Related Topics:
Religious - Paris Commune - Communism - Communalism

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20th century

In the 20th century, a number of Communist Parties based on Marxist-Leninist ideology established governments in various countries. In those countries, the aforementioned Communist parties made themselves the only legal political parties.

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The history of Communist states is often closely related to the history of non-Communist governments, and to the history of the Communist movement in general. As such, the following historical account is not restricted to Communist states:

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Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, which established what later became the Soviet Union, there was a revolutionary wave throughout Europe. Communist revolutions, uprisings or attempted uprisings took place in many European countries. However, Russian Communists, engaged in the Russian Civil War, were unable to provide any significant support to communist movements outside Russia. Eventually only two revolutions outside Russia were able to overthrow the government and take power. They resulted in the Bavarian Soviet Republic (which lasted from November 1918 until May 3 1919) and the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919. Both of them were soon abolished, and with the defeat of the Red Army in the Polish-Soviet War in 1920, the Russian Communists were forced to abandon any plans of military aid to Communist movements in Europe. On the other side of the world, Mongolia had been a protectorate of the Russian Empire from 1912 until 1919, when the Chinese took control during the Russian Civil War. The Russian monarchist White Army took control in 1921, but was driven out by the Red Army that same year. Mongolia was not absorbed into the Soviet Union, but was renamed the People's Republic of Mongolia and became the Soviet Union's first satellite state in 1924.

Related Topics:
Russian Revolution - 1917 - Soviet Union - Russian Civil War - Bavarian Soviet Republic - November - 1918 - May 3 - 1919 - Hungarian Soviet Republic - Red Army - Polish-Soviet War - 1920 - Mongolia - Protectorate - Russian Empire - 1912 - Monarchist - White Army - 1921 - Satellite state - 1924

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From 1924 until World War II, there were no successful Communist revolutions, and no more Communist states were established.

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Most of the Communist states in the world were established in the aftermath of World War II in Eastern Europe, either in countries which were liberated from the Nazis by the Soviet Red Army and subsequently occupied by Soviet troops, or in countries where Communist-led partisans succeeded in driving out the Nazis and taking power themselves. The Red Army arranged for the establishment of Communist governments in Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania, which became Soviet satellites. Communist partisans established Communist governments which were initially pro-Soviet in Albania and Yugoslavia. Furthermore, in East Asia, the Red Army joined the war against Japan and established a Communist state in North Korea.

Related Topics:
Eastern Europe - Nazi - Red Army - Poland - East Germany - Hungary - Bulgaria - Czechoslovakia - Romania - Albania - Yugoslavia - East Asia - North Korea

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With extensive Soviet military aid, Mao Zedong's Communist Party of China emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War and established the People's Republic of China in 1949. The First Indochina War led to the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in northern Vietnam in 1954. Later, the Vietnam War ended with the takeover of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese Army and the establishment of a unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1975. The broader Indochina conflict also saw Communist states established in Laos and Cambodia in 1975, though the latter government (known as Democratic Kampuchea) was toppled in a Vietnamese invasion and denounced by Vietnam and its Communist allies.

Related Topics:
Mao Zedong - Chinese Civil War - People's Republic of China - 1949 - First Indochina War - Democratic Republic of Vietnam - 1954 - Vietnam War - South Vietnam - North Vietnamese Army - 1975 - Laos - Cambodia - Democratic Kampuchea

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In 1959, the Cuban Revolution eventually led to the first Communist state being established in the Western Hemisphere, the Republic of Cuba.

Related Topics:
1959 - Cuban Revolution - Republic of Cuba

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A civil war led to the establishment of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in southern Yemen in 1969.

Related Topics:
Civil war - People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - 1969

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For several years, Communist states also existed in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, Benin, Somalia, and the Republic of the Congo, although these were short-lived.

Related Topics:
Afghanistan - Ethiopia - Angola - Mozambique - Benin - Somalia - Republic of the Congo

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By the early 1980s, nearly one third of the world's population was ruled by Communist governments (due largely to the size of Russia and China).

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There have been several wars or military conflicts between Communist states: the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Prague spring, the Ogaden War, the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, the Sino-Soviet border conflict, the Sino-Vietnamese War, and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

Related Topics:
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - Prague spring - Ogaden War - Cambodian-Vietnamese War - Sino-Soviet border conflict - Sino-Vietnamese War - 1956 Hungarian Revolution

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However, due to internal economic problems, foreign entanglements, and pressures for reform, the Soviet Union itself was growing increasingly unstable. In the late 1980s, Eastern Europe grew increasingly unstable as people rose up against their governments, and in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. None of the Eastern European Communist governments survived these events.

Related Topics:
1991 - Soviet Union collapsed

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As of 2005, there are five Communist states in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Despite a common Communist ideology, they possess certain distinct characteristics, both politically and economically.

Related Topics:
2005 - China - Cuba - Laos - North Korea - Vietnam

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