This Week in Communism - The Collapse of the Soviet Union

This Week's Historical Theme: Communism

 

25 December 1991

 

A significant event throughout the history of communism that occurred in December is the collapse of the Soviet Union, after Mikhail Gorbachev announced his resignation as the president of the nation. He had lost much of his power and prestige in the Soviet Union, and the economy was very unstable. No Soviet was pleased by Gorbachev, as some opponents demanded even more political freedom whereas hard-liners opposed any movement toward reform. He survived an attempted coup in August, but only through the assistance of Boris Yeltsin, the Russian Federation president. Yeltsin subsequently became a vocal critic of the slow pace of the country's economic and political reforms.

 

Despite this announcement, representatives from Soviet republics has already declared that they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union. Instead, they announced that they would establish a Commonwealth of Independent States. As the three Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had already declared their independence from the Soviet Union, only one of its 15 republics, Kazakhstan, remained. Gorbachev was ultimately disappointed in the dissolution of his nation, hence his resignation. Despite this, it was a peaceful end to a long and terrifying decade, known as the Cold War.

 

Want to find out more about the fall of the Soviet Union? Click here for a video with more information, or here for more about the history of the Cold War.

October 20 - The Red Scare Begins in Hollywood

This Day in History: 20 October 2020

 

20 October 1947

 

73 years ago, today, Congress began to investigate communists in Hollywood, initiating the Red Scare. After World War II ended, the Cold War intensified matters between the world's two superpowers, the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. In Washington, conservatives worked to expose communists in the government before focusing on alleged 'reds' in the liberal film industry. The House Un-American Activities Committee was tasked to lead the investigation. They grilled many prominent witnesses, asking bluntly if they had ever been a member of the Communist Party. Some witnesses, including director Elia Kazan and studio managers like Walt Disney and Jack Warner, gave the committee names of colleagues they suspected of being communists. Whether this was out of patriotism or fear is unknown.

 

When interrogated, a small group known as the 'Hollywood Ten' resisted, complaining the hearings were illegal and violated their First Amendment rights. They were all convicted of obstructing the investigation and were given jail terms. Due to Congress' pressure, Hollywood began a blacklist policy, banning works by people who had not been cleared by the committee. This list included playwright Arthur Miller and actor Orson Welles. Some of these blacklisted writers used pseudonyms to stay writing, while others wrote scripts that were credited to other writers. In 1997, the Writers' Guild of America changed the writing credits of 23 films made during this period, reversing some of the Red Scare's damage.

 

Want to find out more about the Red Scare? Click here for more information, or here for more about the House Un-American Activities Committee.

October 16 - The Long March Begins

This Day in History: 16 October 2020 

 

16 October 1934 

 

86 years ago, today, the Long March between the Nationalists and the Chinese Communists began. Beginning at 5:00pm, they confused the Nationalists with their secrecy and rear-guard actions, so that it was several weeks before they realised that the Red Army had fled. This retreating force initially consisted of 86,000 troops, and marchedat night, when the enemy was not near. However, the first disaster came in November, when the Nationalists blocked the Communists' route across the Hsiang River, but they were able to overcome it. After enduring starvation, and aerial bombardment, Mao halted his army at the Great Wall of China a year later, ending the Long March.  

 

The Chinese Civil War had begun between the Nationalists and Communists in 1927. Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the Communists employed guerrilla tactics to resist successfully the first four campaigns. However, in the fifth, Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Nationalists, raised 700,000 troops to resist the communists. The Long March was the longest continuous march in the history of warfare and marked the emergence of Mao Zedong as the undisputed leader of the Chinese Communists. The Chinese Civil War resumed in 1945, and four years later, the Nationalists were defeated. Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China and served as its chairman until his death in 1976. 

 

Want to find out more about the Long March? Click here for more information, or here for an animated video about the Chinese Civil War.  

October 7 - East Germany is Created

This Day in History: 7 October 2020

 

7 October 1949

 

71 years ago, today, East Germany was created. This occurred less than five months after Great Britain, the United States, and France established the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany. The Democratic Republic of Germany was proclaimed in retaliation within the Soviet occupation zone. The West criticised this as an un-autonomous Soviet creation, and Wilhelm Pieck was named as East Germany's president, with Otto Grotewohl as Prime Minister. Although the state was under the responsibility of German communist leaders, Soviet forces remained in the country throughout the Cold War. Berlin remained divided between West and East German authorities, even though it was situated within communist Germany.

 

In East Germany, the economy was centrally planned and increasingly became state-owned. Prices of housing, basic goods and services were heavily subsided and set by central government planners. It became the most successful economy in the Eastern Bloc. Emigration to the West was a significant problem as well, as many of the emigrants were educated young people and weakened the state economically. The government fortified its western borders and built the Berlin Wall to prevent this. Many people attempting to flee were killed by border guards or booby traps such as land mines. East Germany ceased to exist in 1990, when its land and people were absorbed into the democratic Federal Republic of Germany.

 

Want to find out more about the creation of East German? Click here for more information, or here for more about East Germany throughout the Cold War.

September 9 - The Death of Mao Zedong

This Day in History: 9 September 2020

 

9 September 1976

 

44 years ago, today, Mao Zedong died. He had led the Chinese people through a long revolution and ruled the nation's communist party from its establishment in 1949. The leader's health had declined in his last years, most likely aggravated by his heavy chain-smoking. During his later years, it became a state secret that he suffered from multiple lung and heart problems. There are unconfirmed reports that he had Parkinson's disease, as well as Lou Gehrig's disease. Mao's body was embalmed, and one million Chinese paid their final respects by crying. More than a week later, his body was taken in a minibus to a hospital, where his internal organs were preserved in formaldehyde.

 

Mao's early days as a communist had not been easy, as he constantly feared arrest and execution by Chinese government forces. However, in 1935, he was able to take control of the Chinese Communist Party, which won the Chinese Civil War. Throughout his rule, he was invested in reinvigorating the nation with the Cultural Revolution in the mid-1960s. Thousands of Chinese were killed or imprisoned by Mao's young supporters, named the Red Guards. Meanwhile, Mao was seeking closer relations with the Americans than the Soviet Union, as he hoped to use them as allies in his battles against the Soviets, taking a dramatic turn in the Cold War.

 

Want to find out more about the life of Mao Zedong? Click here for more information, or here for a video about China's Cultural Revolution.

September 4 - Announcement of Ho Chi Minh's Death

This Day in History: 4 September 2020 

 

4 September 1969 

 

51 years ago, today, the Vietnamese Radio Hanoi announced the death of Ho Chi Minh, who had died two days earlier. He suffered from heart failure at his home in Hanoi, and his body was later embalmed. They proclaimed that the National Liberation Front would halt military operations in the South for three days in mourning for Ho. He had been the spiritual leader for the communists in the Vietnam War since the earliest days of the struggle against France. The Chinese leaders assured the North Vietnamese of their continued support in the war against the United States, which was essential if the North Vietnamese wished to continue the war. 

 

Many in the United States hoped that the death of Ho would provide a new opportunity to achieve a negotiated settlement to the war in Vietnam, but this did not occur. The war would not end until 1975, when communist forces seized control of South Vietnam, and the county was unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam the next year. More than 3 million people were killed in the war, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese citizens. The effects of the war in the United States lingered long after the last troops had returned home. More than $120 billion was spent on the conflict. This led to widespread inflation, which was worsened by a worldwide oil crisis in 1973. The myth of American invincibility was also dashed, and the nation was left divided. 

 

Want to find out more about the life and death of Ho Chi Minh? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Vietnam War. 

Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures

             Right. Hi. You can relax now, it's me again, ready to try and explain to you something that you almost definitely understand better than I do. But as long as we're both aware of that dynamic, we needn’t worry. Understand? Good. We can continue. I have to, of course, hope that you're all having a lovely Christmas, or whatever you chose to celebrate - I care about my readers!
 I also have to warn you that the festive season has made me even more scatterbrained than usual, so get ready for some absolutely obscure metaphors that make very little sense.
So here we are. You've sat through the required rambling, and you're hoping for the intelligence to appear. The point, the method to my madness. You have, of course, earned it. You see, it occurred to me the other day that a very definite pattern emerges if you look at the conditions in which radical parties have made their way into power. Now I don’t mean to teach you to suck eggs, but please humour me as I state the obvious: for a group to get into power it must have support. I'll tell you now, this confused little seven year old me more than the British Public if anyone with talent was the win the misleadingly named 'Britain’s Got Talent' (I really truly am sorry!). As a little, unbelievably cute girl, I couldn't quite understand how the Nazis or the Communists ever got into power. I mean, if they're so evil, why would anyone vote them in? I was, however, a little bit of a simple child, to put it nicely. Now, thankfully, after five years of studying history from teachers who actually know something, I have realised.
  Because both Russia and Germany were poor, and had their national pride singed. They both felt as if promises had not been kept, and let down by the government. I sincerely hope you're seeing a pattern, because if not you'll have to sit in the corner with the cast of Duck Dynasty and the safety scissors. When things get bad economically, people look for a quick fix. And normally that quick fix involves a fair bit of violence and oppression, but hey ho, lets ignore that shall we. And honestly, that's what most people are like in their personal lives. When things get tough, instead of having the patience to wait it out, we often look for something we can do, something quick. Which is exactly how the Russian and German public must have felt. So they supported the radical groups, and some of them soon came to regret it.
  But what exactly is the point of me coming on here and stating the obvious, probably insulting your intelligence. I may as well just stand here letting you all know that 'The Sun' isn't the most highbrow of newspapers. I feel, however, that it may just do some good to remember Russia and Germany, the real-life cautionary tales. Because economically, the world isn’t doing great. And soon, one of these 'miracle parties' might rear their ugly head. Look at this country, Britain. Before the recession, UKIP would never be as popular as they are now. In Greece, the 'Golden Dawn' party are gaining supporters. So I’m not being like one of those conspiracy theorists that stand on pavements with sandwich boards (though I can do that if you want), I’m being honest.
 Anyways, that cheery article over, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas or whatever you celebrate!

Russian Plate

The British Museum's "History of the World in 100 Objects" has almost reached its conclusion. Object number 96 was a Russian porcelain plate. It was chosen because it was made in 1901 by the Imperial Porcelain Factory during the last years of the Tsar. However, it wasn't decorated until 1921 when it was, ironically for such an expensive luxury object, painted with symbols celebrating the Communist Revolution of 1917. Furthermore, the plate retained its original imperial seal on the back because the Communist government, strapped for cash during the Civil War, sold most of these plates abroad in order to gain hard currency. The plate therefore symbolises the rapidly shifting currents in Russian society at that time - it is ironic that the factory where it was made was renamed once again after the fall of Communism - and is once again the Imperial Porcelain Factory. You can download the podcast and read the transcript of the programme about the plate, and the 99 other objects that have been chosen, at the BBC website.

Spy Stories

The official history of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, has been published this week. Professor Keith Jeffery was given permission to investigate the archives from 1904-1949, examining MI6's actions in both World Wars and other conflicts, including the Russian Civil War. Jeffery investigates well known actions such as the Bletchley Park code-breaking operation in World War 2 and MI6's support of agents in the French Resistance. He also reveals that the Service helped to prevent a Communist revolution in Brazil in 1935, and employed a Lieutenant Augustus Agar in Russia during the Communist Revolution; he was meant to only support Russian agents, but got rather carried away and sank four Communist warships, which quickly blew his cover.

MI6 agents never had a "licence to kill" but they did have plenty of secret gadgets, such as a camera hidden in a matchbox, a pen that squirted tear gas, and a shaving brush with a secret compartment. These would provide inspiration for one MI6 officer, Ian Fleming, when he turned his hand to writing books about a fictional agent - James Bond.

More information can be found in this Guardian article and Channel 4 News Report (shown above), which includes comments from Sir John Scarlett, Head of MI6 (or "C") till last year. Channel 4 also recently had a fascinating interview with John Le Carre, the spy author who worked for MI6 until he was betrayed by the double agent, Kim Philby.

PS: Here is MI6's official website, where you can learn about their history and apply for a job!