The document provides an overview of key concepts in communism including definitions of bourgeoisie, proletariat, and means of production. It discusses Marx and Lenin's views on how capitalism would be overthrown through violent revolution led by the proletariat or vanguard party. The stages of history are defined by the economic system and mode of production. The document also examines communism in practice under Stalin and some economic issues with centrally planned economies like shortages and lack of choice.

1. 10.0 Introduction to Communism

2. Definitions
 Bourgeoisie: The capitalist class. Those that
own the means of production in a capitalist
system. In other words, the factory and business
owners.
 (Boar-jwah-zee)
 By definition, their goal is to exploit the workers
(keep wages as low as possible to maximize
profits)

3.  Proletariat: The working class. Those that
receive a wage. This group has no ownership of
the means of production.
 They are being exploited because they are
generating the wealth of the economy, but
receiving only minimal benefits.

4.  Means of Production: Capital. What is used to
make things in any economy. Machines,
buildings, tools, etc.
 In a capitalist society, an elite group called the
Bourgeoisie own the means of production.
 In a socialist society, the means of production are
owned by the state
 In a communist society, the means of production
are shared by all people.

5. Stages of History
 Stages of History are defined by the
“superstructure.” This is how political organization
is a reflection of economic organization.
 Socialism: Dictatorship of the proletariat. The
state (once taken over by the proletariat) owns
the means of production.

6. Pre-
Civilization
• No class structure or means of production
Tyranny
• One ruling class centered on one figure in a primitive economy.
• Working class are a slave class
Feudalism
• Power divided between an elite nobility
• Working class are serfs,
Absolutism
• Power centered on one figure (takes the power structure of tyranny and the economic
structure of feudalism)
• Working class are serfs
Capitalism
• Means of production owned by a bourgeoise class (takes the power structure of feudalism
and creates a new economic system)
• Working class is a wage-earning class
Socialism
• Means of Production owned by the state (combines the power structure of absolutism with the
economic system of capitalism)
• Working class is ruling class
Communism
• Control of the means of production is divided equally, thus becoming meaningless (creates a
political system and incorporates the economic potential of socialism and capitalism)
• Class is meaningless

7. Stages of History
 Communism: A utopia. The last stage of history
and culmination of mankind. Here, everything is
shared and everyone is equal.

8. Karl Marx
 Wrote Communist Manifesto in 1848
 Believed that capitalism was an
unstable system

9. Karl Marx (How to Change it)
 Marx was inspired by the French Revolution
 Believed that capitalism would be violently
overthrown.
 Thought that the proletariat would get frustrated
and revolt.

10. Where it Would Start
 Marx believed that revolution would begin in the
more industrialized nations, as they had the
greatest inequalities.
 For example, US, France, or Britain

11. Marx: What would Happen
Afterwards
 After the revolution, there would be “socialism” to
force people to be less greedy.
 Eventually, utopian society of complete equality
(Communism)

12. Lenin
 Also thought that capitalism was an unfair and
unstable system.

13. How it would change
 Violent revolution
 But because proletariat was too weak, you would
need professional revolutionaries (called the
Vanguard)

14. Lenin: Where it would start
 Lenin believed that revolution would start where
capitalism was weakest.
 Examples: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Russia

15. Lenin: What would Happen
Afterwards
 A wave of revolution would spread across
Europe.
 Agreed with Marx about stages of history.

16. Key Working Principles of
Communism
 1. The ends justify the means
 2. Revolutions are sudden and violent (communists should
be prepared to deal with this)
 3. The Party must be disciplined and unified to carry out its
goals
 4. The Working Class may not be aware that they are
being exploited (capitalists have developed tools to trick
the working class, like nationalism and religion)
 5. The goal of the Communist Party is to push society
towards its ultimate goal: communism. Progress along the
stages of history is paramount.

17. Joseph Stalin
 Invents the “Stalinist State”
 Stalin believed that any criticism of government or
its leader was “counter-revolutionary” and must be
squashed.
 Estimated Deaths: 20 million in Russia.

18. Why so many Deaths?
 Terror:
 Use Fear as a political tool to change society.
 Purges:
 Eliminating Counter-Revolutionaries within the
Party
 Collectivization
 Communizing agriculture to create class
consciousness
 Gulags

19. Communism in Practice—An
Economic Perspective
 Compared to countries of similar economic
development; communist countries usually
experienced much higher growth rates than non-
communist countries (at least for the first
generation); many times with higher productivity
rates.
 Compared to countries with similar GDP per
capita, communist countries did and do have
higher standards of living (better education,
healthcare, overall quality of life).

20. Communism in Practice—An
Economic Perspective
 Contrary to popular belief, Soviet-communist
countries had currencies and they had
inequalities. For example, the Soviet Union in
1980 had more inequality than capitalist Sweden.
 North Korea vs. South Korea: For about 15
years after the Korean war, North Korea was
wealthier by almost every economic measure. In
the 1970s, South Korea began its export-led
growth scheme. Meanwhile, North Korea focused
on self-sufficiency.

21. What were the economic problems?
 Planning the Market: The entire market had to
be planned by the Central Government. The
“Gosplan” in the USSR required the input of tens
of thousands of people to decide what would be
produced and how much would be produced.
 Queues---Lines: Essential goods and services
were available to all. You just had to wait in line to
get them. Sometimes these lines were waiting
lists that took years.

22. What were the economic problems?
 Lack of Choice: To make economic planning
manageable, factories produced one type of
jeans or one type of car.
 Lack of Consumer Goods: Useless gadgets
were useless to leaders of the Soviet Union.
Basic necessities would be met, but all other
resources were put into “heavy industry” to
compete with America’s defense department.

23. What were the economic problems?
 No Disincentive Effect: Everyone was given a
job. Nobody was fired. Over time, workers in
communist countries lost the will to do well.
 Black Market: If something is wanted, it will be
supplied. Controlling illegal purchases became
almost impossible.

24. Communism—Planned
Economies
Advantages Disadvantages
More “Public” goods: education,
healthcare, national sports, public
housing.
Difficult to manage. Why plan
something that happens naturally?
All members of society are “taken
care of.”
No freedom of choice or freedom
of speech. No property.
Sense of solidarity with other
people…society not driven by
greed.
Individuality and entrepreneurship
discouraged.
Able to rapidly steer a country
towards war production.
Difficult to maintain growth rates
over a long period of time.

26. Vietnam War Lecture (10.4)
 I. Background Information (--1954)
 II. Drawing America In (1954-1964)
 III. Failure of American Intervention (1964-1975)

28.  Vietminh (communist Party of Vietnam),
NVA=North Vietnamese Army
 Capital: Hanoi
 NLF (National Liberation Front), aka: Vietcong.
Communists in South Vietnam
 Leaders: Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap
I. A. DRV: Democratic Republic of
Vietnam (North)

29.  ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam): South
Vietnamese Army
 Capital: Saigon
 Leaders: Ngo Dinh Diem, Nguyen Van Thieu (and
other Generals)
B. RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South)

30. Vietnam had been fighting for its independence for
almost 2,000 years
 (Chinese, French, Japanese, French, Americans)
Vietnam had almost no economic incentives for
American involvement
 Biggest imports from Vietnam were tin and rubber
Background Information (--1954)

31.  Japanese leave in 1945.
 Same year, Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh
declare independence
 Initially Ho worked with non- communists
to form a new government, but then
pushed them out of the government
 French refuse to accept Vietnamese
independence and fight a war for control.
C. Pre 1954

32.  A. French suffer final defeat at Dien Bien
Phu
 B. Nations meet at Geneva to figure out a
peace settlement.
 1. North is given independence under
Chinese support (dominated by communists)
 2. South put under control of French
supported Vietnamese forces in South
 3. Elections set to be held in 1956
D. 1954

33.  A. North
 Ho Chi Minh consolidates communist power, destroys
resistance
 B. South
 Diem becomes president of South Vietnam
 Refuses to hold elections because he believes they will
not be fairly carried out in the North (and he knows he
II. Drawing America In

34.  1.US Supported Diem in the South
 2. Vietcong forms in the South to overthrow Diem
(combination of appeals to the people and
terrorist attacks)
 3. Diem, a catholic in a land of Buddhism, upsets
Buddhists by discriminating against them and
protecting the church-held lands
C. Losing Control in the South

35.  ARVN launches an American
sponsored coup against Diem in
1963 (roughly 2 weeks before
Kennedy is assassinated)
 Kennedy assumed Diem would
be removed from power, but he
was killed by the ARVN generals
 South Vietnam will be under
unstable military authority until
the fall of Saigon in 1975
D. End of Diem

36.  A. Entry
 As South Vietnam became more chaotic,
LBJ (Lyndon Baines Johnson) begins
giving more aid and covert support to
South Vietnam
 August 2, 1964: Apparent attack upon
American vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin.
American ships were secretly supporting
raids against North Vietnam.
 Tonkin Resolution gives president
III. Failure of American
Intervention

37.  Year Troop Level
 1959 760
 1960 900
 1961 3,025
 1962 11,300
 1963 16,300
 1964 23,300
 1965 184,300
 1966 385,300
 1967 485,600
 1968 536,100
 1969 475,200
 1970 334,600
 1971 156,800
 1972 24,200
 1973 50
American Troop Levels

38.  Johnson begins “Operation Rolling Thunder” that
will drop bombs on North Vietnam
 7 million tons of bombs will be dropped on
Vietnam during the War (not including Napalm). 2
million tons were dropped during the entirety of
World War II.
 American Marines land at Da Nang in summer of
1965 to protect airfields
B. The American War (Stage 1--
Bombing)

39.  1967-1968: Johnson shifts military
policy towards “Search and Destroy”
Missions
 Soldiers go into the villages and jungles
to find and kill the Vietcong
 Results in highest casualty numbers for
American troops. Requires “escalation”
of US military forces.
 Johnson tells nation that war is almost
won and that communists are losing
hope.
 Tet Offensive(January 1968) shocks
the nation (nearly destroys Vietcong,
C. The American War (Stage 2—
Ground Troops)

40. Tet Offensive

41.  Nixon is elected in 1968 with campaign
promise to win and get out (not clear how
this would be done)
 Nixon moves to “Vietnamization”
 Having the Vietnamese fight the Vietnam War
 In 1969, Nixon begins to secretly bomb
Cambodia along the “Ho Chi Minh Trail” to
stop supplies from getting to Vietcong
D. The American War (Stage 3—De-
escalation)

42. Ho Chi Minh Trail

43.  How North Vietnam was able to transport military
supplies from the North to the South.
 The trail went through Cambodia and Laos,
around the DMZ
Ho Chi Minh Trail

44.  Nixon begins to cut troops in 1972, claiming
that Vietnamization was working (it really
wasn’t)
 Paris Peace Accord: Ceasefire signed in
1973. American soldiers begin full withdrawal
soon after (most believe that ceasefire was a
condition of American withdrawal. Nixon
wanted space in between when soldiers left
and when South Vietnam fell)
 1975: South Vietnam is completely
conquered by Vietminh and Saigon falls
(becomes Ho Chi Minh City)
 Nixon (removed from office) would later
E. Withdrawal and Ending

45. IV. Legacy of War
 About 2-3 million Vietnamese killed
 Agent Orange destroyed vegetation and led to
poisoning, birth defects, and cancer.
 US: 58,000 Killed in Action, 153,000 wounded in action.
 Vietnam became a communist totalitarian state, as did
Laos and Cambodia.
 Chaos from bombing in Cambodia eventually
destabilized the country and led to the Khmer Rouge
genocide.
 Over one million refugees from the region.

46. Historiographical Debate
 Vietnam and the 1960s are the turning point in
historiography.
 After Vietnam/1960s, historians will turn towards
“revisionist” interpretations that criticize American
action and power.
 In the 1980s-present, some historians have
challenged the revisionists. They are called the
“post-revisionist.”

47. Vietnam: 3 Schools of Thought
 “Revisionist…Traditionalist?”
 “Liberal”: American power is a good force, but it was misused in
Vietnam. By devoting so much attention to the war, America
weakened its position around the world and ruined the “Great
Society.” (Schlessinger, Karnow)
 “Radical…Revisionist”: American power is just as bad as
Soviet power. America’s involvement was a logical
continuation of American imperialism caused by America’s
capitalist system. (Kolko)
 “Conservative….Revisionist?”
 The war could have been won, but it wasn’t because of
strategic mistakes driven by politics. The soldiers didn’t lose the
war, public opposition to the war did. Vietnam War represents a
weakness of American willpower, not a weakness of the

48. Vietnam 3 Schools
 Liberal: “Good effort, but America should have
focused attention elsewhere.”
 Radical: “American action was greedy, unjust,
and imperialistic.”
 Conservative: “Good war, but the hippies ruined
it.”