Ch.7 Communist revolutions: Russia, China, and Cuba Flashcards
Who were Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and what did they observe about industrial workers in early nineteenth-century Britain?
Who were Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and what did they observe about industrial workers in early nineteenth-century Britain?
Answer: Karl Marx was a German philosopher and journalist, and Frederick Engels was an industrialist. They observed that industrial workers faced appalling conditions, including child labor, long workdays, and repetitive tasks.
What was Marx’s conclusion regarding the benefits of the revolutions in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries?
Marx concluded that these revolutions primarily benefited the new capitalist class of bankers, merchants, and manufacturers, rather than the working class.
How did the reality of workers’ movements in Europe and North America differ from Marx’s predictions?
Instead of leading to revolutions, workers in Europe and North America formed unions and supported labor parties that focused on raising wages, limiting hours, and obtaining social benefits.
What did Marx predict about the future of workers’ revolutions?
Marx predicted a global surge of workers’ revolutions that would overthrow capitalists and liberal constitutional states, leading to the establishment of communist states with collective property ownership.
What theory did Marx develop regarding the progression of history?
Marx developed a theory arguing that history progresses through a series of class revolutions, where capitalists would first overthrow absolute kings and nobles, followed by workers rising up against the capitalists.
Where did Marx’s communist revolutions primarily occur, according to the text?
Where did Marx’s communist revolutions primarily occur, according to the text?
Answer: Marx’s communist revolutions primarily occurred in agrarian states outside of Europe, such as Russia and China, where intellectuals aimed to leap directly from peasant societies to communist states.
What was the status of Russia in the nineteenth century regarding its social and economic conditions?
Russia was the largest but most backward state in Europe, with peasants remaining serfs until 1861 and facing heavy redemption payments even after liberation. Industrial centers were limited, primarily in the Ural Mountains and major cities like Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
What significant events occurred in Russia in 1905 following its defeat by Japan?
Peasant rebellions, massive strikes in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and sailors’ mutinies broke out. Although the army suppressed these disorders, the regime began political and economic reforms, including creating an elected parliament (the Duma) and starting land reforms.
Who was Vladimir Lenin and what was his vision for Russia?
Vladimir Lenin was a radical thinker who proposed the idea of a vanguard communist party to lead workers and peasants in overthrowing the tsar and establishing a communist society.
What sparked the protests on International Women’s Day in February 1917?
Thousands of women demonstrated against bread shortages, which led to a larger uprising involving workers and students, resulting in military defections and violence against tsarist officials.
How did World War I impact the Russian government and society?
The war exacerbated the government’s weaknesses, causing distress among aristocrats and leading to public protests against the war, particularly due to bread shortages.
What was the outcome of the March 3, 1917, abdication of Tsar Nicholas II?
The abdication ended the Romanov dynasty, and a provisional government was established by the Duma to restore order.
Why did the provisional government’s efforts to continue the war lead to discontent?
Continuing the war angered industrial workers and peasants, leading to the organization of councils called soviets and recruitment by communists.
What significant event occurred in October 1917?
What significant event occurred in October 1917?
Answer: Lenin’s Bolshevik party staged a bloodless coup, taking control of key government buildings and establishing a communist government in Russia.
What challenges did the Bolsheviks face after seizing power?
Tsarist generals formed a counterrevolutionary White Army, leading to a brutal civil war against the Reds (Bolsheviks).
How did the Bolsheviks ultimately secure victory in the civil war from 1918 to 1921?
The Red Army, led by Leon Trotsky, triumphed due to superior organization, control of rail lines, and greater support from workers and peasants, culminating in the execution of the tsar’s family to prevent them from becoming a rallying point.
What economic policy did Lenin enforce during the Russian Civil War?
Lenin enforced “war communism,” where the Communist Party took total control of the economy and claimed all assets.
What was the New Economic Policy (NEP) introduced by Lenin after the Civil War?
The NEP allowed peasants and small private businesses to sell their products in the market to help recover from the devastation caused by the war.
What leadership struggle arose after Lenin’s death in 1924?
A struggle for leadership occurred between those wanting to continue the NEP and those seeking to restore full communist control of the economy, with Joseph Stalin leading the latter faction.
What was Stalin’s approach to agriculture in the 1930s?
Stalin implemented a ruthless program of collectivization, consolidating all peasant farms to drain food resources for investment in rapid industrialization.
What were the consequences of Stalin’s collectivization policies?
Millions of peasants perished as Stalin’s forces sought grain stores, and opposition to his policies led to a terror campaign involving purges, show trials, and executions.
What impact did Stalin’s industrialization efforts have on the Soviet Union during World War II?
Stalin’s efforts helped the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany and establish itself as a global superpower, supporting communist regimes in Eastern Europe after the war
Who was Mao Zedong, and what was his background?
Mao Zedong was the leader of China’s Communist Revolution, born in 1893 as the son of a peasant grain merchant, and he focused on the peasantry as the core of his communist revolution.
What were some of the outcomes of Mao Zedong’s policies during the Chinese Communist Revolution?
Mao’s policies, though marked by significant mistakes that killed tens of millions, restored China’s independence and helped elevate its economy to become the world’s second largest.
What significant event occurred in China in the mid-seventeenth century?
Manchu invaders from the north entered China and established the Qing dynasty.
How did the Qing dynasty impact China’s status in the world?
Under Qing rule, China became the richest country in the world, admired even in Europe.
By the nineteenth century, how had Western powers affected China?
Western advancements in technology and arms left China far behind, leading to the imposition of highly unequal treaties that allowed European powers and the U.S. to control China’s overseas trade.
What major rebellion occurred in the 1850s, and what were its consequences?
The Taiping Rebellion devastated southern China, resulting in millions of deaths and widespread destruction.
What was the Boxer Rebellion, and what happened in 1900?
The Boxer Rebellion was an antiforeigner movement that attacked Europeans in Beijing. In reaction, American and European forces occupied the capital and demanded large indemnities from the Chinese government.
As the Qing dynasty weakened, what reforms were attempted?
The Qing dynasty tried to reform and modernize China’s armed forces, schools, and administration.
Who supported the revolutionary organizations that aimed to replace imperial rule in China?
Support came from officials, businessmen, professionals, students, workers, and overseas Chinese, all seeking to expel the Manchu rulers and strengthen China.
What was the outcome of the Chinese Republican Revolution from 1907 to 1911?
Anti-Manchu uprisings broke out, leading to the defection of the New Army to the rebels and the establishment of the provisional government of the Republic of China in January 1912.
