Key Features and Impacts of Communism in the 20th Century

Key Features:

1. Basic Ideas:

   • Communism is based on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
   • It believes in a society where everyone is equal by getting rid of capitalism.
   • Wealth is shared, and the government controls businesses and industries.

2. Political Control:

   • Communism often means one political party rules everything, like the Communist Party in the Soviet Union.
   • They used secret police and strict censorship to silence anyone who disagreed.

3. Economic Planning:

   • Economies were planned by the government, which was especially true in the Soviet Union with their Five-Year Plans from 1928 to 1937.
   • The focus was on making heavy industry grow, which went from 32% to 55% of the economy during that time.

Impacts:

1. World Spread:

   • After World War II, communism spread to countries like China in 1949 and parts of Eastern Europe, like Poland and Hungary.
   • By 1960, more than 1.3 billion people lived under communist governments.

2. Social Changes:

   • Many countries experienced rapid modernization and better education.
   • In the Soviet Union, literacy rates climbed from 40% in 1917 to over 90% by the 1970s.
   • More women started working, reaching about 50% in several communist countries due to gender equality efforts.

3. Economic Problems:

   • By the late 1980s, many communist economies struggled.
   • The Soviet Union’s economy growth fell from $400 billion in 1980 to$220 billion in 1985.
   • The Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, which represented a big decrease in communist power around the world.

Through these features and impacts, communism greatly influenced global politics and societies during the 20th century, leaving a lasting mark on the world.