Rise of Chinese and Russian Commuinism: Different Approaches with Common Goals

The communist revolutions in both countries have similarities and many differences. We explore the dynamics of change in both countries. Karl Marx had predicted socialist revolutions breaking out in industrial countries and especially in crowded cities where there would be enormous disparities of wealth and power. He would have been surprised to observe the revolutions occurring in two of the most agricultural countries in Europe and Asia. Central Question for the Unit: Why is violence often selected as the process for change?

Course Lecture PowerPoint Slides and Other Materials

• Instructor Master PP Slides

• Student PP Slides

Course Lecture Video Recordings

• Music Video Overview of the Unit (4:55 minutes) Music: "Cult of Personality" performed by Living Colour. With our study of early Communist leaders, this song title and lyrics repeats Khrushchev's warning about Stalin and those that followed his Cult of Personal

• (Video) Part One

• (Video) Part Two

• (Video) Part Three

• (Video) Part Four

• (Video) Part Five

• (Video) Part Six

Required Readings and Media

• Study Guide Questions for Assigned Readings and Media (PDF)

• Datillo, Commentary on President Reagan's "Tear down this wall" speech (PDF Transcript)

• Datillo, Commentary on President Reagan's "Tear down this wall" speech (Audio)

• Khruschev, Speech denouncing Stalin (PDF)

• Lenin, The April theses (PDF)

• Various Authors, Writings by or about Mao Zedong (PDF)

• Soloman, Revolution in a Chinese village (PDF)

• Mao Zedong, The peasant movement in Hunan (PDF)

Unit Activities

• Comparing Communism in China the USSR (Word)

Supplemental Learning Materials (Not required for major exams)

• President Reagan, "Tear down this wall" speech (PDF Transcript)

• American Rhetoric, President Reagan, "Tear down this wall" speech (Audio)

• Premier Khrushchev, Letter to President Kennedy about the Cuban missile crisis (PDF)

• Packett, Transition from Stalin to Khrushchev in 1953 (Audio)

• Packett, Unest in Poland in 1956 (Audio)

• President Reagan, Speech in which he calls the USSR the "Evil empire" (PDF Transcript)

• President Reagan, USSR as the "Evil Empire" speech (Audio)

• U.S. Department of State, Position paper about relations with China (PDF)

• Various, Panel discussion on Lenin (Audio)

• Mao Zedong, The Little Red Book (PDF)

• Rafferty, Return to the Motherland (PDF)

• Packett, China becomes Communist (Audio)

• Military History Podcast, Chinese revolution (Audio)

• Mao Zedong, Complete report on the Peasants' Movement in Hunan (Web Page)

• Brezhnev, Czechoslovakia uprising and the Brezhnev Doctrine (PDF)

• Will Russia ever say goodbye to Lenin? (PDF)

• China Goes Red (Audio)