The SPREAD of COMMUNISM After 1900 [AP World History Review—Unit 8 Topic 4]

Summary

This video explores the global spread of communism during the Cold War, focusing on key events in China, Egypt, Vietnam, and Cuba. It delves into the rise of communism in China under Mao Zedong, the socialist reforms in Egypt led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the communist land redistribution in Vietnam, and Fidel Castro’s revolution in Cuba. Each of these cases highlights how communism was implemented through land redistribution and nationalization, often in defiance of Western powers. The video also touches on the tensions these developments caused between the East and West during the Cold War.

Takeaways

• 😀 The spread of Communism during the Cold War was highly unwelcome in the United States, but it spread to various parts of the world.
• 😀 China's adoption of Communism, led by Mao Zedong, marked the end of 2,000 years of dynastic rule and the beginning of a Communist revolution in 1949.
• 😀 The conflict between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party was briefly interrupted by Japan's invasion of northern China in 1931, but resumed after World War II.
• 😀 The collectivization of agriculture in China, which aimed to redistribute land to peasants, was a relatively peaceful process compared to the Soviet Union, where it led to widespread famine.
• 😀 Mao's Great Leap Forward aimed to industrialize China rapidly but ended disastrously, causing the deaths of 20 to 50 million people due to famine.
• 😀 Mao's policies led to severe tensions with the Soviet Union, as he believed Soviet Communism had become corrupted and differed from his own vision for China.
• 😀 In Egypt, Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956, while not Communist, prompted socialist reforms and angered Western powers, leading to military intervention, which was ultimately stopped by Soviet threats.
• 😀 In Vietnam, the communist government of the North implemented land redistribution programs, transferring land from wealthy landowners to the rural peasantry.
• 😀 Vietnam's independence struggle after World War II led to the division of the country into a communist North and anti-communist South, setting the stage for the Vietnam War.
• 😀 Fidel Castro's 1956 revolution in Cuba resulted in the establishment of a communist state, with land redistribution and nationalization of U.S. interests, which further strained relations with the United States and led to closer ties with the Soviet Union.

Q & A

What was the significance of China's adoption of Communism?

China's adoption of Communism was a pivotal moment in the global spread of Communism during the Cold War, as it marked the transformation of a major nation into a Communist state under Mao Zedong's leadership, fundamentally altering the political landscape of Asia.

What was the conflict between the Chinese Nationalists and Communists in the 1920s?

The conflict was a bitter civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party, with the Nationalists opposing Communist ideology and relying on Western powers, while the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, sought to implement Marxist-Leninist policies.

How did Japan's invasion of China in 1931 affect the Chinese Civil War?

The Japanese invasion of northern China in 1931 forced the Chinese Communists and Nationalists to temporarily unite to fight a common external enemy, thus halting their internal conflict during this period.

What was the result of the Chinese Civil War and the role of the Soviet Union in it?

The Communist forces ultimately won the Chinese Civil War, with significant support from the Soviet Union, leading to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 under Mao Zedong.

What was the Great Leap Forward and its impact on China?

The Great Leap Forward was Mao Zedong's economic program aimed at rapidly industrializing China, but it led to disastrous consequences, including widespread famine and the deaths of millions due to poor planning, forced collectivization, and famine.

Why did relations between China and the Soviet Union become strained during Mao's leadership?

Relations became strained because Mao believed that the Soviet version of Communism, particularly Stalin's policies, had become corrupted. Mao's approach to industrialization in rural areas sharply contrasted with the Soviet model focused on urban centers.

What was the result of the Great Leap Forward on China's population?

The Great Leap Forward resulted in a massive famine, with estimates of death ranging from 20 to 50 million people, far worse than the Soviet famines. The disaster was exacerbated by Mao's refusal to accept foreign aid and continued grain exports during the crisis.

How did the Suez Canal factor into Egypt's independence and the Cold War?

The Suez Canal was a critical strategic asset for European powers. When Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Canal in 1956, it triggered a military response from Britain, France, and Israel. The conflict escalated into a Cold War standoff when the Soviet Union threatened nuclear retaliation and the U.S. pressured the invaders to withdraw.

What was the significance of Vietnam's division into Communist North and anti-Communist South?

The division of Vietnam into a Communist North and anti-Communist South after World War II set the stage for the Vietnam War, representing a major Cold War proxy conflict between the Communist bloc and the U.S.-backed South.

How did Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba relate to Communism in the Western Hemisphere?

Fidel Castro's 1956 revolution in Cuba established a Communist state, as he implemented socialist reforms like land redistribution and nationalized U.S. assets in Cuba, which led to U.S. hostility and a failed CIA-backed attempt to overthrow him, further strengthening his ties with the Soviet Union.