AMSCO 8.4

Spread of Communism after 1900

Quote by Mao Zedong (1949): "The road after the revolution will be longer, the work greater and more arduous."

The Cold War served as the backdrop for many countries confronting their historical legacies.
These legacies often included feudalism, capitalism, and colonialism.
Resulted in societies characterized by a few powerful landowners and numerous landless peasants.
Socialists and communists aimed to transform more individuals into landowners.
The struggle for land reform emerged in various countries, including China, Iran, Vietnam, Ethiopia, India, and several Latin American nations (Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela).

1927: Communists and Nationalists in China began combatting for control.
Temporary truce established against Japanese invasion, prioritizing the fight against Japan over internal disputes.

Post-1945: The Chinese Civil War resumed following Japan's defeat.
Mao Zedong's Leadership: Gained popular support through various reforms:
- Redistribution of land to peasants.
- Establishment of schools and hospitals.
- Punishment of military personnel mistreating civilians.
1949: The Communists defeated Nationalists and established the People's Republic of China.
Implementation of nationalization policies and five-year plans, mirroring the Soviet model, with a focus on heavy industry rather than consumer goods.

1958: Introduction of comprehensive land reform under the Great Leap Forward policy.
Peasant land consolidated into communes; state ownership replaced private ownership.
Protesters faced harsh consequences, including reeducation camps or execution.
Despite grievous food shortages due to harvesting failures, China exported grain to Africa and Cuba to project economic success.
Casualties: Approximately 20 million individuals died from starvation.
By 1960, the Great Leap Forward was deemed unsuccessful and officially abandoned.

1966: Mao initiated the Cultural Revolution to strengthen commitment to communism.
This movement resulted in the suppression of critiques against Mao, solidifying his authority.
Red Guards: Revolutionary student groups that targeted government officials and intellectuals for rumored insufficient revolutionary fervor
Involved in coerced reeducation via physical labor and group confessions.

Historically marked by hostility despite both being communist states.
Post-1961: Border disputes and global influence competition.
Example: Albania (Soviet satellite) allied with China in defiance of Soviet dominance, gaining more independence and financial support from China.

Modern Iran faced external dominion starting in the late 19th century with competition from Britain and Russia, intensifying following oil discoveries in the early 20th century.
During WWII, Iran's leader considered aligning with Nazi Germany, prompting invasion by Russia and Britain to install Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi after forcing the original ruler to abdicate.

Nationalists saw the new shah as a foreign puppet and forced his flight in 1951.
Mohammad Mosaddegh assumed premiership, pledging to nationalize oil.
The U.S. and U.K. orchestrated a coup to restore the shah, who established an oppressive regime protected by a secret police force.

Shah initiated non-violent reforms termed the White Revolution, addressing land ownership to curb traditional landowners' influence while improving his standing with peasants.
Government bought land from landlords to reallocate to peasants at discounted rates.
Although some peasants became landowners, overall success was limited, leading to opposition from traditional landlords and marginalized peasants.

1979: A revolution overthrew the shah, fueled by resentment over the 1953 Mosaddegh coup.
The new regime embraced a theocracy with clerical leadership, intertwining religion and state governance.
Guardian Council: A group of religious and legal experts overseeing compliance with shariah law while approving political candidates.
The regime condemned Western policies in the Middle East and relations with Israel.

Latin American leaders identified land concentration as a significant impediment to growth, viewing land reform as a necessary step post-independence from colonial rule.
Mexico's land reform efforts commenced in the 1930s, while most of Latin America's reform occurred in the 1960s or later.

The Venezuelan government redistributed approximately five million acres.
Redistribution involved both unutilized state land and land confiscated from larger landowners.
2001 Land Reform Law caused unrest among landowners claiming their cultivated lands were seized.
Additional complications arose from illegal squatting on lands not designated for redistribution.
Political implications resulted, as beneficiaries tended to support the ruling government, contrasting with opposition from dispossessed landowners.

In Guatemala, Prime Minister Jacob Arbenz initiated land reform.
Birth of tensions led to a U.S.-backed coup by the United Fruit Company, exiling Arbenz in 1954.
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles described this operation as a "glorious victory for democracy," which was ironically critiqued by artist Diego Rivera in his mural.

World War II Occupation: Vietnam endured Japanese occupation while still a French colony.
Post-war, Vietnam declared independence in 1945.
Land reform initiated by communist leaders aimed at redistributing land from landlords to peasants, generating significant support.
Northern communists effectively implemented reforms, contrasting with the slower approach in the South, leading to unpopularity.

Haile Selassie's Return: After WWII, he aligned Ethiopia with the West, echoing western reforms but failed at land reform execution.
1974 Revolution: Military and civilian coalition, including Mengistu Haile Mariam, overthrew Selassie, declaring a socialist government.
Mengistu’s tenure deteriorated due to famine and economic failures, leading to his resignation in 1991.

Independence Movement: After British rule ended in 1947, India was partitioned into India and Pakistan.
India engaged in economic reforms, including land redistribution efforts, which yielded mixed results.
Kerala's Successful Reforms:
- 1960: Passed land reform, later annulled by courts.
- 1963: Tenant purchase rights established.
- 1969: Tenants gained full ownership rights.
- 1974: Laws ensuring work hours and wages enacted.
The Indian central government later imposed direct rule over Kerala to hinder reform actions.

Society:
- Global Land Reform
- Commune
- Theocracy
Government (Asia):
- Mao Zedong
- Great Leap Forward
- Cultural Revolution
- Red Guards
Government (Middle East):
- Muhammad Reza Pahlavi
- Mohammad Mosaddegh
- Haile Selassie
- Mengistu Haile Mariam