The Failure of Communism

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the reasons for the failure of communism and the demise of the power of the Soviet Union. The paper describes some of the theories that have emerged regarding the Soviet Union's failure, including internal and external tensions, economic issues and overemphasis on bureaucratic procedures. It also discusses the Soviet Union's neglect of culture and nationalistic interests and the natural diversity of the different regions.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Fall Of Communism
Brief Outline Of The Rise And Fall Of Soviet Communism
Overview Of The Main Reasons For The Failure Of Communism
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"It should be remembered that communism was an ideology that was enforced through a strict and often tyrannical application of doctrine. Coupled with this is the fact that the acceptance of communism in many areas of the Soviet system was weak from the beginning. "In the countries subjected to Soviet domination after 1945 indigenous communism was generally weak and revolution was enforced from above with Soviet assistance." (Young, 1996, p. 235) This is a factor which is possibly not always fully recognized by those viewing the fall of communism from the outside. In other words, there was a resentment in many societies and countries within the Soviet Union to the way that communism in essence usurped their traditions and societal norms. The communist governments "...began to introduce Stalinist-type reforms in the economy: breaking up the old aristocratic estates and sharing them out between landless laborers and smallholders, nationalizing important industrial and mining concerns..." (Young, 1996, p. 235)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blackburn, R. (Ed.). (1991). After the Fall: The Failure of Communism and the Future of Socialism. London: Verso.
• Goode, S. (2002, January 7). The Deathblow to Soviet Communism: Scholars Say That the 1956 Revolt by Hungarian Freedom Fighters against the Soviet Union Was the Seminal Event in the Fall of That Communist Empire. Insight on the News, 18, 20+. Retrieved February 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000687454
• Jameson, F. (1996, April). Five Theses on Actually Existing Marxism. Monthly Review, 47, 1+.
• Malia, M. (1993, Spring). A Fatal Logic. The National Interest 80+.
• Marzani, C. (1990, January). On Interring Communism and Exalting Capitalism. Monthly Review, 41, 1+. Retrieved February 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002153835

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