Examples of Communism

By
Updated November 4, 2020
Statue of a woman as examples of communism
  • PERMISSION
    ThinkStock

Communism is a system of government where all the property is public and the government owns and controls the manufacturing and transportation industries. People share equally from the benefits of labor and they receive the things they need from the government.

Communism in Current Times

The advent of modern day communism started during the Russian Civil War (1918-1922) when the Bolsheviks pulled all productive property such as factories, mines and railroads under government control. Russia and the Bolsheviks are part of history; but, communism lives on in many countries.

Communist Structure and Activities

  • In Cuba the hospitals, medical professionals, medicines and medical supplies are all under the control of the Cuban government.
  • In North Korea the farmland, workers and food distribution are all under the control of the North Korean government.
  • In China in the 1950s, Mao developed the "Great Leap Forward" which pushed farmers into communes, took their land and forced them into slave labor.
  • In China today the government controls a highly successful manufacturing industry which generates profits for the government through the export of electronics, toys and other consumer goods.

Communist Countries

  • China - Mao Zedong took control in China in 1949 and named China the People's Republic of China. At that point it became a communist country and is ruled by the Communist Party of China.
  • Cuba - Fidel Castro took over the government of Cuba with the revolution in 1959. It became totally communistic by 1961, is ruled by the Communist Party of Cuba and became close to the Soviet Union after 1961.
  • Laos - Laos has been communistic since 1975 and its official name is the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The revolution in 1975 was supported by Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Laos is ruled by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
  • North Korea - During World War II, Korea was taken over by the Japanese and after the war, it was divided into Soviet North Korea and American South Korea. In 1948, North Korea became a communist country.
  • Vietnam - After the First Indochina War, Vietnam was divided. North Vietnam became communistic and South Vietnam became democratic. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and South Vietnam was supported by the United States. The two were unified in 1976 and it is now a communistic country, ruled by the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Advertisement

Communism in the Twentieth Century

A communist state is a term used for a country that is ruled by a communist party that follows the ideology of Lenin or Marx and Lenin.

Here are examples of Communism in the twentieth century:

  • Afghanistan - Communistic from 1978 to 1992, was the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
  • Albania - A Warsaw Pact nation, Albania was communistic from 1944 to 1992 and was the People's Socialist Republic of Albania
  • Angola - Communistic from 1975 to 1991, was the People's Republic of Angola
  • Benin - Communistic from 1975 to 1990, was the People's Republic of Benin
  • Bulgaria - A Warsaw Pact nation, Bulgaria was communistic from 1946 to 1990 and was the People's Republic of Bulgaria
  • Cambodia - Communistic from 1975 to 1989
  • Congo - Communistic from 1970 to 1991 and was the People's Republic of the Congo
  • Czechoslovakia - A Warsaw Pact nation, Czechoslovakia was communistic from 1948 to 1989 and was the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
  • East Germany - Communistic from 1949 to 1990 and was the German Democratic Republic
  • Ethiopia - Communistic from 1987 to 1991 and was the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
  • Hungary - A Warsaw Pact nation, Hungary was communistic from 1947 to 1989 and was the People's Republic of Hungary and Hungarian People's Republic
  • Mongolia - Communistic from 1924 to 1992 and was the Mongolian People's Republic
  • Mozambique - Communistic from 1975 to 1990 and was the People's Republic of Mozambique
  • North Vietnam - Communistic from 1954 to 1976 when it became unified with South Vietnam
  • Poland - A Warsaw Pact nation, Poland was communistic from 1945 to 1989 and was the People's Republic of Poland
  • Romania - A Warsaw Pact nation, Romania was communistic from 1947 to 1989 and was the Socialist Republic of Romania
  • Somalia - Communistic from 1969 to 1991 and was the Somali Democratic Republic
  • South Yemen - Communistic from 1967 to 1990 and was the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
  • Soviet Union - Communistic from 1922 to 1991 and was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • Yugoslavia - Communistic from 1945 to 1992 and was the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Now you have seen a lot of different examples of countries that operate under communist government systems.