In our current section, we are turning our focus
outside of Europe to examine the spread of communism. When we say communism,
there are certain countries that naturally come to mind: Russia, China, Cuba,
and North Korea, of course. We have already covered the situation of the
Russians, meaning the Soviet Union, in our earlier blocks. Now, we will shift
our attention to Cuba. Together, we will see how the impact of the Cuban
Revolution continues to be felt in the times we live in and even today.
The Spread of Communism Beyond Europe
When we look at the most significant
points where communism took root outside of Europe, the Cuban Revolution is the first to emerge. This
grueling process, which began with the Moncada Barracks attack on July 26,
1953, culminated on January 1, 1959, when the dictator Batista was overthrown
and the rebels led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara seized power. With this
revolution, Cuba became the greatest bastion of communism right under America's
nose. Today, despite the end of the Cold War and the passing of its historic
leaders, Cuba remains one of the few single-party socialist states in the
world. Although the island nation, which has survived over half a century of
suffocating US embargos, has slowly begun to open its doors to private
enterprise in recent years, the anti-imperialist spirit and symbols of the
revolution continue to shape its identity even today.
The biggest fracture on the Asian
continent occurred with the Chinese Revolution. Following a bloody civil war that stretched from 1927 and
included the famous “Long March” of 1934, communism achieved a decisive victory
in this massive geography when Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the
People's Republic of China in 1949. However, fast forward to the present day, China has
transformed Mao's strictly closed economic doctrines into a brand-new model it
calls “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” While unshakeably maintaining
the absolute political authority of the Communist Party, China has integrated
into the global capitalist market to become the world's second-largest economy.
Today, China stands as the US’s greatest geopolitical and technological rival
of the 21st century, acting as the primary force bringing the world to the
brink of a “New Cold War.”
A similar communist wind blew
across the Korean Peninsula.
Communists led by Kim Il-sung founded the Workers' Party of Korea in 1946, and
on August 25, 1948, the Democratic People's Republic was declared in North
Korea. However, following the Korean War that broke out in 1950, the country
was permanently divided in two along the 38th parallel; North Korea embraced
communism, while South Korea adopted democracy.
This border
remains the most concrete and tragic, still-bleeding scar of the Cold War
today. While South Korea has transformed into a global technology, automotive,
and pop culture (K-Pop) giant, North Korea remains the world's most isolated
totalitarian state under the absolute dictatorship of the Kim dynasty. North
Korea's nuclear weapons program is the greatest indicator that the Cold War
tension of that era is still actively continuing today at the 38th parallel.
The Construction of the Eastern Bloc
Actually, at this point, let's steer our course back to the mainstream
and continue with how the Eastern Bloc was institutionalized.
The Marshall Plan, aimed by the US at economically rebuilding Europe,
was defined by the Soviet Union as a “tool of American imperialism.” To counter
this plan and strengthen political ties among communist countries, the Cominform (Communist Information Bureau) was
established on October 5, 1947, with the participation of the communist parties
of the USSR, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia,
France, and Italy. Although presented ostensibly as a step against the Marshall
Plan, the true purpose of the Cominform was to coordinate the European
communist movement and to take over the functions of the Third International
(Comintern), which had been dissolved during World War II.
Another major step taken by the Eastern Bloc against the economic manoeuvres
of the West was Comecon (Council for Mutual
Economic Assistance). Founded on January 25, 1949, to support the political
framework of the Cominform with economic power, the primary objectives of this
organization were to prepare plans based on specialization and cooperation for
the economic development of socialist countries, to direct the production and
distribution of raw materials, and to collaborate on scientific and technical
research.
The
Military Shield of the Eastern Bloc: The Warsaw Pact (May 14, 1955)
The most crucial move that
completed the military and political umbrella of the Eastern Bloc was the
Warsaw Pact. It was established on May 14, 1955, by the Soviet Union,
Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and Albania (Albania
would later withdraw from the pact in 1968). Its purpose was to counter the
establishment of NATO by the Western Bloc and to realize mutual defence and
cooperation among the Eastern Bloc countries. In short, it took shape against
the growing threat of war in Europe following West Germany's admission into
NATO and the establishment of the Western European Union, serving as the
Eastern Bloc's equivalent to the role the US played in NATO.
Features
and Rules of the Warsaw Pact
The main features of this
military and political alliance are as follows:
- Members will consult
each other on all international issues concerning their common interests.
- The highest political
organ of the pact is the “Political Consultative Committee.”
- Members will not enter
into any international engagements or undertake any initiatives that
contradict the objectives of this alliance.
- The parties will act
in a spirit of friendship toward one another, taking their economic and
cultural relations to further dimensions.
- This treaty is open to
the participation of all other states, regardless of their social and
political systems.
- The treaty will be
valid for 20 years. If no desire to terminate the agreement is expressed
one year before the end of the term, it will be extended for another 10
years.
- If a general European
pact planning common security among European countries comes into effect,
the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact may be considered.
Up to this point, we have
covered the spread of communism beyond Europe and how communism was
institutionally solidified among the Eastern Bloc countries. We have thus
clarified the Eastern front of that famous bipolar world. We will continue to
examine the other critical developments of the Cold War and the responses on
the Western front in our third block.
