Purpose: In the nineteenth century, Karl Marx wrote that “a specter is haunting Europe-the specter of Communism.” While the sort of Communism that Marx envisioned was in fact less powerful in the nineteenth century than Marx believed was the case, Communism was a potent force in the twentieth century. Indeed, by the middle of the twentieth century, much of the world’s population lived under a Communist regime. The rise and fall of Communism in the twentieth century was closely connected to important events such as the world wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War.
Task
In week 7, we are going to roll play, to place ourselves in the historical era we’re covering this week. For your discussion, please choose 1 of the following, either a peasant in Mao’s China or a middle-class citizen in the post-war Soviet Union.
Imagine you are a Chinese peasant during the first 20 years of Mao’s rule. How did you feel about the politics implemented to better China, such as Great Leap Forward? Provide your insights on what you felt were the success and failures of Mao’s communist policies, both domestic and foreign policy.
Imagine you are a middle-class citizen of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. What economic, military, and foreign policies did you feel helped the Soviet Union become a superpower and which policies did you think held it back? What was your feeling about the United States and Western powers? Be specific in your examples.