Communism: GCSE History Definition

What is Communism?

In GCSE History, Communism is a political idea where all property is owned by the people to ensure that everyone has a fair share. As a result, communism does not believe in the class system, as everyone is viewed as equal. This idea was created by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels in 1848 in a book called ‘The Communist Manifesto’.

Communism believes that all countries will revert to how cavemen lived, without money or private property. Marx believed that people would grow tired of working for big businessmen and overthrow the middle classes (or the bourgeoisie), making a fairer society. There are other political, economic and social elements of communism, which are summarised below: 

The opposite political idea of communism is capitalism. This idea is based on industry, private businesses, and social classes. Some people argue that some elements of capitalism are fairer. For example, in a capitalist country, people who are more educated or work harder are generally paid more money. In a communist country, all people would have the same lifestyle regardless of their work ethic or education. 

Many governments have claimed to be Communist. Some key examples are:

• Russia (1917-1991)

• China (1948-present)

• Vietnam (1945-present)

• North Korea (1945-present)

However, no country in the past or the present has achieved true communism. They retain a government, which is often a dictatorship, and still have a money-based economy. Many experts believed that it would be impossible for a state to achieve Marx and Engel’s definition of Communism.  As a result, different forms of communism have emerged. The most well-known version is Marxist-Leninist, which was created by Lenin and used in Russia. 

Communism Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

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