The Political Institutions of Communism

1
The Political Institutions of Communism

• The USSR and the Peoples Republic of China

2
The Political Institutions of Communism

• The USSR and The Peoples Republic of China

3
Structures
4
1922 politburo

• LENIN P.M.
• KAMENEV MOSCOW
• TROTSKY in a sulk
• STALIN GEN SEC
• ZINOVIEV PETROGRAD
• RYKOV DEPUTY P.M.
• TOMSKY Trade Unions

5
PRESIDIUM post-STALIN

• MALENKOV Chair. C. of M.
• Beria Min Internal Affairs
• Molotov Min For. Aff
• Voroshilov Head of State
• Khrushchev Party Secretary
• Bulganin MoD
• Kaganovich Dep CofM
• 3 other ministers

6
1957 PRESIDIUM

• KHRUSHCHEV
• 8 PARTY SEC.
• USSR P.M. and Dep. P.M.
• RUSSIA P.M.
• H o S
• KAZAKHSTAN
• Ukraine
• CENTRAL CONTROL COMMISSION

7
Interests/Lobbies

• Military
• Heavy industry steeleaters
• Republics
• Party machine apparatchiki
• East Europe
• China
• non-ruling parties

8
Weak interests/lobbies

• Agriculture
• consumer/service industries
• intelligentsia
• diplomats
• broad party membership
• police?
• Navy pre-62

9
1966 Politburo

• Brezhnev Gen Sec
• Kosygin PM
• Podgorny HoS
• 3 CC secs inc Suslov
• party control
• Ukraine
• Russia

10
Brezhnevs legacy

• Gerontocracy
• Stagnation
• Corruption
• Over investment in Armed forces
• Russian feeling that they were subsidising
  everyone else

11
Gorbachov

• Why couldnt Soviet Communism be reformed?
• Glasnost
• Perestroika
• Nationalities
• Is it possible to reform a political system
  before reforming the economy?
• If not us, who? If not now, when?
• Clash with Yeltsin

12
Soviet v other Communist systems

• USSR a system founded on suspicion of the public.
• East Europe founded by Red Army
• China, Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, Cuba
  all came into being after guerilla war
• Cant win a guerilla war without winning over
  public
• Less coercion, more willingness to listen.

13
Structures
14
Chinese institutions
15
Standing Committee of Politburo 2003

• Hu Jintao General Secretary and President
• Wu Bangguo Chair,NPC SC
• Wen Jiabao Prime Minister
• Jia Qinglin Chair CPPCC
• Zeng Qinghong Vice-President and Secretary
• Huang Ju Vice-Premier
• Wu Guangzheng Sec, Committee for Disc. Insp.
• Li Changchun ideology and propaganda
• Luo Gan legislative responsibilities