The first half of the twentieth century were the breeding years of Communism. The books Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini by Bruce F. Pauley and China in Transformation by Colin Mackerras both deal with the rise of Communism, the former in the Soviet Union and the latter in China. Although one book deals with the rise of Communism in the Soviet Union and the other book deals with the rise of Communism in China, both authors have similar abstract ideas about the elements necessary for a Communist takeover, such as the importance of revolution, reform, change, and reaction. (Mackerras, 2) One can see that what both these authors agree on, when looked at abstractly, is that for a Communist victory to occur, the course of events must happen in that sequence.What Pauley and Mackerras agree on, as an obvious element necessary for the rise or victory of Communism, is the presence seemingly qualified leader. In the Soviet Union, it was Lenin (later Stalin); in China it was Mao Zedong who finally brought the Communists to power. An eloquent, charismatic or powerful leader is the key to any type of government takeover. An underlying element necessary for the rise or victory of Communism would have to be a certain state of being that the country would have to be in at the time of the takeover. Although the full takeover of the Soviet Union by the Communist Party happened earlier than in China, many similarities can be seen in the political, social, and economic sectors of the countries in the years directly preceding the takeover.Since the Communist takeover in the Soviet Union happened earlier than in China, as mentioned above, one should read these books in sequence; Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini first, and China in Transformation second. Not only will one be able to make a cross comparison between the Soviet Union and China, one will be able to compare and contrast the rise of the fascist totalitarian regimes (Germany and Italy) as wel...
