l. Also, since the Communist takeover happened later in China, one might be able to see certain aspects of Soviet Communism in Chinese Communism. One would think that China would be able to learn from the mistakes of the Soviet Union. This paper intends to make a cross comparison of the Communist rise to power in the Soviet Union and in China. Also, this paper intends to examine the necessities required for a Communist takeover to be successful, such as the sequence of events, an apt leader, and the installation of fear to keep the power one has acquired. The evidence in the books written by Pauley and Mackerras can make these comparisons.Obvious Necessities for a Communist TakeoverAs stated before, any takeover, Communist or otherwise, needs a leader. For the Soviet Union, they were lucky enough to have two distinguished leaders, Lenin and Stalin. In 1920, Soviet Socialism was only three years old. But already, under the name of War Communism, Lenins Bolsheviks had nationalized industry, done away with market prices and wages, and declared the end of a money economy and had introduced a plan for the formation of a centrally directed command economy. One might ask, How did he get there?. Lenins energy, organizational skills, speaking ability, and ruthlessness enabled him to enrapt the masses and secure his legitimacy. (Pauley, 15) In China, the leader that finally brought about Chinese Communist victory was Mao Zedong. Mao was noted for having a profound influence on the young. (Mackerras, 38) The idea of having a leader in a Communist takeover would have sounded absurd to Carl Marx, the father of Communism. Communism calls for the rule of the working class, and later, the class would step down and the state would wither away. Communism does not call for one person to rule. Although a leader is always needed in any type of takeover, in a Communist takeover, the leader should step down, not rule like a dictator that de...
