What is Communism?

–An Economic system–Based around idea that resources and

wealth should be shared by all people • Takes idea of equality to extreme

–Was used by dictators to gain absolute power

The Soviet Union

– One such dictator was Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union.

– Stalin’s government was very oppressive and killed millions of people• The camps they used to

kill people were bigger than the Holocaust

– The government controlled all pieces of life

Communism spreads in Europe

• After World War II (1945) many European countries are devastated.

• Stalin’s Soviet Union “helped” many of the countries in eastern Europe and northwest Asia by making them communist and part of the Soviet Union.

Communism Spreads in Asia• In 1949, Mao Zedong,

established the People’s Republic of China– PRC was a Communist

country.• Many Southeast Asian

countries followed the example of China and began to switch to Communism– Korea, Vietman, and

Cambodia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Chinese_stamp_in_1950.jpg

The Cold War

• The U.S. tries to contain the spread of Communism without going to war with Russia

• Cold War was mostly diplomacy and threats• Smaller wars in support of allies– Korean War– Vietnam War

Communist Cuba• In 1959, Fidel Castro

became the Prime Minister of Cuba, after leading a rebellion so successfully overthrow a dictator– Suspended elections and

named himself “President for life”

• 1961, Castro declares that he (and the rest of Cuba) is becoming Communist

Fleeing Communism– This spread of Communism was violent– Communist’s supports were working class and

they targeted people with higher education and wealth for violence • Khmer Rouge- Cambodia• Mao’s China

– These victims fled Communist countries, like China, Vietnam, Cambodia to the United States

– Fleeing was very dangerous because of militant nature of Communist supporters

– Refugees: a person who flees to a foreign country for safety, especially during a time of war

A 35 foot fishing boat carrying 35 Vietnamese refugees, 1984. The people spent eight days at sea before being rescued by an US ship

The temporary housing facility for Vietnamese refugees in California, May 1975.

People coming from Cuba