In this episode of History 102, WhatifAltHist creator Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg talk about the brutal cost of communist ideology, from mass killings to cultural destruction, and the psychological motivations driving its appeal. From Marx to Mao, explore the rise, fall, and enduring legacy of communism, its impact on history, and its surprising influence today.
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HIGHLIGHTS:
Communism as a Moral Lesson
Marxism's Influence
Origins of the Modern Left
Saint Simon and the Roots of Leftism
Pre-Marxist Socialist Thinkers
Karl Marx and the 1848 Revolutions
Marx's Intellectual Ability and Hegelianism
The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Communism
The Psychology of Leftism and Power
The Russian Revolution and Lenin
The Nature of Communist Revolutions
Stalin and the Purges
The Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain
The Decline of Communism
Communism's Death Toll and the Need for Reassessment
Communism and Social Justice
Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party
Cambodian Communism and the Khmer Rouge
The Geographic Apex and Decline of Communism
Post-Communist Transition
The Need for a Psychological Revolution
Books Mentioned:
The Decline and Fall of Socialism
Fire in the Minds of Men by James Billington
Les Miserables
The 100 Greatest Atrocities of the Twentieth Century by Matthew White
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