Did Russian and Chinese communism originate from the same roots?

Answer 1

Yes and no. As the other answers have said the "roots" of modern (19th & 20th c.) communism lies in the work of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Frederich Engels (1820-1895) who, together (while in exile in England) wrote Das Capital, the main book of communist economic and philosophic thought ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Capital ) Later. together with a Russian revolutionary named Bakunin, they founded the First International Workingmen's Organization (needless to say none of the members were actual workingmen) to promote their ideas of a communistic basis for society (the term communism was actually French and introduced to Marx in 1849 by the French revolutionary writer, Prudhon.) The "First International" fell apart in the aftermath of the Paris Commune of 1871 and over political differences (the main one being Marx's belief in direct political action led by a "party" organization. Some years later, political thinkers started a "Second International" which was open to any group or party that subscribe to basic "socialist" principles. It was in reaction to this "mass" organization that Lenin, a Russian Marxist revolutionary, developed the idea of the revolution being a violent overthrow of society led by a revolutionary elite (communist party) in the name of the working class. When he and his Bolsheviks (his elite party) took over Russia in October 1917, they established a "Third International" devoted to Marxist-Leninist principles ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comintern ) The other European parties rejected revolution and elite political organization, and became the Social Democratic parties of today (like Britain's Labour Party.) The Third International or Comintern (as it was called) try to establish Marxist-Leninist parties around the world. In 1921, with an operative from Comintern, a group of Chinese revolutionary thinkers, including Mao Ze Dong, founded the Chinese Communist Party. From 1921-1927 the policies and structures of Chinese communism were dictated by Moscow (many scholars attribute this control to the failure of the 1925-26 Chinese Revolution. After the defeat of the communists in 1927, Mao led the CCP on a different course than strict Marxism, they focused on the peasantry (rather than workingmen in factories) and attempted to establish a mass party (the CCP is still the largest - by membership -political party in the world.) Ultimately these differences led to a break between China and the U.S.S.R in 1959, ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Soviet_Split ) This split led to radically different interpretations of "Marxism" in China from the radical mass "Cultural Revolutions" led by Mao to the experiments with state controlled capitalism under Deng Xiao Ping. So although coming from the same roots, at a very early stage Chinese communism took a different track from Russia.
Sorry for being so long, I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Yes, they both originated from the ideas of Karl Marx. Although Chinese Communism had a more agrarian focus where Russian Communism focused on industrialization. I think.


have a nice day.

Answer 3

Russian and Chinese communism both originated with the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels. Marx was not the founder of communism, as many people think (see other answers). He joined one of the communist parties of Germany. It was a fringe group, and Marx urged the violent overthrow of government. Consequently, he was tried for treason. Because his father-in-law (a wealthy member of the nobility) interceded, Marx was banished, rather than hanged.

He published a newspaper in Paris, but was eventually kicked out of France. He and his family lived in Belgium for a while, but he could not make a living. So, the Marx family moved to England where three of Marx' six children starved to death. Finally, Marx reestablished bonds with Engels, who had inherited his father's factories and was previously Marx' partner in Paris. Engels helped out the family, financially.

By this time, Marx' writing was famous among the various communist parties of the world. So, he was invited to an international communist meeting in New York and asked to write a document that would help to unite all the communist parties. The product was "The Communist Manifesto," co-authored with Engels.

In Russia, after the failure of the Bolsheviks, the communist party set up an economic system that was fashioned from Marx' writings. However, it had a totalitarian government that Marx would have hated, had he lived long enough to witness it.

When China turned to communism in the late 1940's, it also tried Marxian economics, but it installed another totalitarian dictatorship.

Russia officially renounced communism and has turned to a market economy, which they operate very poorly. China has not officially renounced communism, but a market economy is operating any way, and operating with greater efficiency than that in Russia.

The difference: Russia was a nation of lords and serfs before communism; China was a nation of businessmen. Consequently, the impact of international trade and competition is "old hat" to the Chinese, but it is an unknown factor to the Russians.

In the 21st Century, the country that comes closest to the Marxist ideal is probably Cuba. But, I think that will change a few years after Castro dies. The hope of the U.S. government should be that it doesn't revert to the corrupt dictatorship that existed before communism. That's why people like me (the press calls us "liberals") think that not establishing positive links with Cuba is sheer stupidity. In fact, opposing Castro from the start was not very intelligent. But, the previous regime worked well for big American businesses, AT&T, and the Mafia. So, we voters never had any say in the determination of our foreign policy.

[P.S. If you strike the editorial comment at the end of my answer, the rest is factual and objective.]

Answer 4

Yes = Karl Marx = Wrote the Book Communist Manifesto

Answer 5

In fact, in the early years before the revolution, the Chinese communists accepted orders from Russia.

Answer 6

Karl Marx...which turned into, Lenninism, Stalinism, Maoism, etc. etc.

Answer 7

any communism in this world comes from karl marx.he is the father of this ideology

Answer 8

Yeah.. Karl Marx, who I think happens to be German...

Answer 9

Yes, they both come from Marx.

Answer 10

carl marx