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The '''Deutsche(r) Wetterdienst''' (Translated from [[German language|German]] as '''German Weather Service'''), residing in [[Offenbach, Germany]] (near to [[Frankfurt, Germany]]), is a scientific agency that monitors [[weather]] and [[meteorology|meteorological]] conditions over [[Germany]] and offers weather services for the general public as well as specific services for e.g. [[nautical]], [[aviation|aviational]] or [[agriculture|agricultural]] purposes.
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:''This article is about one-party states governed by [[Communist Party|Communist Parties]]. For information regarding '''communism''' as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, or as a popular movement, see the main [[Communism]] article.''
The DWDs main task is to warn against weather related dangers, as well as monitoring and rating changes in the German [[climate]]. The DWD is also responsible for running the the national clime archive and runs one of the biggest libraries worldwide that is specialized on weather and climate.
{{Communism}}
A '''Communist state''' is a state governed by [[one party state|a single political party]] which declares its allegiance to the principles of [[Marxism-Leninism]]. The term "Communist state" originated from the fact that most of such states are or were run by [[Communist party|Communist parties]]. However, most of these states called themselves [[socialism|socialist]], since in Marxist [[political theory]], socialism is the intermediate stage in reaching communism, a final phase in which full [[collectivism|collective ownership]] has been achieved. Certain socialists and [[Social democracy|social democrats]] rejected historical Communist states, viewing them as representing a distortion or rejection of socialist values; [[Trotskyism|Trotskyites]] became especially opposed to the official ideology of the [[Soviet Union]] following [[Joseph Stalin]]'s consolidation of power. Trotsky referred to the Soviet Union under Stalin as a [[degenerated workers state]] and, following [[World War II]], Trotskyists coined the term [[deformed workers state]] to refer to the regimes in [[Eastern Europe]] as well as other Communist states that arose.
Structurally, the Deutsche Wetteramt belongs to the [[Federal ministry for Transport (Germany)|Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung]]. This establishes a close link to the German [[government]], communes, economy, industry, country and state ministries for purposes of cooperation and consulting. It's work is based on the law about the DWD ("Gesetz über den Deutschen Wetterdienst").
Alternative terms for a "Communist state" include '''"Communist Party-run state"''' and '''"Marxist-Leninist state."''' [[Libertarian socialism|Libertarian socialists]] and ([[anarchism|anarchists]]) often use terms such as "state socialism" or "state capitalism," expressing their opinion that the State is incompatible with real socialism.
Currently, the DWD consists of roughly 2600 occupants. Besides the DWD central in Offenbach, there are regional centers in [[Hamburg, Germany|Hamburg]], [[Potsdam, Germany|Potsdam]], [[Leipzig, Germany|Leipzig]], [[Essen, Germany|Essen]], [[Stuttgart, Germany|Stuttgart]] and [[Munich, Germany|Munich]]. Additionally, it runs Germanys densest net of meteorological measurement points with 173 full time meteorological stations (100 of them being manned) as well as about 2400 extraordinal [[weather station|weather stations]] run by volunteering amateurs.
==Definition of a Communist state==
Within its duty of primary meteorological information, the DWD offers a free daily weather report for Germany which can be subscribed to by [[e-mail]] on there official home page (see below).
As noted in the introduction, a "Communist state" is a state where a Communist Party holds power within the context of a single-party system of government. Thus, a country ruled by a Communist party is not automatically a "Communist state."
There have been and still exist countries where Communist parties have come to power through democratic elections, and ruled in the context of a multi-party [[democracy]]. Such situations can be found today in the Indian states of [[Kerala]] and [[West Bengal]], the East European country of [[Moldova]], and the French territory of [[Réunion]]. Communist parties have also taken part in democratic coalition governments in places like [[France]] and [[Italy]]. None of those countries qualify as a Communist state because their respective Communist parties do not hold a monopoly on political power.
== History ==
Furthermore, the historical states of the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]], [[Slovak Soviet Republic]] and [[Bavarian Soviet Republic]] were short-lived revolutionary entities that are difficult to define as Communist states, because the status of non-Communist political parties and movements within them remained unclear.
The DWD was found in [[1952]] by joining the weather services of the western occupation zones. [[1954]] the Federal Republic of Germany joined the [[World Meteorological Organization]] (WMO). [[1975]] the ''European Center for Medium-Term Forecasts'' was founded to be able to forecast the weather up to ten days in advance. [[1990]] the DWD integrated the weather services of the [[GDR]].
Since the 1990s, the DWD continously decreased the number of manned weather stations, which resuled in substantial staff cutbacks. According to the DWD, no reduce in forcast quality is to be expected, though, since techniques like weather radar or satellites significantly improved the weather data for a large monitored area.
''See also: [[Socialist republic]]''
== Historical examples of Communist governments ==
== Public Services ==
Communist governments have typically arisen during times of general political instability. Most have come to power through revolutions led by Communist parties. Several operated illegally for a long period of time before the revolution, and developed disciplined and effective structures, together with a cadre of committed leaders able to mobilize elements of society dissatisfied with [[capitalism]] and the current government. The support base of the communists typically consisted of poor [[working class|laborers]], [[intellectualism|intellectuals]], and, especially in the case of China, peasants. Following a successful revolution, the Communist Party takes on the goal of building a new society.
Since [[2005]], the DWD publishes regional warnings against heat with the aim to reduce heat related fatalities. This decision was made because of the hot summer in [[2003]], when estimated 7000 people died from direct or indirect effects of the heat. Additionally it sends out sea weather reports as radio tele types and faxes. Since [[2006]], the pollen warnings can be subscribed for free on the DWD web site.
=== Early examples of communist societies ===
''See [[Communism#Other_forms_of_communism|Communism: Other forms of communism]]''
== External link ==
Communist societies have existed throughout history, and many exist today, but it was not until the 20th century that highly organized Communist Parties based on Marxist-Leninist ideology gave rise to Communist states. Information regarding early, traditional and/or [[religious communism|religious]] forms of communism (as well as information on other communist societies in the Marxist meaning of the word, such as the [[Paris Commune]]) is to be found in the [[Communism]] article. Many researchers prefer to use term [[communalism]] to distinguish various communal societies from communism, which is generally associated with Marxism.
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*[http://www.dwd.de/en/en.htm Official site]
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=== 20th century ===
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[[Image:Communistpartyrunstates.jpg|thumb|350px|Global expansion of Communist states by date of establishment. <br>Dark red: 1920s-1930s<br>Bright red: 1940s-1950s<br>Salmon: 1960s-1980s.]]
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In the 20th century, a number of [[Communist party|Communist Parties]] based on Marxist-Leninist ideology established governments in various countries. In those countries, the aforementioned Communist parties became the only legal political parties.
[[de:Deutscher Wetterdienst]]
The history of Communist states is often closely related to the history of non-Communist governments, and to the history of the Communist movement in general. As such, the following historical account is not restricted to Communist states:
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Following the [[October Revolution|Russian Revolution]] in [[1917]], which established what later became the [[Soviet Union]], there was a revolutionary wave throughout Europe. Communist revolutions, uprisings or attempted uprisings took place in many European countries. However, Russian Communists, engaged in the [[Russian Civil War]], were unable to provide any significant support to communist movements outside Russia. Eventually only two revolutions outside Russia were able to overthrow the government and take power. They resulted in the [[Bavarian Soviet Republic]] (which lasted from [[November]] [[1918]] until [[May 3]] [[1919]]) and the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] in [[1919]]. Both of them where soon abolished, and with the defeat of the [[Red Army]] in the [[Polish-Soviet War]] in [[1920]], the Russian Communists were forced to abandon any plans of military aid to Communist movements in Europe. On the other side of the world, [[Mongolia]] had been a [[protectorate]] of the [[Russian Empire]] from [[1912]] until [[1919]], when the Chinese took control during the [[Russian Civil War]]. The Russian [[monarchy|monarchist]] [[White Army]] took control in [[1921]], but was driven out by the [[Red Army]] that same year. Mongolia was not absorbed into the Soviet Union, but was renamed the '''People's Republic of Mongolia''' and became the Soviet Union's first [[satellite state]] in [[1924]].
From 1924 until [[World War II]], there were no successful Communist revolutions, and no more Communist states were established.
Most of the Communist states in the world were established in the aftermath of World War II in [[Eastern Europe]], either in countries which were liberated from the [[Nazism|Nazi]]s by the Soviet [[Red Army]] and subsequently occupied by Soviet troops, or in countries where Communist-led partisans succeeded in driving out the Nazis and taking power themselves. The Red Army arranged for the establishment of Communist governments in [[Poland]], [[East Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Czechoslovakia]] and [[Romania]], which became Soviet satellites. Communist partisans established Communist governments which were initially pro-Soviet in [[Albania]] and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]. Furthermore, in [[East Asia]], the Red Army joined the war against Japan and established a Communist state in [[North Korea]].
With extensive Soviet military aid, [[Mao Zedong]]'s Communist Party of China emerged victorious in the [[Chinese Civil War]] and established of the [[People's Republic of China]] in [[1949]]. The [[First Indochina War]] led to the establishment of the [[North Vietnam|Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] in northern Vietnam in [[1954]]. Later, the [[Vietnam War]] ended with the takeover of [[South Vietnam]] by the [[People's Army of Vietnam|North Vietnamese Army]] and the establishment of a unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam] in [[1975]]. The broader Indochina conflict also saw Communist states established in [[Laos]] and [[Cambodia]] in 1975, though the latter government (known as [[Democratic Kampuchea]]) was toppled in a Vietnamese invasion and denounced by Vietnam and its Communist allies. (see [[Khmer Rouge]])
In [[1959]], the [[Cuban Revolution]] resulted in the first Communist state being established in the Western Hemisphere — the [[Cuba|Republic of Cuba]].
A [[civil war]] led to the establishment of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Yemen]] in southern Yemen in [[1969]].
For several years, Communist regimes also existed in [[Afghanistan]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Angola]], [[Mozambique]] and in other developing countries, although these were short-lived.
By the early [[1980s]], nearly one third of the world's population was ruled by Communist governments, and the tide of the [[Cold War]] seemed to have turned decisively in the Soviet Union's favor.
There have been several wars or military conflicts between Communist states: the [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]], the [[Prague spring]], the [[Ogaden War]], the [[Cambodian-Vietnamese War]], the [[Sino-Soviet border conflict]], the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]], and the [[1956 Hungarian Revolution]].
However, due to internal economic problems, the Soviet Union itself was growing increasingly unstable. In the late 1980s, Eastern Europe grew increasingly unstable as people rose up against their governments, and in [[1991]], the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|Soviet Union collapsed]]. None of the Eastern European Communist governments survived these events.
As of [[2005]], there are five Communist states in the world: [[People's Republic of China|China]], [[Cuba]], [[Laos]], [[North Korea]], and [[Vietnam]]. Despite a common Communist ideology, they possess certain distinct characteristics, both politically and economically.
==Communist theories and ideologies of government==
''See also the articles on [[Marxism]], [[Leninism]], [[Trotskyism]], [[Stalinism]] and [[Maoism]].''
Most Communist states base themselves (at least in theory) on a form of [[Marxism-Leninism|Marxist-Leninist]] ideology. Historically speaking, all Communist states that existed for significant periods of time during the 20th century had their roots in either [[Stalinism]] or [[Maoism]]. The relationship of these ideologies with the original form of Marxism (as well as their relationship with Leninism) is very disputed. In particular, [[Trotskyism|Trotskyists]] are communist opponents of Stalinism and Maoism (and therefore they oppose most 20th century "Communist states"), on the grounds that they were perversions of Marxism-Leninism and communist ideals.
Marxism holds — among other things — that human history has had and will have a developmental structure, alternating between slow development of technology/economy (and the according philosophy/religion) and short periods of rapid change in technology and economy (as well as philosophy and, sometimes, religion). The short periods of rapid change take place immediately after [[revolution]]s of one kind or another.
Also, in Marxist theory, communism is the final evolutionary phase of society (coming after socialism), at which time the state would have withered away. Marx specified that the workers should rise up to destroy capitalism and replace it with socialism, a transitional stage during which the state holds the property of the means of production (property over the objects used in economic activities, not over items meant for personal use) on behalf of its citizens. According to Marx, socialism is, in turn, destined to be replaced by a classless, stateless and propertyless stage of society, named communism. Communism is supposed to be achieved by the "withering away" of the socialist state. This "withering away" consists of the transfer of power from the state to the people themselves — to be more exact, the [[representative democracy]] of socialism is to be gradually replaced by the [[direct democracy]] of communism.
"Communist states" never actually claimed to have reached communism. They claimed to be ''in the process of building communism'', and they claimed to be socialist and democratic states. While most people would strongly disagree with the claim that those states were actually democratic in any way, the same standard is usually not applied to their claims of being socialist.
Leninist theory, developed by [[Bolshevik]] leader [[Vladimir Lenin]], emphasises the role of a well-organized group of revolutionaries (usually called a [[Communist party]]) in planning and carrying out the revolution. According to Leninism, a Communist party must be organized along the principles of [[democratic centralism]] in order to maximize efficiency. Leninism departs from classical Marxism in arguing that the revolution will not begin in the most advanced capitalist countries, but in those where the capitalist ruling class is weakest - mostly poor, underdeveloped countries. From there, the revolution would need to spread quickly to the more advanced capitalist countries, because it is only with the help of an advanced technological and industrial base that socialism can be built.
With these principles in mind, right after the [[Russian Revolution of 1917|Russian Revolution]], Lenin argued that the success of socialism in Russia depended on the victory of socialist revolutions in other countries (most notably the [[German Revolution]]). However, all the socialist revolutions that flared up across Europe in the years 1918-1922 were crushed. Russia found itself alone in its attempt to build socialism.
Lenin did not live long enough to formulate a solution to this problem. Instead, the role fell on his successors, the most notable of whom were [[Leon Trotsky]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]. Trotsky proposed his thesis of the "[[permanent revolution]]", while Stalin proposed "[[socialism in one country]]". Over the following years, Stalin gradually succeeded in eliminating all his opponents (including Trotsky) and taking over the Soviet government. He upheld and implemented the idea of "socialism in one country", which argued that socialism could and should be built in a single underdeveloped country — as the Soviet Union was at that time.
Stalin's policies went far beyond what had been anticipated, however. Throughout the 1930s, he created the State and Party structure on which all subsequent "Communist states" were to be based. Power was centralized in his hands, and democracy was gradually removed from the decision-making process of the Communist Party (a process which culminated in the [[Great Purge]]).
Later, the practices of [[Mao Zedong]] in the [[People's Republic of China]] (generally known as [[Maoism]]) diverged from traditional Stalinism by putting the main emphasis on the peasantry (rather than the urban proletariat) as the engine of the revolution and subsequent post-revolutionary development.
The history of Communist Party-run governments is varied and complex, but it is possible to make some valid generalizations which apply to most examples: Communist Party-run governments have historically been characterized by state ownership of productive resources in a [[centrally planned economy]] and sweeping campaigns of economic restructuring such as [[nationalization]] of industry and [[land reform]] (often focusing on [[collective farming]] or state farms). However, although they promote collective [[ownership]] of the means of production, Communist Party-run governments are also characterized by strong state apparatuses, and decidedly non-collective decision making processes (power is often concentrated in the hands of a single individual). Many have characterized the old Soviet model as [[state socialism]] or [[state capitalism]]. At various times they have had to allow or even encourage certain forms of private property.
Further, critics have often claimed that a Stalinist or Maoist system of government creates a [[new class|new ruling class]], usually called the [[nomenklatura]].
==Relationship between party and state ==
Political scientists, however, have developed the concept of ''Communist state'' to reflect claims made by [[Karl Marx]], [[Vladimir Lenin]], and others that the revolutionary state must be a "[[dictatorship of the proletariat]]", and that the working class is represented by the Communist Party. In practice, according to this theory, state and the party are effectively identical, and govern all aspects of the society — economic and cultural, as well as political.
In the [[Soviet Union]] for example, the [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary of the Communist Party]] did not necessarily hold a ''state'' office like president or prime minister to effectively control the system of government. Instead party members answerable to or controlled by the party held these posts, often as honorific posts as a reward for their long years of service to the party. On other occasions, having governed as General Secretary, the party leader might assume a state office in addition. For example, [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] initially did not hold the presidency of the Soviet Union, that office being given as an honor to a former Soviet Foreign Minister.
Within most Communist states there are no restrictions in theory and few restrictions in practice on the power of the state, resulting in state structures which are either [[totalitarian]] or [[authoritarian]]. The mainstream branch of Marxism-Leninism sees restrictions on state power to be an unnecessary interference in the goal of pulling the society toward communism. Other Marxist-Leninists have argued that a state with absolute power is incapable of moving society towards a democratic system such as communism.
In some communist party-run states, such as the Soviet Union, a large [[secret police]] apparatus closely monitors the population. Autocratic methods are often employed to crush opposition. Some political scientists have argued that there are deep similarities between Communist states and [[fascist]] ones and that both are examples of [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] states.
The nature of each example of the communist party run state differs widely both between countries and within each individual state. Policies which incorporate the policies and techniques of the orthodox [[Stalinist]] state of the [[1930s]] are characteristically more [[totalitarian]], impoverished, [[militarism|militaristic]], and static as can be seen in the examples of North Korea and Albania. Attempts to incorporate [[democracy|democratic]] principles as in the case of the Soviet Union under [[Gorbachev]], [[socialism|socialist]] principles as in Yugoslavia, or [[capitalism|capitalistic]] techniques as in China result in some mitigation of the negative features of the communist party run state but sometimes result in dynamic situations which may undermine the control of the party over the state or even lead to its collapse.
The [[People's Republic of China]] and to a lesser extent [[Vietnam]] and [[Laos]] have both moved toward market economics.
==Criticism and advocacy==
Advocates of communism praise Communist parties for running countries that have sometimes leaped ahead of contemporary "capitalistic" countries, offering guaranteed employment, health care and housing to their citizens. Critics of communism typically condemn Communist parties by the same criteria, claiming that communist-run countries all lag far behind the industrialized West in terms of economic development and living standards.
Central economic planning has in certain instances produced dramatic advances, for example, rapid development of heavy industry during the 1930s in the Soviet Union and later in their [[Soviet space program|space program]]. Another example touted by Communists is the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Cuba. Early advances in the status of women were also notable, especially in Islamic areas of the Soviet Union. See Gregory J. Massell, ''The Surrogate Proletariat: Moslem Women and Revolutionary Strategies in Soviet Central Asia: 1919–1929'', Princeton University Press, 1974, hardcover, 451 pages, ISBN 069107562X. Critics point out, however, that these examples are anecdotical and cite counter-examples: the failure of the Soviet Union to achieve the same kind of development in agriculture (forcing the Soviet Union to become a net importer of cereals after the Second World War), as well as the continued poverty of other Communist states such as Laos, Vietnam or Maoist China. Indeed, they point out that China only achieved high rates of growth after introducing Capitalist economic reforms — a sign, claim the critics, of the superiority of Capitalism.
Other claims include generous social and cultural programs, often administered by labor organizations. Universal education programs have been a strong point, as has the generous provision of universal health care. They point out to the high levels of literarcy enjoyed by Eastern Europeans (in comparison, for instance, with Southern Europe), Cubans or Chinese. Western critics charge that Communist compulsory education is replete with pro-Communist and atheistic propaganda and that it severely punishes critical thinking.
Critics also point out that some Communist states have been involved in the destruction of cultural heritage: [[Romania]] (planned destruction of historical centres of most towns — partially achieved in Bucarest), [[China]] (repression of [[Tibet]]an culture, destructions during the [[Cultural Revolution]]) and the Soviet Union (destruction, abandon or reconversion of religious buildings) are the most cited examples.
Also pointed out is environmental disasters which, the critics claim, were due to the Communist governments in place. The most cited example is the disappearance of the [[Aral Sea]] in today's [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]], which is believed to have been caused by the diversion of the waters of its two affluent rivers for cotton production.
The Soviet practice of making it illegal to quit one's job, or to hire a [[dissident]], or his relatives, is regarded by the critics as tantamount to [[slavery]].
The [[personality cult]]s of many of the leaders of Communist states and the fact that in some cases the leadership of the state has become inherited has also been criticized.
Critics argue that the [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]], the [[Prague spring]], and the [[1956 Hungarian Revolution]] were [[imperialistic]] wars where military force crushed popular uprisings against the Communist system.
Extensive historical research has documented large scale human rights violations that occurred in these states, particularly during the regimes of [[Stalin]] and [[Mao Zedong|Mao]], but shown to have started immediately after the [[Russian revolution]] during the regime of [[Lenin]] and to have continued to occur in all communist states during their existence. Most prominent being deaths due to executions, forced labor camps, genocides of certain ethnic minorities, and mass starvations caused by either government mismanagement or deliberately. The exact number of deaths caused by these regimes is somewhat disputed, but extensive historical research shows at least tens of millions (see, e.g., the estimates reached in ''[[The Black Book of Communism]]'' and the references below). Other widespread criticism concern the documented lack of [[freedom of speech]] in Communist Party regimes, religious and ethnic [[persecution]]s, lack of [[democracy]], systematic use of [[torture]], and restriction of [[emigration]].
Others find this approach simplistic, noting that executions, forced labor camps, the repression of ethnic minorities, and mass starvation were patterns in both Russian and Chinese history before their respective Communist takeovers. Critics argue that past evils in an old regime cannot be used to justify new ones; otherwise supporters of [[Hitler]] could justify his deeds by pointing to past human rights crimes by the [[German Empire]] in Africa.
Many [[Marxist]]s and some [[Marxist-Leninist]]s argue that most Communist states do not actually adhere to Marxism-Leninism but rather to a perversion heavily influenced by [[Stalinism]], which sharply diverges in practice from the [[humanism|humanistic philosophy]] of Marxist revolutionaries.<!--Page 42, ISBN 0253203376--> This critique is particularly strong among [[social democrat]]s and some critical theorists who hold that Marxism is correct as a social and historical theory, but that it can only be implemented within a multiparty democracy. [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]]s argue that the bureaucratic and repressive nature of Communist states differs from Lenin's vision of the socialist state. Some Marxists (for example [[Milovan Djilas]], [[James Burnham]]) described Communist states as systems where a new powerful class of party bureaucrats emerged, exercised complete control over the [[means of production]] and exploited the [[working class]].
As a defense of Communism, it is sometimes claimed that so-called "communist states" are unrelated (or only distantly related) to an ideal Communist society. Therefore, it is argued, the failings of these states should not be taken as failings of communism ''per se''.
Critics of Communism find fault with this reasoning, noting that this argument cannot be falsified and is therefore not scientific. Were it valid, they argue, it could similarly be applied to capitalism, fascism or other ideologies.
==List of current Communist states==
The following countries are generally considered to be "Communist states" according to the way the term has been generally used since World War II as they are states in which a ruling [[Communist Party]] has a monopoly on political power. The degree to which these states are socialist is a matter of contention due to differing definitions of socialism but it is generally acknowledged that they are [[Soviet]]-style systems emulating the former [[Soviet Union]]. Even so, there is a wide degree of variation from the People's Republic of China, on one end, which follows [[market socialism]], to North Korea, which follows a system similar to [[Stalinism]] and practices a rigid [[command economy]].
Current Communist states and their ruling parties are:
*[[People's Republic of China]] (since [[1949]]); [[Communist Party of China]]
*[[Cuba|Republic of Cuba]] ([[Cuban Revolution]] in [[1959]], socialist state declared in [[1961]]); [[Communist Party of Cuba]]
*[[Laos|Lao People's Democratic Republic]] (since [[1975]]); [[Lao People's Revolutionary Party]]
*[[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] (since [[1948]]); [[Workers Party of Korea|Korean Workers' Party]]
*[[Vietnam|Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] (since [[1976]]); [[Communist Party of Vietnam]]
''See also: [[List of Communist parties]]''
==Defunct Communist states==
Defunct Communist states and their ruling parties (where applicable):
*[[Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic]] (1918–1922) founded as a result of the [[October Revolution]] by the [[Bolshevik]] faction of the [[Russian Social Democratic and Labour Party]]. Incorporated into:
**[[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] (1922–1991) — [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]
**See also [[Republics of the Soviet Union]] for various Soviet republics, some of them short-lived, which were eventually included into the USSR.
*[[Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic]] (Jan 1918–Apr 1918) in the south of Finland only — [[Social Democratic Party of Finland]].
*[[Slovak Soviet Republic]] (1918–1919)
*[[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] (1919) — [[Hungarian Communist Party]]
*[[Bavarian Soviet Republic]] also known as the ''Munich Soviet Republic'' (1919) — [[Independent Socialist Party]]
*[[Galician Soviet Socialist Republic]] ([[July 9]] [[1920]] - [[September 21]] [[1920]]), created in Soviet occupied territory during the [[Polish-Soviet War]].
*[[Persian Soviet Socialist Republic]] also known as the ''Soviet Republic of Gilan'' (June [[1920]]–September [[1921]])
*[[Mongolian People's Republic]] (1924–1992) — [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]]
*[[Hunan Soviet]] (ca 1927) — [[Chinese Communist Party]]
*[[Chinese Soviet Republic]] also known as the "Jiangxi Soviet" (1931–1934) — led by [[Mao Zedong]]'s faction of the [[Chinese Communist Party]]
*[[Finnish Democratic Republic]] also known as the ''Terijoki Government'' (1939–1940), established in parts of Finland occupied by the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Winter War]] — [[Communist Party of Finland]]
*[[People's Republic of Poland|Poland]] (1944–1989; name changed to "People's Republic of Poland" in 1952) — [[Polish United Workers Party]]
*[[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (Democratic Federal 1945–1946; Federal People's Republic 1946–1963;Socialist Federal Republic 1963–1992) — [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia]]
*[[People's Socialist Republic of Albania]] (People's Republic 1946–1976; People's Socialist Republic 1976–1991) — [[Albanian Party of Labour]]
*[[People's Republic of Bulgaria]] (1946–1990) — [[Communist Party of Bulgaria]]
*[[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] (North Vietnam) (1946–1976) — [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] (incorporated into [[Socialist Republic of Vietnam]])
*[[Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia]] (People's Republic 1948–1960; Socialist Republic 1960–1990) — [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
*[[German Democratic Republic]] (1949–1990) — [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany]]
*[[Hungarian People's Republic]] (1949–1989) — [[Hungarian Workers Party]] (until 1956), [[Hungarian Socialist Workers Party]]
*[[Socialist Republic of Romania]] (People's Republic 1947–1965; Socialist Republic 1965–1989) — [[Romanian Communist Party]] (Romanian Workers' Party prior to 1965)
*[[People's Democratic Republic of Yemen]] (1969–1990) — [[Yemeni Socialist Party]]
*[[People's Republic of Congo]] (1970–1992; Communist rule 1969–1992) — [[Parti Congolais du Travail (Congolese Labour Party)]], only legal party 1979–1991
*[[Somali Democratic Republic]] (1969–1991; officially declared socialist in 1970) — [[Supreme Revolutionary Council]] or [[SRC]] from 1969–1976; [[Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party]] from 1976–1991
*[[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] (Communist rule 1974–1991, People's Democratic Republic formally established in [[1987]]) — [[Workers' Party of Ethiopia]] also called [[Ethiopian Workers' Party]]
*[[People's Republic of Benin]] (1975–1990; Marxism abandoned 1989, one party rule until 1990) — [[Parti du Revolutionare Popular du Benin (Popular Revolutionary Party of Benin)]] or [[PRPB]]
*[[Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam]] (1975–1976) — [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] (incorporated into [[Socialist Republic of Vietnam]])
*[[Democratic Kampuchea]] (1975–1979) — [[Khmer Rouge]]
*[[People's Republic of Angola]] (1975–1992) — [[Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola -Partido de Trabalho (Popular Liberation Movement of Angola-Labour Party)]] popularly known as the MPLA
*[[People's Republic of Mozambique]] (1975–1990) — [[Frente da Libertação de Moçambique (Liberation Front of Mozambique)]] popularly known as FRELIMO
*[[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] (1978–1992) — [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]]
*[[People's Republic of Kampuchea]] (1979–1989) — ([[Vietnam]]ese backing)
*[[Grenada]], People's Revolutionary Government of (1979–1983) — [[New Jewel Movement]], where "Jewel" stands for Joint Endeavour for Welfare, Education, and Liberation.
Sometimes the [[Paris Commune]] (1870–1871) is also classified as a Communist state, since [[Karl Marx]] described it as a living example of the [[dictatorship of the proletariat]].
==See also==
*[[Single-party state]]
*[[The Black Book of Communism]]
== References and further reading ==
* Andrew G. Walder (ed.) <cite>Waning of the Communist State: Economic Origins of the Political Decline in China & Hungary</cite> (University of California Press, 1995) hardback. (ISBN 0520088514)
* Nicolas Werth, Karel Bartosek, Jean-Louis Panne, Jean-Louis Margolin, Andrzej Paczkowski, Stephane Courtois, ''Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression'', Harvard University Press, September, 1999, hardcover, 858 pages, ISBN 0674076087
* Anne Applebaum, <cite>Gulag: A History</cite>, Broadway Books, 2003, hardcover, 720 pages, ISBN 0767900561
* Slavenka Drakulic, ''How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed'', W. W. Norton (1992), hardcover, ISBN 0393030768; trade paperback, Harpercollins (1993), ISBN 0060975407 Women of communist Yugoslavia.
=== References on human rights violations by Communist states ===
*Becker, Jasper (1998) ''Hungry Ghosts : Mao's Secret Famine''. Owl Books. ISBN 0805056688.
*Conquest, Robert (1991) ''The Great Terror: A Reassessment''. Oxford University Press ISBN 0195071328.
*Conquest, Robert (1987) ''The Harvest of Sorrow: Soviet Collectivization and the Terror-Famine''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195051807.
*Courtois,Stephane; Werth, Nicolas; Panne, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis & Kramer, Mark (1999). ''The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression''. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674076087.
*Hamilton-Merritt, Jane (1999) ''Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, the Americans, and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-1992'' Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253207568.
*Jackson, Karl D. (1992) ''Cambodia, 1975–1978'' Princeton University Press ISBN 069102541X.
*Kakar, M. Hassan (1997)''Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979-1982'' University of California Press. ISBN 0520208935.
*Khlevniuk, Oleg & Kozlov, Vladimir (2004) ''The History of the Gulag : From Collectivization to the Great Terror (Annals of Communism Series)'' Yale University Pres. ISBN 0300092849.
*Natsios, Andrew S. (2002) ''The Great North Korean Famine''. Institute of Peace Press. ISBN 1929223331.
*Nghia M. Vo (2004) ''The Bamboo Gulag: Political Imprisonment in Communist Vietnam'' McFarland & Company ISBN 0786417145.
*Pipes, Richard (1995) ''Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime''. Vintage. ISBN 0679761845.
*Rummel, R.J. (1997). ''Death by Government.'' Transaction Publishers. ISBN 1560009276.
*Rummel, R.J. (1996). ''Lethal Politics: Soviet Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1917.'' Transaction Publishers ISBN 1560008873.
*Rummel, R.J. & Rummel, Rudolph J. (1999). ''Statistics of Democide: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900.'' Lit Verlag ISBN 3825840107.
*Todorov, Tzvetan & Zaretsky, Robert (1999). ''Voices from the Gulag: Life and Death in Communist Bulgaria''. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271019611
*Yakovlev, Alexander (2004). ''A Century of Violence in Soviet Russia.'' Yale University Press. ISBN 0300103220.
== External links ==
====Official Websites====
*[http://www.china.org.cn/english/index.htm Chinese]
*[http://www.cubaweb.cu/ Cubaweb]
*[http://www.korea-dpr.com/ DPR Korea]
====Anticommunist websites====
*[http://www.angelfire.com/de/Cerskus/english/saitai.html Crimes of Soviet Communists]
*[http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM How many did the communist regimes murder?]
*[http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/COUBLA.html The Black Book of Communism]
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/3DDUYHCHRYO1V/102-8311986-5033728 Listmania! Communist Genocide]
*[http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/comfaq.htm Museum of Communism FAQ]
*[http://humphrys.humanists.net/communism.html Communism]
[[Category:Communist states|*]]
[[Category:Forms of government]]
[[Category:Communism]]
[[zh:共產主義國家]]
[[category:Lists of countries]]
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