Differences between Capitalism & Communism and why did it start in

Russia?
Please note that this information was part of our old 'history classroom content'
written in 2003, we have updated is slightly to meet the needs of the new
curriculum but further updates will be made in 2010.
Differences between Capitalism and Communism
Capitalism
• System of government is democratic
• Property is privately owned
• Driven by free enterprise
• Wealth distributed unevenly
• Education and health care provided by private entities
• Freedom of the press Class distinctions: upper class, middle class and working
class
• Focus is on the individual and his/her own progress in life
Communism
• System of government is totalitarian
• Property is owned by the state
• No free enterprise is allowed
• Wealth distributed equally
• Education and health care provided by the state
• Press controlled and owned by the state
• Classless society: all members of society are considered to be equal
• Focus is on the progress of the community as a whole
Following this Capitalism and communism have the following opposing
sets of ideas:
The ideology of capitalism
• People need freedom
• When people compete against one another, they achieve greater things
• Some people have more than others because they make better use of their
abilities
• Governments should not interfere with the rights of individuals to make their
own living
• The government should interfere in the economy as little as possible
The ideology of communism
• People need one another
• When people work together as equals, they achieve greater things
• No-one should have more than anyone else - everybody's needs are equally
important
• Governments should make sure that everyone's needs are being met
• There is central control of the economy
Totalitarian: A political system in which the government has total control over
the public and private lives and actions of that state's citizens.
Free enterprise: The freedom for private businesses to operate for a profit
without interference from the government.
Why did Communism start in Russia?
The start of Communism in Russian can be attributed to the harsh inequalities of
19th century life. Communism developed from the ideas of Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels, and became popular amongst the workers of Russia due to the
many difficulties experienced through tsarist rule.
It was an ideology that seemed to guarantee workers an end to hardships and a
chance at political and social equality. It was for this reason that workers
supported this ideology, that the tsarist regime was overthrown and that the
course of Russia's history was changed for ever.
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Background
Abdicate: Step down from the governing position; give up one's crown.
By the early 20th century, Russia was one of the most backward countries in
Europe. It was still ruled by a Tsar under the Old Order and the majority of the
population lived in poverty.
In 1905, an attempt was made to overthrow the Old Order but with limited
success. Dissatisfaction escalated especially after the Tsar's decision to enter
the First World War. The Russian army was ill prepared and the war effort made
matters worse. In March 1917 workers riots forced the Tsar to abdicate.
The royal family, the Romanovs. Front row: Alexei. Centre, from left to right:
Maria, Tsarina Alexandra; Tsar Nicholas, Anastasia. Back row: Olga, Tatania.
Source: anyajo.tripod.com
The new Provisional Government proved unable to stabilise the country. Vladimir
Ilych Lenin led the November 1917 revolution that replaced the Provisional
Government with the communist Bolshevik Party.
The Soviet Union (as Russia came to be known) developed into one of the
strongest nations in the world and entered into a protracted power struggle with
America in the Cold War, as Russia challenged America and the rest of the
capitalist world. This standoff ended in 1990, with the fall of communism and the
disintegration of the Soviet Union.