Soviet Empire

Though it was not ruled by an emperor and declared itself anti-imperialist, the Soviet Union - according to its critics - exhibited certain tendencies common to historic empires: Territorial expansion through invasion or subversion (e.g.: Poland, Baltic States, Finland, Afghanistan). Strong central government controlling the governments of all subsidiary and satellite territories. Interference (including through the use of military force) in the internal politics of its allies (s ...

See also:

Soviet Empire, Soviet Empire - Motivation of the term, Soviet Empire - The Soviet sphere of influence, Soviet Empire - Member states of the Soviet Union, Soviet Empire - Members of Comecon, Soviet Empire - Countries with pro-Soviet governments for shorter periods of time, Soviet Empire - Communist states opposed to the Soviet Union

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During the Cold War, the term Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and its allies in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and - until the early 1960s - Albania). The "Eastern Bloc" is also used as another name for the Warsaw Pact (a Soviet-led military alliance) or the Comecon (an intern ...

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Puppet state - World War II. The Allies in World War II accused their enemies, the Axis powers, of setting up puppet states in their conquered territories. The fascist-leaning European governments under the domination of Nazi Germany during World War II are now and then called puppet régimes, particularly in Allied literature. These included: Belgium (1939-1945) - The violent Rexist movement had achieved some electoral success in the 1930s and many of its members assisted the N ...

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Puppet state, Puppet state - Accusations of puppet states since 1900, Puppet state - World War II, Puppet state - Cold War, Puppet state - The War on Terrorism, Puppet state - Zionism and Israel, Puppet state - Seperatist entities as puppet states, Puppet state - Former unrecognized puppet states of South Africa, Puppet state - Historic puppet states

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Anti-communism is the opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either an ideological or pragmatic basis. Anti-communism is a catch-all phrase which defines any opposition to communism as a philosophical basis for a political and social alliance. The term came to have a global meaning during the Cold War, when the powers of Western society sought to coordinate an opposition to the apparent militarist expansion of the Soviet Union. For much of the period between 1950 and 1991 anti-communism was one of the ...

Including:

• Anti-communism - Background
• Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists
• Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism
• Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War
• Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism
• Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism
• Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists
• Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism
• Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory
• Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories
• Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments
• Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism
• Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists
• Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists
• Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents
• Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders
• Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement
• Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists

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An empire (also known technically, abstractly or disparagingly as an imperium, and with powers known among Romans as "imperium") comprises a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or client kings in the name of an emperor. By extension, one could classify as an empire any large, multi-ethnic state ruled from a single center. Like other states, an empire maintains its political structure at least partly by coercion. Land-based empires (such as Mongol or Achaemenid Persia) tend to extend in a contiguous area; sea-bor ...

Including:

• Empire - European Imperialism
• Empire - Imperialism
• Empire - Modern empires
• Empire - Historical empires with approximate dates
• Empire - Notes
• Empire - External link

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The modern term "empire" derives from the Latin word imperium, a word coined in what became possibly the most famous example of this sort of political structure, the Roman Empire founded in 31 BC. The first empire, however, was the empire created by Sargon of Akkad in Mesopotamia. For many centuries, the term "Empire" in the West applied exclusively to states which considered themselves to be successors to the Roman Empire, such as the Byzantine Empire, the Ho ...

See also:

Empire, Empire - European Imperialism, Empire - Imperialism, Empire - Modern empires, Empire - Historical empires with approximate dates, Empire - Notes, Empire - External link

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Historian Stuart Creighton Miller points out that the question of American imperialism has been the subject of agonizing debate ever since the United States acquired formal empire at the end of the nineteenth century during the Spanish-American war. Miller argues that this agony is because of America’s exaggerated sense of innocence, produced by a kind of "immaculate conception" view of America's origins. When European settlers came to America they miraculously shed their old ways upon arrival in the New World, as one might discard old clo ...

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History of United States imperialism, History of United States imperialism - Is the United States Imperialistic?, History of United States imperialism - First school of thought: US imperialism never existed, History of United States imperialism - Second school of thought: Evil capitalist, History of United States imperialism - Third school of thought: Imperialism was an abberation, History of United States imperialism - The term imperialism as a tool to analyze history, History of United States imperialism - Continental expansion, History of United States imperialism - The Louisiana Territory, History of United States imperialism - The Mexican American War, History of United States imperialism - The Civil War, History of United States imperialism - Age of imperialism, History of United States imperialism - Causes, History of United States imperialism - Alaska, History of United States imperialism - Hawai'i, History of United States imperialism - The Spanish-American War, History of United States imperialism - The Philippines, History of United States imperialism - Latin America, History of United States imperialism - Asia, History of United States imperialism - After World War II, History of United States imperialism - Europe, History of United States imperialism - The Third World, History of United States imperialism - Coups, History of United States imperialism - Cultural imperialism, History of United States imperialism - Late 20th century, History of United States imperialism - Former American possessions, History of United States imperialism - Ideas, History of United States imperialism - Key figures, History of United States imperialism - Historians, History of United States imperialism - Notes

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Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory. The central part of Karl Marx's communist theory is historical materialism, a methodology for studying history using dialectical reasoning which concludes that human society has grown or evolved through several historical stages due to the contradictions inherent in each stage, with each transition to the next stage involving the overthrow of the existing socioeconomic order. This idea was first theorized by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, but Marx used it to justif ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism

Relaxation of censorship resulted in the Communist Party losing its grip on the media. Before long, much to the embarrassment of the authorities, the media began to expose severe social and economic problems which the Soviet government had long denied and covered up. Long-denied problems such as poor housing, food shortages, alcoholism, widespread pollution, creeping mortality rates and the second-rate position of women, were now receiving increasing attention. Moreover, under glasnost, the people were able to learn significantly more about ...

See also:

Glasnost, Glasnost - Objectives, Glasnost - Areas of concern, Glasnost - Effects

Read more here: » Glasnost: Encyclopedia II - Glasnost - Effects

Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory. The central part of Karl Marx's communist theory is historical materialism, a methodology for studying history using dialectical reasoning which concludes that human society has grown or evolved through several historical stages due to the contradictions inherent in each stage, with each transition to the next stage involving the overthrow of the existing socioeconomic order. This idea was first theorized by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, but Marx used it to justif ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism

The Spanish-American War took place in 1898. The Treaty of Paris (1898), ended the Spanish-American war, giving the United States possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Cuba in exchange for $20 million. British author Rudyard Kipling advocated the idea of The White Man's Burden to "civilize" the rest of the world. After the war, the United States greatly increased its international power. This era also saw the first scattered protests against American imperialism. Noted Americans such as Mark Twain spoke out forcefully ...

See also:

History of United States overseas expansion, History of United States overseas expansion - Background, History of United States overseas expansion - Annexation of Hawaii, History of United States overseas expansion - Spanish-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Philippine-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Latin America, History of United States overseas expansion - Asia, History of United States overseas expansion - After World War II, History of United States overseas expansion - Europe, History of United States overseas expansion - The Third World, History of United States overseas expansion - Coups, History of United States overseas expansion - Cultural imperialism, History of United States overseas expansion - Late 20th century, History of United States overseas expansion - Former American possessions, History of United States overseas expansion - Historiography, History of United States overseas expansion - Notes

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Fascism and "Soviet" communism are political systems that arose to prominence after World War I. Historians of the period between World War I and World War II such as E.H. Carr and Eric Hobsbawm point out that liberal democracy was under serious stress in this period and seemed to be a doomed philosophy. The success of the Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in a brief revolutionary wave across Europe, in Germany and Hungary in particular. The socialist movement worldwide split into separate social democratic and Leninist wings with the form ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism

The reasons that different people have opposed communism can be very different. Conservative and liberal critics of communism often oppose Marxism or even socialism in general. They see communism as a doctrine based on radical, and incorrect, arguments. They believe that capitalism gives economic freedoms to everyone (whereas the communists believe only the bourgeoisie [see Marxism] have economic liberties over the proletariat), and regard the lack of property rights under co ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists

Proponents of communism in capitalist countries tend to challenge the accuracy of anti-communist claims. A common rebuttal of anti-communism is that communist countries had created a new, non-proletarian ruling class and thus were not in fact communist. This is a view first put forward by left communists in the twenties and Trotskyists in the 1930s, and today it is accepted by the majority of western communists. Indeed, most modern communists do acknowledge failings on the part of communist governments, say ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism

After the October Revolution, allied intervention troops tried to crush the revolution. In the summer of 1918, some 13,000 American soldiers, 44,000 British, 13,000 French, and 80,000 Japanese were fighting against the Red Army. In addition, these countries provided significant financial and material help to the White Movement (e.g., United States provided 500,000 US dollars, 400,000 rifles, etc.). Communist political parties and organizations were actively opposed by conservative governments in Eastern Europe after the failed communi ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism

The first major manifestation of anti-communism in the United States occurred 1919-1920 in the Red Scare led by Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer. Following World War II and the rise of the Soviet Union many of the objections to Communism took on an added urgency because of the stated Communist view that the ideology was universal. The fear of many anti-Communists within the United States was that Communism would triumph throughout the entire world and eventually be a direct threat to the government of the United States. This ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War

This section lists a number of significant intellectual, political, and military opponents of communism. Note that there is a certain overlap between the listed categories. For example, many prominent political dissidents in the former communist countries, like Vaclav Havel, are also renowned for challenging the theory and practice of communist regimes in their writings. The persons listed are not classified by their own ideological positions from which they opposed communism, and clashes between their views were often no less severe ...

See also:

Anti-communism, Anti-communism - Background, Anti-communism - Types of Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Fascism and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Anti-communism in the United States and Cold War, Anti-communism - Repression and Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Criticisms of Anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Contemporary anticommunism, Anti-communism - Objections to Communist theory, Anti-communism - Anticommunist histories, Anti-communism - Economic performance of communist governments, Anti-communism - Anarchist anti-Communism, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists, Anti-communism - Anti-Communists who are also Anti-Fascists, Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communist Dissidents, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Statesmen and Military Leaders, Anti-communism - Leaders of the Russian anti-Bolshevik White Movement, Anti-communism - Anti-Communist Terrorists, Anti-communism - External link

Read more here: » Anti-communism: Encyclopedia II - Anti-communism - Notable Anti-Communists

While in the West the notion of "glasnost" is associated with freedom of speech, the main goal of this policy was to make the country's management transparent and open to debate, to change the former situation when major political and management decisions were made by a narrow circle of apparatchiks or within the Politburo and were beyond criticism. Through reviewing the past or current mistakes being made, it was hoped that the Soviet p ...

See also:

Glasnost, Glasnost - Objectives, Glasnost - Areas of concern, Glasnost - Effects

Read more here: » Glasnost: Encyclopedia II - Glasnost - Areas of concern

Since the end of the Second World War the United States has been dominant in most cultural industries, and has often been accused of cultural imperialism. American movies, television, food, and music are popular throughout the world. This is often of greatest concern in other developed nations such as France and Canada. However, American cultural imperialism can not be considered intentional on the part of the United States government, as the government plays no pertinent role in these industries. The lack of government role or investment in ...

See also:

History of United States overseas expansion, History of United States overseas expansion - Background, History of United States overseas expansion - Annexation of Hawaii, History of United States overseas expansion - Spanish-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Philippine-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Latin America, History of United States overseas expansion - Asia, History of United States overseas expansion - After World War II, History of United States overseas expansion - Europe, History of United States overseas expansion - The Third World, History of United States overseas expansion - Coups, History of United States overseas expansion - Cultural imperialism, History of United States overseas expansion - Late 20th century, History of United States overseas expansion - Former American possessions, History of United States overseas expansion - Historiography, History of United States overseas expansion - Notes

Read more here: » History of United States overseas expansion: Encyclopedia II - History of United States overseas expansion - Cultural imperialism

After helping defeat Nazi Germany, the United States occupied the southern portion of the Western sector of Germany (what later became West Germany) for ten years (1945 to 1955). More intense was the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951, during which time the US occupation force, led by General Douglas MacArthur staged a dramatic restructuring of Japanese society in order to prevent the nation from re-emerging as a military threat. (See also Japanese nationalism.) Although the occupation officially ended in the ...

See also:

History of United States overseas expansion, History of United States overseas expansion - Background, History of United States overseas expansion - Annexation of Hawaii, History of United States overseas expansion - Spanish-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Philippine-American War, History of United States overseas expansion - Latin America, History of United States overseas expansion - Asia, History of United States overseas expansion - After World War II, History of United States overseas expansion - Europe, History of United States overseas expansion - The Third World, History of United States overseas expansion - Coups, History of United States overseas expansion - Cultural imperialism, History of United States overseas expansion - Late 20th century, History of United States overseas expansion - Former American possessions, History of United States overseas expansion - Historiography, History of United States overseas expansion - Notes

Read more here: » History of United States overseas expansion: Encyclopedia II - History of United States overseas expansion - After World War II