Communism

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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Recommended Podcast: The Riff with Byrne Hobart

Byrne Hobart, the writer of The Diff, is revered in Silicon Valley. You can get an hour with him each week. See for yourself how his thinking can upgrade yours.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:15) Introduction and Communism as a Moral Lesson

(02:32) Marxism's Influence

(05:37) Origins of the Modern Left

(09:33) Saint Simon and the Roots of Leftism

(12:37) Pre-Marxist Socialist Thinkers

(13:38) Karl Marx and the 1848 Revolutions

(16:36) Marx's Intellectual Ability and Hegelianism

(17:49) The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Communism

(19:43) The Psychology of Leftism and Power

(25:52) The Russian Revolution and Lenin

(28:05) The Nature of Communist Revolutions

(29:25) Stalin and the Purges

(32:33) The Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain

(34:37) The Decline of Communism

(37:01) Communism's Death Toll and the Need for Reassessment

(39:05) Communism and Social Justice

(40:35) Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party

(45:26) Cambodian Communism and the Khmer Rouge

(47:24) The Geographic Apex and Decline of Communism

(50:15) Post-Communist Transition

(52:34) The Need for a Psychological Revolution

(55:10) Conclusion + Wrap

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