Imperialism threatens humanity. Our burning task is to overthrow it – but how? Many revolutionaries have turned to Mao and Stalin for answers, as they are associated with the biggest blows to imperialism in world history: the Russian and Chinese revolutions. But did Stalin and Mao really fight imperialism? And what would we have done differently? These are the questions we set out to answer in the latest episode of Spectre of Communism.

As communists, we aim to learn the lessons of the past in order to conquer the future. In the 20th century, no lessons are more important and controversial than those of Stalinism and Maoism. On the one hand, they are associated with anti-imperialist liberation struggles. On the other, they are accused of betraying and undermining those same struggles in their own interests.

Brushing aside the vicious lies and attacks of the capitalists, who use Stalin and Mao to slander communism in general, we invited Daniel Morley, member of the Executive Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party, to set the record straight.

📺 Related episodes 📺

The truth about Mao and the Chinese Revolution – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXZR5t4Bo4k

The Spanish Revolution and Civil War: A Complete Timeline – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjMcYaCMBSY

Stalinism on trial – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JevkQNg98E

📖 Texts cited 📖

SPEECHES ON WAR AND PEACE AT A MEETING OF THE C.C. OF THE R.S.D.L.P.(B.). JANUARY 11 (24), 1918 – https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1918/jan/11.htm

Out of the Night, Jan Valtin – https://files.libcom.org/files/2025-02/Out%20of%20the%20Night%20(Jan%20Valtin)%20(Z-Library).pdf

The Third International After Lenin, Leon Trotsky – https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1928/3rd/index.htm

West European Unity Against Hegemonism ls a Historical Necessity (Peking Review 1978 no.9 p.20) – https://www.marxists.org/subject/china/peking-review/1978/PR1978-09.pdf

📖 Recommended reading 📖

Stalinist land programme wins peasants – Chiang’s conscripts roped to prevent escape, by Ted Grant – https://marxist.com/ted-grant-china-jan-1949.htm

Reply to David James, by Ted Grant – https://www.marxists.org/archive/grant/1949/james.htm

On Imperialist War: Lenin Selected Writings – https://wellred-books.com/on-imperialist-war-lenin-selected-writings/

China: From Permanent Revolution to Counter-Revolution – https://wellred-books.com/china/

⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:59 Why are we so critical?

00:06:43 Comintern: Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks

00:17:38 Stalin, Zinoviev and the German Revolution

00:23:40 Socialism in One Country + Stalin's Foreign Policy

00:36:19 The Spanish Revolution + Popular Front

00:40:57 WWII

00:48:49 Stalin and the Founding of Israel

00:51:15 Mao's Foreign Policy and the Sino-Soviet Split

01:08:08 China and Western Europe (1960s–1970s)

01:15:00 The Indian Subcontinent

01:21:31 Southeast Asia

01:22:26 Angola

01:26:50 Conclusion

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