Why Communism Failed

The fall of Communism was due to a failure to make its economic theories work in practice, with falsified and manipulated statistics blindfolding Communist governments and confusing western leaders. This unconventional history of Communism and the Cold War explains why the same old clash of theories is continuing to shape the world today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Communism's demise was not solely due to external factors but also stemmed from its internal struggles. Despite the initial belief in the superiority of Communism over Western models, top Western economists later acknowledged its shortcomings. Centralized Marxist planning still holds admiration among certain individuals, particularly the younger generation. However, through the use of new archival research, we can gain a clearer understanding of how falsified and manipulated statistics misled Communist governments and confused Western leaders, resulting in significant errors of judgment. Both sides held the belief that East Germany had a more robust economy than West Germany, that North Korea would surpass South Korea, and that Mao's China was a utopia for its starving peasants. Those who cautioned against the lack of reliable economic data, warning that it would lead to irrational investment and labor allocation, were often ignored or belittled. Yet, in the end, their predictions proved accurate.

Jasper Becker delves into the critical question of why Communism fell in the Soviet Union, China, and other regions. He argues that the prevailing debates fail to acknowledge this failure. This unconventional history of Communism and the Cold War sheds light on why the same theoretical clashes continue to shape the world today.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 224 x 148 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787388062