A communist era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of communist rule.
Current communist states
China
The Chinese Communist Party emerged as the dominant political entity in
mainland China following the Chinese Civil War of 1927–1949. On October 1, 1949,
Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China from atop
Tiananmen.
Cuba
Following the 1953–1959
Cuban Revolution, the new government led by
Fidel Castro transitioned the country into a one-party state, with all meaningful opposition media closed to transferred to state control by the end of 1960. In 1976 a national referendum ratified a new constitution, with 97.7% in favour, which secured the Communist Party's central role in governing
Cuba.
Laos
Communist rule in
Laos began in March 1975 after the
Khmer Rouge army took power with the support of the
after the Fall of Saigon and the end of the
Vietnam War. In December 1975 King Sisavang Vatthana was forced to abdicate and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was pronounced, and a very authoritarian system introduced – non-communist newspapers were closed, and a large-scale purge of the civil service, army and police was launched.
Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam was created in 1930 but didn't come in to power until the Japanese occupation of Vietnam from 1940 to 1945. The Democratic Party of Vietnam was formed and, due to failed negotiations between anti-communist French, led to the First Indochina War. After the war, the Geneva Accord (1954) split the country in to a communist North (known as Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and an anti-communist South (Known as The State of Vietnam). This would lead to the
Vietnam War and the withdrawal of anti-communist soldiers from the area.
Current states with a history of communist rule
Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was founded on April 30, 1978, following the
Saur Revolution, a military coup led by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), overthrew the government of President Mohammed Daoud Khan, who had established a republic in 1973 after ending the
monarchy. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was supported by the
Soviet Union through a series of internal power struggles, eventually collapsing in 1992 after the
Soviet Union's dissolution.
Albania
Angola
Benin
Romania
Soviet Union and client states
Armenia
Czechoslovakia
Moldova
USSR
Historic communist states
Aragon
