The modern world, given the presence in it of many antagonistic states, is unipolar. You can not say about the events that took place several decades ago. The Cold War divided the world into countries of the socialist and capitalist camps, between which there was a constant confrontation and escalation of hatred. What are the countries of the socialist camp, you will learn from the following article.
Definition of a concept
The concept is quite broad and controversial, but it is possible to define it. The socialist camp is a term that refers to countries that have embarked on the path of socialist development and the maintenance of Soviet ideology, regardless of the support or hostility of the USSR to them. A vivid example is some countries with which our country had a rather political confrontation (Albania, China and Yugoslavia). In the historical tradition, the above-mentioned countries in the USA were called communist, contrasting them with their democratic model.
Along with the concept of “socialist camp”, synonymous terms were used - “socialist countries” and “socialist community”. The latter concept was characteristic for designating the countries of allies in the USSR.
The origins and formation of the socialist camp
As you know, the October Socialist Revolution was carried out under international slogans and the declaration of the ideas of the world revolution. This attitude was key and remained in all the years of the existence of the USSR, but many countries did not follow such a Russian example. But after the victory of the Soviet Union in World War II, many countries, including European ones, followed the model of socialist development. Sympathy for the country - the winner of the Nazi regime - played a role. So, some states even changed their traditional political vector from West to East. The alignment of political forces on earth has changed radically. Therefore, the concept of “socialist camp” is not some kind of abstraction, but concrete countries.
The concept of countries of socialist orientation was embodied in the conclusion of friendly treaties and in the subsequent mutual assistance. The groups of countries that formed after the war are also commonly called military-political blocs, which have more than once been on the verge of military operations. But in 1989-1991, the USSR collapsed, and most socialist countries headed for liberal development. The collapse of the socialist camp was due to both internal and external factors.
Economic cooperation of the countries of the socialist community
The main factor in the creation of the socialist camp was economic mutual assistance: the provision of loans, trade, scientific and technical projects, the exchange of personnel and specialists. The key of these types of interactions is foreign trade. This fact does not mean that a socialist state should trade only with friendly countries.
All countries included in the socialist camp sold products of their national economy on the world market and received in exchange all modern material values: technology, industrial equipment, as well as raw materials necessary for the production of certain goods.
The countries of the socialist camp
Africa:
- Democratic Republic of Somalia;
- People's Republic of Angola;
- People's Republic of the Congo;
- People's Republic of Mozambique;
- People's Republic of Benin ;
- People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Asia:
- People's Democratic Republic of Yemen;
- Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
- Democratic Republic of Afghanistan;
- Mongolian People's Republic;
- People's Republic of China;
- People's Republic of Kampuchea;
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea;
- Lao Democratic Republic.
South America:
- Republic of Cuba;
- People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada.
Europe:
- Hungarian People's Republic ;
- German Democratic Republic;
- People's Socialist Republic of Albania ;
- People's Republic of Poland;
- Czechoslovak Socialist Republic;
- People's Republic of Bulgaria;
- Socialist Republic of Romania;
- Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Existing socialist countries
In the modern world there are also countries that are in one sense or another socialist. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea positions itself as a socialist state. Exactly the same course takes place in the Cuban Republic and Asian countries.
In eastern countries such as the People's Republic of China and Vietnam, the state apparatus is controlled by the classic communist parties. Despite this fact, capitalist tendencies, that is, private property, are traced in the economic development of these countries. A similar political and economic situation is observed in the Lao Republic, which was also part of the socialist camp. This is a peculiar way to combine market and planned economies.
At the beginning of the XXI century, socialist tendencies began to emerge and consolidate in Latin America. There was even a whole theoretical doctrine of “Socialism XXI”, which is actively applied in practice in third world countries. For 2015, socialist governments are in power in Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. But these are not countries of the socialist camp, such governments arose in them after its collapse at the end of the 20th century.
Maoist Nepal
In mid-2008, a revolution took place in Nepal. A group of Maoist Communists overthrew the monarch and won the election as the Communist Party of Nepal. Since August, the head of state has been the main party ideologist Bauram Bahattarai. After these events, Nepal became a country where a course with a clear communist dominance operates in political and economic life. But the course of Nepal is clearly not like the policy pursued by the USSR and the socialist camp.
Socialist politics of Cuba
Cuba has long been considered a socialist state, but in 2010 the head of the republic, Raul Castro , headed for economic change along the Chinese model of modernization of socialist society. A central aspect of this policy is the increasing role of private capital in the economic system.
Thus, we examined the countries of socialist orientation, both past and present. The socialist camp is a collection of countries friendly to the USSR. Modern states pursuing socialist policies are not included in this camp. This is very important to consider in order to understand certain processes.