Seminar "Communism and revolutionary movements in Mainland Southeast Asia"

After the victory of the Chinese Revolution and the triumph of revolutionary movements in East and Southeast Asia, revolutionary movements led by communist parties took over state power in large parts of Asia. In 1975, nearly half a century ago, these movements were victorious in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. However, in Thailand and Myanmar, armed communist underground movements also took shape. Even though communism largely lost its legitimacy in East and Southeast Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the "socialist bloc" in Eastern Europe, its legacy is still present in the region. The course examines chronologically the rise of communist parties as the vanguard of anti-colonial movements, their as a state-supporting force after successful revolutions, as well as their failures.