Title used by some republican states
People's republic
is an official title that is mostly used by current and former
communist states
, as well as other
left-wing
governments.
[1]
It is mainly associated with
soviet republics
,
socialist states
following the doctrine of
people's democracy
,
sovereign states
with a
democratic
-
republican
constitution
that usually mentions
socialism
, as well as some countries that do not fit into any of these categories.
A number of the short-lived socialist states that formed during
World War I
and
its aftermath
called themselves people's republics. Many of these sprang up in the territory of the former
Russian Empire
, which had collapsed in 1917 as a result of the
Russian Revolution
. Decades later, following the
Allied
victory in
World War II
, the name "people's republic" was adopted by some of the newly established
Marxist?Leninist
states, mainly within the
Soviet Union
's
Eastern Bloc
.
As a term,
people's republic
is associated with
socialist states
as well as
communist countries
adhering to
Marxism?Leninism
, although its use is not unique to such states. A number of republics with
liberal democratic
political systems such as
Algeria
and
Bangladesh
adopted the title, given its rather generic nature, after
popular
wars of independence
. Nonetheless, such countries still usually
mention socialism in their constitutions
.
[
citation needed
]
Non-Marxist?Leninist people's republics
[
edit
]
The collapse of the European empires during and following World War I resulted in the creation of a number of short-lived non-Marxist?Leninist people's republics during the
revolutions of 1917?1923
. In many cases, these governments were unrecognised and often had Marxist?Leninist rivals.
The Russian Empire produced several non-Marxist?Leninist people's republics after the
October Revolution
. The
Crimean People's Republic
was opposed to the
Bolsheviks
and the latter went on to capture its territory and establish the
Taurida Soviet Socialist Republic
.
[2]
The anti-Bolshevik
Kuban People's Republic
was established in Russia's
Kuban
region and survived until the
Red Army
captured the area.
[3]
The socialist-leaning
Ukrainian People's Republic
declared its independence from the
Russian Republic
, but it had a rival in the
Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets
(later the
Ukrainian Soviet Republic
) whom it fought during the
Ukrainian War of Independence
.
[4]
The
Belarusian People's Republic
tried to create an independent
Belarusian
state in land controlled by the
German Imperial Army
, but the
Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia
replaced it once the German army had left. All of these territories finally became constituent parts of the
Soviet Union
.
In the former
Austro-Hungarian Empire
, the
West Ukrainian People's Republic
was formed in eastern
Galicia
under the political guidance of
Greek Catholic
, liberal and socialist ideologies. The territory was subsequently absorbed into the
Second Polish Republic
.
Meanwhile, the
Hungarian People's Republic
was established, briefly replaced by the
Hungarian Soviet Republic
and eventually succeeded by the
Kingdom of Hungary
.
[7]
In Germany, the
People's State of Bavaria
(
German
:
Volksstaat Bayern
)
[a]
was a short-lived socialist state and people's republic formed in
Bavaria
during the
German Revolution of 1918?1919
as an attempt to establish a socialist state to replace the
Kingdom of Bavaria
. Its supporters clashed with the
Bavarian Soviet Republic
, founded five months later, before revolutionary activity was put down by elements of the
German Army
and the paramilitary
Freikorps
. The
Free State of Bavaria
, a state within the
Weimar Republic
, was then established on 15 September 1919.
[8]
During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of former colonies that had gained independence through revolutionary liberation struggles adopted the name people's republic. Examples include
Algeria
,
[9]
Bangladesh
[10]
and
Zanzibar
.
[11]
Libya
adopted the term
[b]
after its
Al Fateh Revolution
against
King Idris
.
[12]
In the 2010s, Ukraine's pro-Russian separatist movements during the
Russo-Ukrainian War
declared the oblasts of
Donetsk
and
Luhansk
to be people's republics, but they did not receive
diplomatic recognition
from the international community.
[13]
In 2022, during the
prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
, Russia became the first
UN
member to formally recognise both the DPR and LPR.
[14]
[15]
[16]
List of non-Marxist?Leninist people's republics
[
edit
]
Current non-Marxist?Leninist people's republics include:
Historical people's republics include:
Marxist?Leninist people's republics
[
edit
]
The first people's republics that came into existence were those formed following the
Russian Revolution
.
Ukraine
was briefly declared a people's republic in 1917.
[17]
The
Khanate of Khiva
[18]
and the
Emirate of Bukhara
,
[19]
both territories of the former
Russian Empire
, were transformed into people's republics in 1920. In 1921, the Russian protectorate of
Tuva
became a people's republic,
[20]
followed in 1924 by neighbouring
Mongolia
.
[21]
Following
World War II
, developments in
Marxist?Leninist
theory led to the appearance of people's democracy, a concept which potentially allowed for a route to
socialism
and
dictatorship of the proletariat
via multi-
class
,
multi-party democracy
. Countries which had reached this intermediate stage were called people's republics.
[22]
The European states that became people's republics at this time were
Albania
,
[23]
Bulgaria
,
[24]
Czechoslovakia
,
[25]
Hungary
,
[26]
Poland
,
[27]
Romania
[28]
and
Yugoslavia
.
[29]
In Asia,
China
became a people's republic following the
Chinese Communist Revolution
,
[30]
and
North Korea
also became a people's republic.
[31]
Many of these countries also called themselves
socialist states
in their constitutions. During the 1960s, Romania and Yugoslavia ceased to use the term
people's
in their official names, replacing it with the term
socialist
as a mark of their ongoing political development. Czechoslovakia also added the term
socialist
into its name during this period. It had become a people's republic in 1948, but the country had not used that term in its official name.
[32]
Albania used both terms in its official name from 1976 to 1991.
[33]
In the West, these countries are often referred to as
communist states
. However, none of them described themselves in that way, as they regarded
communism
as a level of political development that they had not yet reached.
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
Terms used by communist states include
national-democratic
,
people's democratic
,
socialist-oriented
and
workers and peasants
'
states.
[38]
The
communist parties
in these countries often governed in coalition with other
progressive
parties.
[39]
During the
postcolonial
period, a number of former European colonies that had achieved independence and adopted Marxist?Leninist governments took the name
people's republic
.
Angola
,
[40]
Benin
,
Congo-Brazzaville
,
[41]
Ethiopia
,
[42]
Cambodia
,
[43]
Laos
,
[44]
Mozambique
[45]
and
South Yemen
[46]
followed this route. Following the
Revolutions of 1989
, the people's republics of
Central and Eastern Europe
(namely Albania,
[47]
Bulgaria,
[48]
Hungary,
[49]
and Poland
[50]
), as well as
Mongolia
,
[51]
dropped the term
people's
from their names due to the term's association with their former communist governments, and became known simply as
republic
s
, adopting
liberal democracy
as their system of government.
[52]
At around the same time, most of the former European colonies that had taken the
people's republic
name began to replace it as part of their move away from Marxism?Leninism and towards
democratic socialism
or
social democracy
.
[53]
[54]
List of Marxist?Leninist people's republics
[
edit
]
The current officially Marxist?Leninist states that use the term
people's republic
in their full names include:
Historical examples include:
Other titles commonly used by Marxist?Leninist and socialist states are
democratic republic
(e.g. the
German Democratic Republic
, the
Somali Democratic Republic
, or the
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia
between 1943 and 1946) and
socialist republic
(e.g. the
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
and the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
).
21st century
[
edit
]
Five countries use the title
People's Republic
in their official names:
Algeria
,
Bangladesh
,
China
,
Laos
and
North Korea
. Bangladesh and China officially style themselves as the "
People's Republic
of Bangladesh" and the "
People's Republic
of China" respectively. The other three countries use the title in combination with the adjective "democratic"; Algeria and Laos are officially named "
People's
Democratic
Republic
of Algeria" and "Lao
People's
Democratic
Republic
" respectively, while North Korea's official name is "Democratic
People's Republic
of Korea". Of these:
- Only one is in
Africa
, constituting 20%.
- Four are in
Asia
, constituting 80%.
Algeria is the only people's republic in Africa. Bangladesh, China, Laos and North Korea are people's republics in Asia. Currently, there are no people's republics in the
Americas
,
Europe
or
Oceania
. All of the people's republics are
developing countries
. Of these:
- Two are
least developed countries
, named Bangladesh and Laos, constituting 40%.
- Two are not in the "least developed" category group, named Algeria and China, constituting 40%.
- Only one is unclassified, named North Korea, constituting 20%.
In previous years or periods, there were people's republics in Europe. People's republics never existed in the Americas or Oceania.
[
citation needed
]
Other uses
[
edit
]
As a term,
people's republic
is sometimes used by critics and satirists to describe areas perceived to be dominated by
left-wing politics
, such as the
People's Republic of South Yorkshire
.
[58]
[59]
[60]
[61]
[62]
[63]
[64]
[65]
[66]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Referred to as the
Free People's State of Bavaria
(
German
:
Freier Volksstaat Bayern
), or later simply as
Freistaat Bayern
(the present-day official name of
Bavaria
), the name of the state has also been translated as the
Bavarian Republic
and the
People's Republic of Bavaria
. For further discussion of the terms
Freistaat
and
Volksstaat
(
de
), see
Free state (Germany)
.
- ^
The Arabic word translated as republic is
Jamahiriya
, a neologism widely interpreted to mean "state of the masses".
- ^
Although the government's official ideology is now the
Juche
part of the
Kimilsungism?Kimjongilism
policy of
Kim Il Sung
as opposed to orthodox
Marxism?Leninism
, it is still considered a
socialist state
. In 1992, all references to Marxism?Leninism in the
Constitution of North Korea
were dropped and replaced with
Juche
.
[55]
In 2009, the constitution was quietly amended so that not only did it remove all Marxist?Leninist references present in the first draft, but it also dropped all reference to
communism
.
[56]
However, according to
North Korea: A Country Study
by Robert L. Worden, Marxism?Leninism was abandoned immediately after the start of
de-Stalinisation
in the Soviet Union and it has been totally replaced by
Juche
from at least 1974 onwards.
[57]
References
[
edit
]
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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In the 1990s, following the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the breakup of the Soviet Union, social democracy was adopted by some of the old communist parties. Hence, parties such as the Czech Social Democratic Party, the Bulgarian Social Democrats, the Estonian Social Democratic Party, and the Romanian Social Democratic Party, among others, achieved varying degrees of electoral success. Similar processes took place in Africa as the old communist parties were transformed into social democratic ones, even though they retained their traditional titles [...].
- ^
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External links
[
edit
]