Communism in Thailand: How an Insurgency Came to a Peaceful End
Another footprint left by communism
The 20th century witnessed many great upheavals and transformations. There were major clashes as the old mercantilist colonial order of the 1900s ruled predominantly by European powers decayed and finally collapsed in the cataclysms of WWI and WWII. Simultaneously, great ideological conflicts emerged and eventually dominated much of the century as Communism arose first in Russia, then China, and then throughout the formerly colonial world with the patronage of the USSR and Communist Party of China.
The Cold War and the times when it turned hot, such as in Korea and Vietnam, had a strong influence on the international system. The majority of nation-states aligned with western liberal ideology, communism, or fell into the hotly contested the third world comprised mostly of newly independent developing countries.
Today, communist ideology has long run its course. History shows a universal track record of revolutionary fervor that is, at best, intentioned to right long-standing injustices and create a more equitable society — descend into corruption, repression, brutality, and eventual collapse. There remain a few hold-outs like Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea, and Mainland China. However, those nominally communist regimes that…
