In 19th century England Marx and Engels drafted the Communist Manifesto which outlined the ideology of Communism. With this, the establishment of Communist, and more moderate Socialist parties, emerged across Europe. These parties represented the working classes in industrialized countries such as Britain and Germany.

However, despite the emergence of a number of Communist parties the left-wing remained largely subdued in the 19th century. This in no small part to countries such as Germany banning Socialist parties, along with the Communist Manifesto. Despite this, in 1898 the Russian Social Democratic Party was founded in Russia.

The Russian Social Democratic Party was joined by Lenin in the early 20th century. Lenin began to head the Bolshevik wing of the party, who in 1903 split the party completely. Here, the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks went their separate ways, with the Bolsheviks advocating revolution in Russia, the removal of the monarchy, and a new Communist state. At any rate, such a party could not remain in autocratic Russia and Lenin found exile in neutral Switzerland.

During the period before the war it was in fact Socialist parties that were gaining increasing support in Europe. Here, the likes of the SPD had returned to the Reichstag and shortly before the outbreak of hostilities had emerged as the largest party in Germany. In the UK, the Labour Party were also gaining greater support and winning more seats in parliament. However, Communism would have to wait until the war.

The outbreak of war in 1914 actually gained the support of many left-wing groups for their respective countries. Anything else may have been unpatriotic, but Lenin himself was in some disbelieve as to this. The Bolsheviks remained strictly opposed, particularly given that by 1917 Russia was losing the war. Russia was hit with inflation, and increasing food shortages which had left the Tsar with little support.

As such, in February uprisings in Russia began. As the soldiers began to join and equip the protesters the Tsar could no longer remain on the throne. Therefore, Nicholas 2nd abdicated. With this, Lenin and the Bolsheviks soon returned to Russia and Lenin published his April Thesis which outlined the Bolshevik’s program, and that they would not support the provisional government.

Therefore, a few months later in October Lenin and the Bolsheviks marched on the Winter Palace. Here, the provisional government was disbanded and a new Bolshevik regime was established. Hereafter, the Bolsheviks soon began to enter peace negotiations with Germany, and redistribute land.

However, despite the relative success of the Bolsheviks in Russia, opposition to Communism remained. The Russian Civil War began and lasted into the early 1920s. The Bolshevik’s victory in the Civil War ensured the rise of the USSR. Elsewhere, in Germany and Italy Communist parties were gaining support after World War One, however the Spartacus uprising in Germany failed to establish a Communist regime in Germany. The emergence of Mussolini during the early ’20s was also the end of Communism in Italy.

Despite this, Communism in Russia was there to stay, even if Communist parties had failed to emulate the Bolsheviks in Germany and Italy. During 1920s and 1930s, the USSR’s heavy industry expanded considerably, along with the Red Army. As such, by the late 1930s the USSR had the largest army in the world, equipped with tanks and aircraft.

The war between the USSR and Germany would stretch the Red Army. However, after early set-backs, the USSR began to rally later in 1942 with victory at Stalingrad. From here, the Red Army began to advance out of Russia and into eastern Europe. As such, as the German’s retreated the likes of Poland and Czechoslovakia were liberated, while German allies Romania and Hungary were defeated.

Therefore, by 1945 the Red Army was increasingly dominate in eastern Europe as they moved towards Berlin. The western Allies had called for democratic elections in these eastern European countries, a promise which Stalin was prepared to make at Yalta. However, such elections did not transpire as the west hoped, and Communist regimes began to emerge in a number of eastern European countries.

As such, in 1946 Churchill spoke of an Iron Curtain in Europe. Behind the Iron Curtain lied those Communist regimes in eastern Europe that had been established in the aftermath of the USSR’s victory. Now, Communism in Europe was really established and in 1949 eastern Germany also became the GDR which was another Communist regime.

This rise of Communism in eastern Europe provided the momentum for the Cold War. The west felt that any further potential Communist regimes had to be checked with military action if required. As such, as Communist armies spilled into Southern Korea and Vietnam further conflict emerged.