Egalitarianism and Class Struggle in the Soviet Union and Mainland China

Abstract

Egalitarianism and the theory of class struggle are the two most important components of class theory in both the Soviet Union and mainland China. In post-Mao China, unlike the post-Stalin Soviet Union, egalitarianism has been denounced by the official press and by documents from time to time. However, mainland China is also evidently bothered by egalitarianism. Utopian egalitarianism reflected the predominant belief not only in the party but also in the leadership of trade unions when the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917. Egalitarianism largely remained empty talk in the Soviet Union under Stalin in spite of official declarations and assertions. In 1956, a Soviet-style system of ranks and differentiated wages was introduced for the Chinese people working in such state enterprises as government offices, factories, transportation lines, and educational institutions. The broad expansion of Soviet education after the mid-1930s secured the minimum level of education for all social groups regardless of class origin.