Witness socialism's dramatic leap from theoretical manuscripts to actual government power, beginning with Lenin's Bolshevik Revolution amid World War I's chaos. Follow the transformation of Marx's democratic vision into Stalin's brutal industrialization program, then explore how Mao Zedong adapted socialist theory to China's peasant-based society. Examine the global spread of socialist governments during the Cold War, from Cuba's achievements in healthcare and education to Eastern Europe's contradictions between social progress and political repression. The episode concludes with the collapse of the Soviet model and the sobering lessons about the gap between revolutionary promises and authoritarian realities that shaped 20th-century socialism.

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Explore socialism's origins in 19th-century Industrial Revolution Europe, where brutal factory conditions and worker exploitation sparked revolutionary thinking. Meet the early visionaries like Robert Owen, who proved worker-friendly policies could be profitable, and utopian socialists Charles Fourier and Henri de Saint-Simon, who dreamed of cooperative communities. Discover how Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels transformed these noble aspirations into "scientific socialism," analyzing capitalism's inherent contradictions and creating the revolutionary blueprint found in The Communist Manifesto. This episode traces socialism's evolution from scattered reform ideas to a comprehensive critique of capitalism that would inspire global movements for over a century.

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This explores the foundational ideas behind socialism—what it means, how it differs from other systems like capitalism, and why it sparks such passionate debate. From Karl Marx to modern-day movements, it’s a brief but powerful look at a complex ideology that continues to shape politics around the world. For more thought-provoking episodes and deep dives, visit: https://www.quietperiodplease.com/ – your go-to destination for engaging podcasts.

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