Summary of Introduction (by Mark, J., Kalinovsky, J. and Maring, S.

)
in Alternative Globalizations

Socialist world in the history of globalization and decolonization

Globalization from a communist perspective. These socialist states weren’t isolated, but
communicated and traded with each other.

Global North vs. Global South  North-west vs. South-east

Globalism not only as a capitalist triumphant term, but as a broad term for global
interconnectedness.

What were socialist globalizations?

Communist theorists already thought in global terms: the first globalists?

Balance between international roots and national concerns

Stalin: “Socialism in one country”

For various reasons, the Soviets turned back to internationalism in the 70s:

- China’s willingness to engage with anticolonial movements

- De-stalinisation
- Decolonization of Africa and Asia

Organisation of internationalizing institutions (Comecon, SU’s state committee for econ. Cooperation)

Immense foreign assistance to socialist China from other communist countries

Multiple globalizations

Eastern bloc countries competing with each other for trade (in expertise) with third world countries.

1960 Sino-Soviet split:

- China saw Soviets as new imperialist power, eastern Europe being its colonies
- Soviets now part of first world, China leading the independent third world
- China being underdeveloped, it lead the rest of the undeveloped world as anti-imperialists

Alternative and entangled globalizations?

Eastern bloc not cut off from capitalistic world

Transideological globalization

Alternative globalizations and domestic socialist culture

Internationalism: socialist alternative to globalization, interconnecting the communist world

Racism in this internationalist scene: relative, yet paternalistic; soared in 80s as migrants became
labeled as opportunists

Alternative globalizations and the end of state capitalism

Repaying their debts to western institutions prioritized over repaying each other in the eastern bloc.
Thus they became integrated into the capitalist system.

Collapse of the soviet ‘empire’: anticolonialist rhetoric against the soviets

Connection to global south fell away from the socialist countries

Contradictory legacies

Legacy of this alternative globalization is still present and relevant today