Crypto-communism

Crypto-communism (or cryptocommunism) is a secret support for, or admiration of, communism. Individuals and groups have been labelled as crypto-communists, often as a result of being associated with, or influenced by communists.^[1] Crypto-communism among political leaders aided the sovietization of the Baltic states.^[2]

Historical use of the term

In 1947, Winston Churchill described a crypto-communist as, "one who has not the moral courage to explain the destination for which he is making".^[3] In 1949, shortly before his death, George Orwell compiled a list for the Information Research Department of the British Foreign Office of thirty-eight journalists and writers who in his opinion were crypto-communists or fellow travellers.^[4][5][6]

In 1960, Bruce Hutchison described what he viewed as a crypto-communist threat from the left wing of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan under Nobusuke Kishi.^[7] In West Germany, some accused the Social Democratic Party under the leadership of Willy Brandt of being a crypto-communist front.^[8]

The Black Book of Communism refers to some individuals as crypto-communist, namely Damyan Velchev and Ludvík Svoboda.^[9]

See also

• Orwell's list
• Crypto-Christianity
• Crypto-fascism
• Crypto-Judaism
• Crypto-politics (disambiguation)
• People's Democracy Party (South Korea)
• PROFUNC
• Red-baiting
• McCarthyism

References

1. Christian Gerlach; Clemens Six, eds. (2020). The Palgrave Handbook of Anti-Communist Persecutions. Springer International Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 9783030549633.
2. Shtromas, Alexander (2003). Totalitarianism and the Prospects for World Order, Closing the Door on the Twentieth Century. Lexington Books. pp. 257–258. ISBN 9780739105344.
3. "Crypto-Communist Charges By Mr. Churchill". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 April 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
4. Garton Ash, Timothy (25 September 2003). "Orwell's List". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
5. Celia Kirwan (21 June 2003). "Blair's babe, Did love turn Orwell into a government stooge?". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
6. Defty, Andrew (2004-03-01). Britain, America and Anti-Communist Propaganda 1945-53: The Information Research Department. Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-135-76014-4.
7. Hutchinson, Bruce (27 February 1960). "Can we keep the Japanese on our side?". Maclean's. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
8. Times, Craig R. Whitney; Special to The New York (1974-03-10). "A Postage Stamp Raises West German Tempers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-03.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. Albert, G. Peter; Courtois, Stéphane; Werth, Nicolas; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Panne, Jean-Louis; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis (1999). The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression. Harvard University Press. p. 398. ISBN 978-0-674-07608-2.