General Crisis of Capitalism, the period of the collapse of capitalism as a social system through revolution, the internal decay and disintegration of the world capitalist system, the falling away from it of more and more of its components, and of the struggle between socialism and capitalism on a world scale. Unlike economic crises of overproduction, which appear periodically and are overcome by the inner forces of bourgeois society, once the general crisis of capitalism sets in, it lasts until the capitalist system is eliminated throughout the world as a result of revolutionary changes and its replacement by socialism. The general crisis of capitalism is the crisis of capitalism as a whole. It encompasses all aspects of the life and activity of the capitalist system— the economy, politics, ideology and culture. Imperialism is unable to regain its lost positions, and to turn back the development of the modern world. No measures which monopoly capital, the bourgeois state or its ideologists and politicians might take can change or retard this objective historical process. The essence of the general crisis of capitalism and its main characteristic is the division of the world into two opposing socio-economic systems— socialism and capitalism—and the struggle between them in the economic, political and ideological fields. The product of World War I (1914-1918) and the triumph of the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia, the general crisis of capitalism constantly deepens, heightening all the contradictions of bourgeois society. In the wake of Russia, which was the first to cast aside the capitalist system and to embark on the road of building socialism, several other countries have turned their back on capitalism. As a result a world socialist system, a community of socialist countries has formed, united by the common goal of building socialist and communist society. The second characteristic of the general crisis of capitalism is the crisis and the disintegration of the colonial system of imperialism. Young developing countries which have achieved political independence, are working for economic independence. Some of them have embarked on the non-capitalist path of development, orienting themselves on building socialism. The third feature of the general crisis of capitalism is the aggravation of the internal economic contradictions of the imperialist powers, and the intensification of the system’s instability and decay. These contradictions heighten as state-monopoly capitalism grows: militarism develops, the arms race spirals, the entire system of economic links loosens up, the crisis of monetary relations appears, and the struggle between labour and capital intensifies. The fourth feature of the general crisis of capitalism is the development of the crisis of bourgeois politics and ideology. Fearing mounting anti-monopoly struggle, the financial oligarchy resorts to all conceivable intensification of political reaction, to the abrogation of bourgeois-democratic liberties, to installing fascist regimes, and to social demagogy. The general crisis of capitalism has already passed through two stages of development and is now in its third stage. The first stage began with World War I and the appearance of world’s first socialist state—the Soviet Union. Mongolia also embarked on the socialist path of development. As a result imperialism lost its undivided rule. The USSR became a highly industrialised power, and is second in the world in the level of economic development. In the capitalist world other social revolutions have taken place (Hungary, Germany),.and social conflicts have sharpened. The working class stepped up its struggle against the oppression of capital. The communist parties that emerged in many countries are the most consistent vehicles of the interests of the working class. The upsurge of the national liberation movement led to the crisis of the colonial system of imperialism. The imperialist bourgeoisie tried to counter the sharpening of contradictions by intensifying reaction. As a result of uneven economic and political development, German imperialism recovered its prewar economic 150 strength, installed fascism in power and engaged in aggressive predatory wars. The second stage of the general crisis of capi-’ talism developed in the course of World War II and the socialist revolutions in several European and Asian countries. The expansion and strengthening of socialist positions was the principal outcome of this stage. A world socialist system emerged. Under the blows of the national liberation movement the crisis of the colonial system of imperialism deepened, and the process of its decay began. Capitalism has become weaker, and its instability and th» growth of the irreconcilable contradictions of bourgeois society have intensified’. Since the area of the imperialist domination has shrunk, contradictions between capitalist countries have deepened and the struggle of the working people against capitalist exploitation, against social and national oppression has mounted. At the end of the 1960s the third stage of the general crisis of capitalism set in. The principal feature of this stage is that it did not appear and develop in connection with world war, as did the prior two stages. Today it is the world socialist system and the forces struggling against imperialism for socio- economic and political progress that determine the main content, the basic trend and the main features of the historical development of the human race. In the third stage of the general crisis of capitalism the Republic of Cuba—the first socialist state on the American continent—took the road of socialist development. The victory of the Vietnamese people over American imperialism led to the establishment of popular power both in the North and South of the country, and to the formation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has also joined the family of socialist countries. The disintegration of the colonial empires led to the collapse of the colonial system of imperialism. States have emerged in Asia, Africa and Latin America, which have shaken off the imperialist yoke and begun independent development. The number of socialist-oriented countries, countries which have chosen the road of socialist development, has increased. All this further deepens the general crisis of capitalism. - Imperialism has finally and forever lost its former undivided rule in the world. The sphere of imperialist domination in the world has been narrowed, and the internal contradictions in the capitalist countries and the rivalry between them have sharpened. The general crisis continues to deepen and its irreconcilable contradictions to sharpen, while the struggle of the working people for democracy and socialism, against exploitation and monopoly domination is growing.