History Main / Commieland

* "VideoGame/HeartsOfIronIV":

* ''VideoGame/KaiserreichLegacyOfTheWeltkrieg'' depicts an alternate interwar period after [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI a Central Powers victory in 1921]]. Devastated by the war and losing much of their overseas empires, France and later Britain fell to socialist revolutions fueled by working-class anger against the establishment and bitterness towards the victorious German Empire. However, they are not communists, since the failure of the Russian Communist Revolution (which results in Russia still being a constitutional republic at the start of the game) combining with the massively weakened British and French governments mean that the primary radical-left ideology in the universe is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndicalism Syndicalism]] (which was heavily suppressed in real life by all governments) instead of Marxism-Leninism. The closest equivalents to IRL authoritarian Communism, such as the Bolshevik remnants, or the Jacobins in the Commune of France, are lumped under the "Totalist" ideology. By the game's start date of 1936, the Internationale consists of Britain, France, Italy and Bengal - depending on events it can be expanded to include Spain, Russia, the United States and Australasia.
* ''VideoGame/EquestriaAtWar'' depicts various forms of communism, with two specifically named being Stalliongrad communism which is fairly standard, and Equalism, which advocates the abolishment of individualism completely in the name of equality. In practice, they come in all varieties (with some countries able to choose between several different types of communism), from fairly utopian to straight out fascism, from well run to dangerously incompetent. Stalliongrad under Vasiliy will join BigGood Celestia against the Changelings and attempt to advance the cause of communism in other countries through democratic means, where as Blackhollow under Reeve Blyeddin will lose most of its population and cripple its science base.

* ''VideoGame/ColdWar2005'' centers around an American trapped in one of these.

* ''VideoGame/ColdWar'' centers around an American trapped in one of these.

* The ''VideoGame/CrisisOfTheConfederation'' mod for ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings II'' has the People's State of Strugatsky, a periphery state founded on the belief that old Russia's downfall began with its abandonment of socialism. It's one of the members of the Orion League, an alliance of states fighting for independence against an increasingly corrupt Terran Confederation.

As of now, China and North Korea are probably the go-to examples for this trope, although China's economy [[UsefulNotes/ToGetRichIsGlorious has reformed greatly]] since the end of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.[[note]]Although as of 2022 it's veering much closer to this due to massive human rights issues[[/note]] See RedChina for more details.

[[AC:For added atmosphere, listen to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYbV4uy6w4Y this]] while reading.]]

Since the USSR was the one calling the shots, for the most part, it tends to be the default Commie Land, while UsefulNotes/EastGermany also gets a lot of portrayal for being a hotbed of [[EspionageTropes spy activity]] (and in media tends to avoid the error that Communism = Russians). The other "middle" Eastern Bloc countries may come about when trying to depict a pretty poor and depressing place for the protagonist to infiltrate (with varying accuracy, considering that some of these non-major Eastern Bloc countries, such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, had a relatively less oppressive government and high living standards). Those in the mood for making a war film will use Vietnam, a tropical Commie Land where guerillas wait in the jungle, eager to ambush American soldiers.

These places are often pretty depressing, dominated by dilapidated concrete architecture, people wearing drab Commie clothing and probably even the weather cold and rainy (unless it's some place like Cuba when this trope [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] BananaRepublic). Basic utilities are substandard, there are [[BlackMarketProduce shortages of almost everything]] (but the [[PropagandaMachine news service]] is all too happy to inform you [[WorstNewsJudgmentEver that a local foundry has just cast its 500,000th ton of raw steel]]) and what little consumer goods are produced are absolute rubbish, [[TheAllegedCar especially the cars]]. However, a foreigner will be glad to find out his spare change [[RidiculousExchangeRates is quite a sum in local currency]]. Locals, besides the clothing, tend to be TheEeyore or ApatheticCitizens, with possibly the only exception being GallowsHumour (often of RussianReversal variety). Which means it's no wonder they tend to be very keen on [[DrowningMySorrows alcohol]]. There's no free speech, either. [[SarcasmMode On the up side]], there's always [[SecretPolice someone]] [[BigBrotherIsWatching caring for you]], and frequent [[MillionMookMarch public festivities]]. You can also expect secret weapons facilities (especially in the biological field of WMD). And it's the place where the DefectorFromCommieLand comes from.

* The Democratic Republic of Sahrani in ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}}: Armed Assault''. Chernarus in ''ARMA II'' is [[UsefulNotes/HoleInFlag a former]] Commie Land, with one of the factions in the game wanting to restore the past regime.

* The ''VideoGame/CrisisOfTheConfederation'' mod for ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings II'' has the People's State of Strugatsky, a periphery state founded on the belief that old Russia's downfall began with its abandonment of socialism. It's one of the members of the Orion League, an alliance of states fighting for independence against an increasingly corrupt Terran Confederation.

* The Creator/CostaGavras film ''Film/TheConfession'' depicts 1950s Czechoslovakia this way. Its protagonist (Yves Montand) is a government official who is arrested for and falsely convicted of espionage and treason. Inspired by the 1952 Slánský trial; Montand's character [[AnonymousRinger is based on Artur London]].

* ''Film/MrJones2019'': Much of the film is set in the Soviet Union during 1933. Moscow is shown as drab, oppressive and with people constantly under surveillance. Ukraine is far worse, as there's mass death by famine which the government is trying to keep a secret.

* ''VideoGame/EquestriaAtWar'' Also depicts various forms of communism, with two specifically named being Stalliongrad communism which is fairly standard, and Equalism, which advocates the abolishment of individualism completely in the name of equality. In practice, they come in all varieties (with some countries able to choose between several different types of communism), from fairly utopian to straight out fascism, from well run to dangerously incompetent. Stalliongrad under Vasiliy will join BigGood Celestia against the Changelings and attempt to advance the cause of communism in other countries through democratic means, where as Blackhollow under Reeve Blyeddin will lose most of its population and cripple its science base.

** UsefulNotes/{{Yugoslavia}} was an odd case; it was not a part of the Warsaw Pact nor had a close relationship with the Soviet Union (it was part of the Non-Aligned Movement), and the country was rather socially and politically liberal (it maintained healthy relations with capitalist countries and some greater freedoms for its people were granted within). However, the government was still controlled by the Communist Party (which it masked by rotating their leaders, unlike the Soviet Union) and most people still associated it as Communist anyway although it's interesting to note that much of the economy relied on co-ops and self-management, which Titoists claim was the closest implementation of Marx's vision in existence. Not helping is it being located in a sea of commies and it being majority Slavic ([[CriticalResearchFailure in the public's mind Slavs = Commies]]). Then there's the case of UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars that erupted after it broke up...

* Creator/TerryGoodkind's ''[[Literature/SwordOfTruth Faith of the Fallen]]'', being inspired by Rand's work, involves the protagonist being forced to live in a collectivist dystopian city of TheEmpire (though their economy is ''worse'' than real communism).

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' is set in post-Cold War Germany and the Czech Republic, and has many DirtyCommunists and the [[{{Tykebomb}} tykebombs]] they created.

[[folder: Comics]]

* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk1962 original series]] had the Gargoyle abducting Bruce Banner/The Hulk and bringing him to Russia all the way back in issue ''#1''.
* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Iron Man fought many Soviet supervillains like the Titanium Man, even going all the way to Russia to fight the Gremlin and the Titanium Man in ComicBook/ArmorWars.

[[folder: Film]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* The Klingons on [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the original]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' were supposed to be like this, but that didn't exactly pan out. The Romulans were later developed in TNG as being similar to commie land. The Borg Collective is a techno-cyborg version.

* Series/{{Amerika}}...sorry, America has become this trope in this AlternateHistory mini-series of TheEighties, run down by years of collectivisation and Soviet asset-stripping, [[ResistanceIsFutile dominated]] by SecretPolice and StateSec.

[[folder: Multiple Media]]

* ''TabletopGame/CrimsonSkies'' has the [[DividedStatesOfAmerica successor state]] The People's Collective (covering most of the territory of former Iowa). The name is kind of a giveaway. [[DeconstructorFleet In a slight twist]], it's ruled by a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot ''Christian'' communist regime]] (Christian communism is a real thing, but has never really caught on beyond small communities).

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

* Played very much for laughs in TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'s ''The People's Glorious Revolutionary Adventure''. Normally, the players lived in the Computer-controlled Alpha Complex as (semi-)loyal Troubleshooters; in TPGRA, they lived in the Communist-controlled Alpha ''State'' as (semi-)loyal Smershoviks. Everything was, of course, RED clearance (though [[Literature/AnimalFarm some things were more RED than others]]), and everyone had big bushy beards and were to be [[FunetikAksent speakink in thick Russian accent]]. [[HappinessIsMandatory Depression is being mandatory!]] [[TheComputerIsYourFriend Tovarich Computer is your Tovarich]]!
** Ironically, while Friend Computer is characterised by a violent paranoid hatred of all things Communist (at least, according to its rather warped understanding of communism)[[note]]describing Friend Computer as "violent", "paranoid" or "warped" or in any other way suggesting that Friend Computer has less than a regulation compliment of marbles is treason[[/note]], the society of Alpha Complex is itself heavily organised around ideals and structures very similar to those of Communism (although pointing this out to the Friend Computer is liable to get you executed on the spot).

[[folder: Video Games]]

* The Malden islands and the Republic of Nogova in ''VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint'' are former {{Commie Land}}s, which managed to split from the USSR in the 70s and 80s.
* The Democratic Republic of Sahrani in ''ARMA: Armed Assault''. Chernarus in ''ARMA II'' is [[UsefulNotes/HoleInFlag a former]] Commieland, with one of the factions in the game wanting to restore the past regime.

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Today, this trope can apply to UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Cuba}}, UsefulNotes/{{Laos}}, UsefulNotes/NorthKorea, and, UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}}, though all except for North Korea (which ironically is the only one having dropped the Commie label in favor of Juche, [[Analysis/CommieNazis which political theorists believe is more akin to fascism given its adherence to Korean racial supremacy]]) have adopted quasi-market economies, with varying degrees of success and implementation. China for example has been called state capitalist since it underwent reform (after Mao passed away) to create a massive market economy and numbers of {{Boom Town}}s with the Communist party in full control, while Cuban markets are dominated by the state with some worker controlled co-ops to form an unremarkable economy, but still managing to score very high on the Human Development Index. As for North Korea...well, there's a reason that Creator/ChristopherHitchens called it the most true-to-the-book [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Oceania]] to ever exist in the whole universe...

* Silver Age superheroes did this all the time. The original ComicBook/IncredibleHulk had the Gargoyle abducting Bruce Banner/The Hulk and bringing him to Russia all the way back in issue ''#1''. ComicBook/IronMan fought many Soviet supervillains like the Titanium Man, even going all the way to Russia to fight the Gremlin and the Titanium Man in ComicBook/ArmorWars.

As of now, China and North Korea are probably the go-to examples for this trope, although China's economy [[UsefulNotes/ToGetRichIsGlorious has reformed greatly]] since the end of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. See RedChina for more details.

Since the USSR was the one calling the shots, for the most part, it tends to be the default Commie Land, while UsefulNotes/EastGermany also gets a lot of portrayal for being a hotbed of [[EspionageTropes spy activity]] (and in media tends to avoid the error that Communism = Russians). The other "middle" Eastern Bloc countries may come about when trying to depict a pretty poor and depressing place for the protagonist to infiltrate (with varying accuracy, considering that some of these non-major Eastern Bloc countries, such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, had a relatively less oppressive government and high living standards). Those in the mood for making a war film will use Vietnam, a tropical CommieLand where guerillas wait in the jungle, eager to ambush American soldiers.

Since the USSR was the one calling the shots, for the most part, it tends to be the default CommieLand, while UsefulNotes/EastGermany also gets a lot of portrayal for being a hotbed of [[EspionageTropes spy activity]] (and in media tends to avoid the error that Communism = Russians). The other "middle" Eastern Bloc countries may come about when trying to depict a pretty poor and depressing place for the protagonist to infiltrate (with varying accuracy, considering that some of these non-major Eastern Bloc countries, such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, had a relatively less oppressive government and high living standards). Those in the mood for making a war film will use Vietnam, a tropical CommieLand where guerillas wait in the jungle, eager to ambush American soldiers.

After Cold War, Commieland usually returns to its {{Ruritania}}n heritage ({{Countrystan}}i in the case of Central Asia), essentially mixing the worst aspects of the old and the new and becoming a place of rampant crime and predatory capitalism (see media portrayals of UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia).