For Marxists the Chinese Revolution was the second greatest event in human history, second only to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Millions of human beings, who had hitherto been the beasts of burden of imperialism, threw off the humiliating yoke of imperialism and capitalism, and entered the stage of world history.

 In the final part of his article Alan Woods highlights the significance of the Iranian revolution and the impact it will have on the whole of the Middle East and beyond. He explains how all the conditions emerged for a successful revolution, bar one, that of the revolutionary leadership, which must be built.