Both the South African Apartheid government and the Chinese Communist government believed that using totalitarian control provided them the best chance of going forward because of each government’s belief that if they maintained a strict rule, then they would be able to rule their respective nations without anyone questioning them or rising up against them. Both regimes especially used force when necessary in order to keep the people in line. However, while the Chinese Communist was successful in maintaining control with use of force, South African Apartheid did not and eventually collapsed, leading to independence. The policy of using force to enforce their rule negatively impacted the people of both areas due to the death and destruction…show more content… Although both regimes still exist today, China has had a comeback of sorts in world economics despite its policies that have been maintained, while Cuba declined greatly economically since the fall of the Soviet Union. Both Mao and Castro had their similarities in differences in their childhood to young adulthood. Both Mao and Castro went to school and got an education2,3,4. In addition, both of their respective parents were relatively affluent and made a fair amount of money. Another similarity about their rise to power was that both rulers were able to obtain the support of the lower classes (Mao and the peasants, Castro and the city dwellers) and used promises of equality and reforms in order to obtain that support. However, their paths after school were different. Mao joined the army, while Castro studied law and joined the government2,3,4. Another difference between them is that Castro overthrew the preceding government of Batista and took power over the course of 1952 to 1959 (2). In his youth before 1952, Castro took part in many different uprisings against government before Batista5. Then, over the course of 7 years, Castro went through various means to overthrow Batista, eventually successfully doing so in January 1959 and seized by July of the same year. He declared himself a Communist in December of 19595. On the other hand, Mao spent 22 years “in the wilderness” (4) before he took power. Mao joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1920 when he formed a Socialist Youth Party and officially committed to Marxist philosophy in 1921. Throughout World War II, Mao along with the Communists fought the Japanese and the Nationalists. By 1943, Mao had formal control of the party. Finally, in 1949, Mao and the Communists ruled over China. Around this