Communism was one of the defining political movements of the twentieth century. Viewed from different perspectives, it was at once a utopia, an ideology, a system of government, an apparatus of terror and an international political movement stretching to almost every corner of the globe. None of these aspects of its history will be overlooked in "Twentieth Century Communism". Nevertheless, the journal's primary concern is with communism as an international movement of unparalleled scope and cohesiveness. Since the collapse of the USSR and its satellites nearly twenty years ago, this phenomenon has given rise to a rich historical literature, informed both by the accessibility of communist archives and wider developments in social, political and cultural history. "Twentieth Century Communism" is a peer-reviewed journal of 256 pages appearing annually in May. As well as peer-reviewed research and discussion articles, it includes reviews, conference reports, key and a noticeboard section. The core of each issue will be provided by a themed section.

This issue looks at communism through the prism of its relationship to young people. Twentieth Century Communism provides an international forum for the latest research on the subject and an entry-point into key developments and debates not immediately accessible to English-language historians. Its main focus is on the period of the Russian revolution (1917-91) and on the activities of communist parties themselves. However, its remit will also extend to the movement's antecedents and rivals, the responses to communism of political competitors and state systems, and to the cultural as well as political influence of communism.