How did red become the color of Communism?

by grantimatter

I've long wondered about Mao, specifically, since he was striving to supplant the Qing Dynasty and red is a color linked to the Ming Dynasty loyalists* who were also trying to supplant the Qing (the Red Turbans and so on).

( * Yeah, an oversimplification, I know.)

I know the Bolsheviks predated Mao - what made them pick the red flag? Would they have any ties to the Red Turban Rebellion of the 19th century? Did red mean something different in Russia prior to the 1800s?

Talleyrayand

Check out these previous threads on this subject:

Why is communism "red?"
When and how did red become the 'official colour' of Communism? Were/are there any Communist movements that didn't/don't associate themselves with the colour red?

BeatrixVonBourbon

The colour red actually has long history in Russian culture, pre-dating the Soviet era. In fact 'red' is synonymous with 'beautiful', and the words are very similar ( krasni - red, Krasivi - beautiful).

But to answer your question, the Bolsheviks chose red to symbolize the blood of the workers.