The Communist Manifesto

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  • Intro

    The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was first published in 1848. It formed the basis for the modern communist movement as we know it, arguing that capitalism would inevitably self-destruct, to be replaced by socialism and ultimately communism. 

     

    The Manifesto was written at a time of unprecedented industrial and social change. Newly industrialised cities were expanding, with large proportions of the population moving from the countryside to urban areas to find work. Economic growth was dependent on this workforce, yet the majority of workers lived in abject poverty in contrast with the relative wealth of their employers. Against this backdrop, Marx formulated his theory of history, which he saw as a complex series of class struggles that would lead unavoidably to the overthrow of the bourgeoisie (the ruling class) by the proletariat (the working classes).

     

    Shelfmark: 8276.s.10

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