Note Sheet—Karl Marx— Communism/Socialism When the abstract becomes the concrete,....

Karl Marx, The philosopher, social scientist, historian and revolutionary, Karl Marx, is without a doubt the most influential socialist thinker to emerge in the 19th century. His stress on the economic factor in society and his analysis of the class structure in class conflict have had an enormous influence on history, sociology, and study of human culture.

Early Life/Writings Marx was a member of the Communist League. This was an organization of German émigré workers with its center in London of which Marx and Engels became the major theoreticians. At a conference of the League in London at the end of 1847 Marx and Engels were commissioned to write a succinct declaration of their position. Scarcely was The Communist Manifesto published than the 1848 wave of revolutions broke out in Europe.Communist LeagueThe Communist Manifesto

... was first published on February 21, 1848, and is one of the world's most influential political manuscripts. Commissioned by the Communist League and written by communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, it laid out the League's purposes and program. The Manifesto suggested a course of action for a proletarian (working class) revolution to overthrow the bourgeois social order and to eventually bring about a classless and stateless society, and the abolition of private property.February politicalCommunist LeaguecommunistKarl MarxFriedrich Engelsproletarianworking class bourgeoissocial orderclasslessstateless

Vladimir Illyich Lenin Lenin was one of the leading political figures and revolutionary thinkers of the 20th century, who masterminded the Bolshevik take-over of power in Russia in 1917 and was the architect and first head of the Soviet state.

Bolshevik Revolution,... also known as the Soviet Revolution or October Revolution, refers to a revolution—as part of the Russian Revolution—that began with an armed insurrection in Petrograd (also regarded as a coup d'état by the worker and soldier masses) traditionally dated to October 25, It was the second phase of the overall Russian Revolution of 1917, after the February Revolution of the same year. The Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the Russian Provisional Government and gave the power to the Soviets dominated by Bolsheviks. It was followed by the Russian Civil War (1917–1922) and the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922.revolutionRussian RevolutioninsurrectionPetrograd coup d'état October Russian Revolution of 1917February RevolutionRussian Provisional GovernmentSoviets BolsheviksRussian Civil WarSoviet Union The revolution was led by the Bolsheviks.[1] Bolshevik armed forces began the takeover of government buildings on October 24;[1] however October 25 was the date when the Winter Palace (the seat of the Provisional government located in Petrograd, then capital of Russia), was captured.[1]October 24[1]October 25Winter PalacePetrograd Russia

Communism... is a socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property in general. egalitarianclasslessstatelesssocietycommon ownership means of production

Socialism... is the politico-economic theory of social organization advocating that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be regulated or owned by the community. means of productioncommunity

Socialism v. Communism Socialism is liberal. More people (preferably everyone) have some say in how the economy works. Democracy is liberal. More people (preferably everyone) have some say in how the government works. "Democracy," said Marx, "is the road to socialism." He was wrong about how economics and politics interact, but he did see their similar underpinnings. Communism is conservative. Fewer and fewer people (preferably just the Party Secretary) have any say in how the economy works. Republicans are conservative. Fewer and fewer people (preferably just people controlling the Party figurehead) have any say in how the government works. A common mistake is to confuse Socialism, the economic system, with Communism, the political system. As a purely economic system, socialism is a lousy way to run a large scale economy. Socialism is not a political system, it's a way of distributing goods and services. Communism, or "scientific socialism", has very little to do with Marx. Communism was originally envisioned by Marx and Engels as the last stages of their socialist revolution. "The meaning of the word communism shifted after 1917, when Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik Party seized power in Russia. The Bolsheviks changed their name to the Communist Party and installed a repressive, single-party regime devoted to the implementation of socialist policies." Those socialist policies were never implemented.