Communist Manifesto (By: Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels)

Essay by busumnatorHigh School, 11th gradeA+, April 2004

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What is communism? Communism is a society where everyone is equal; a society where all wealth is shared amongst the citizens. This was the collective philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, which compelled them to write a book on their ideology/theory of communism, The Communist Manifesto. Vladimir Lenin was a revolutionist and politician who was greatly influenced by the book. After he took over the government with the Bolsheviks, he transformed Russia into a Marxist society (Edwards 82). When Lenin passed away, his power was given to Joseph Stalin. Stalin believed in Marxism, but he soon converted communist Russia into a totalitarian country ("Life of Stalin"). Even though Stalin changed the system of government, other countries still saw Russia as a communist nation. This image of "communism" was the reason behind Joseph McCarthy's appalling actions. Based on his perception of communism, "he took politicians he suspected were communists and exploited them" .

If Stalin had not changed the form of government in Russia, communism would have developed, and people would have seen how The Communist Manifesto influenced their society.

Looking back at history, Vlademir Lenin is the only person who has believed in Marxism enough to make an impact on a nation. Lenin chose to pursue politics after the hanging of his brother, Alexander, who was also a revolutionist (Edwards 27). When he was attending school, Lenin was recognized by his peers as a revolutionist. His teachers saw this and gave Lenin a tougher time than other children in the school. After reading Das Kapital, and The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, Lenin became fully involved in the revolution of Russia (Edwards 28). As he matured, his leadership traits developed and he began to organize strikes and demonstrations against the Russian government. Lenin formed a group called the...