The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, is a political pamphlet that lays out the principles of communism and the need for a proletarian revolution. The manifesto begins by examining class struggles throughout history, arguing that all human history is shaped by conflicts between oppressors and the oppressed. In the modern industrial age, this struggle is between the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and the proletariat (working class). Marx and Engels assert that capitalism exploits workers and concentrates wealth and power in the hands of a few.
The authors call on workers of the world to unite and overthrow the capitalist system, replacing it with a classless society where the means of production are communally owned. The manifesto outlines immediate political goals—such as the abolition of private property, progressive taxation, and free public education—as steps toward this transformation. The Communist Manifesto became one of the most influential texts in political history, shaping leftist movements and revolutionary ideologies across the globe. Its famous rallying cry, “Workers of the world, unite!” continues to symbolize the fight against economic inequality and class oppression.
