Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels:

Published The Communist Manifesto in 1848.

Appalled at conditions in factories and profits of factory owners.

Wanted to replace capitalism with a new social system which became known as communism.

Believed that world history was a class struggle between oppressors and the oppressed.

Oppressors owned means of production and controlled gov’t and society.

Oppressed were those who depended on the owners of the means of production.

They came up with two classes – the bourgeoisie (middle class and rich) and the proletariat (working class and poor).

There would be a violent struggle between the two groups.

The proletariat would win and set up a dictatorship and take over the means of production.

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The proletariat would abolish economic differences and social classes.

The final revolution would produce a classless society.

There would be no gov’t, no money, no private property, no need to work to stay alive.

Countries that embraced communist ideas (they never achieved true communism)

Soviet Union: 1917-1991Eastern Europe: 1945-1991Cuba: 1958 – presentChina: 1946 – presentNorth Korea: 1945 – presentVietnam: 1975 – present

Countries that have used communism have all used repression to control the population.

No civil liberties: no freedoms, no religion, no protests against the gov’t.

Mass executions

Concentration/labor camps

“Religion is the opiate of the masses.”

“The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope.”

“Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.”

“My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.”

Well known Communists in history:

Lenin –

Soviet Union

Stalin –

Soviet Union

North Vietnam

China

Kim Il S

ung –

N. Korea

Castro --

Cuba

Argentina