How Did Karl Marx Influence the Russian Revolution?
Karl Marx influenced the Russian Revolution by publishing his book, “The Communist Manifesto” on February 21, 1848 calling for a revolution from the working class people of the world in order to tear down capitalism. The Russian Revolution was built upon the ideas Marx laid out in the book, and Lenin believed that with Marx’s doctrines, he could change the Russian state.
Marx was a revolutionary socialist and a German philosopher. Along with his publication, “The Communist Manifesto,” he also wrote, “Das Kapital.” In “The Communist Manifesto,” Marx stated that, “the inevitable victory of the proletariat, or working class, would put an end to society forever.” He believed socialism was not enough, and that it was communism that would set people free. Marx died in 1884 but it was not until 1917 that the first ever successful Communist revolution would occur in Russia.
Marxism when it is successful in countries sometimes mean material progress, but always means the loss of personal freedom and of human values, which is the opposite of what Marx predicted. Still, Marx’s ideas are influential to many around the world and especially appeal to underdeveloped nations that want to get out of poverty. In the modern world, approximately 20 percent of the world is ruled under Marxism. Marx’s political “The Communist Manifesto” is easily one of the most influential political writings in the history of the world.