Essay, Research Paper: The Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto is a book that was written by Karl Marx, and Frederick Engels, in 1847. This book was a collection of theories, compounded by these two men. Their work outlined the basis for a society, based on collectivism and equality . These ideals, and theories flourished into those of the Bolshevik revolution, and into those ideals of the communist leaders, i.e. Vladimir Lenin, and Josef Stalin. These men s work, in theory, to some, were amazing ideas. However, in works, these plans were the opening to a very poor economic, and sadly collective society.
Karl Heinrich Marx, born on May 5, 1818, a German economist, philosopher, and revolutionist in the rough. Marx held a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Berlin. Marx s theory, joined with a man s, by the name of Ludwig Feuerbach, who believed that religious people developed the theory of a God by themselves, to be ruled under it, and under a government; he also proposed that religion is the basis of classes, and separation. Marx took these theories and developed them into the context of private property. He concluded that if man weren t allowed private property, he would, in effect, do everything for the bettering of the species, and the species would flourish, technologically, economically, in life itself. In 1947, Karl Marx, and Frederick Engels compiled their philosophies into a book called The Communist Manifesto , for a London Organization. These collective philosophies were what would later be established in the Soviet Union by Vladimir Lenin, and the corrupt, Josef Stalin.
Vladimir Lenin was a very influential in the Bolshevik Revolution. He was the leader of this group, promoting socialism for the country; in a long term, positive manner. His fight for the middle class, against the Mensheviks, against the rights, and evils of private ownership went underway in February of 1917. With the end of WWI, and the beginnings of the Russian Revolution underway, Lenin opted to take sides with the Germany in the systematic removal of all private land, henceforth granted to the poor, to give people their due, equal shares of land. During this change of rule, many key human rights were taken away from the people. People no longer had the right to choose religion, national atheism prevailed, and was enforced. Banks were nationalized, factories experienced management, and ownership by the workers. The country was in a drastic transitional period. Everything was working towards the plan of communism according to Marx; until the death of Lenin. In a last testament from Lenin, he instructed the people in his cabinet to remove Stalin from place. In actuality, this was to let another member of the cabinet, Leonard Trotsky, take Lenin s role. The people in the cabinet knew that Stalin would ruin their plans and programs to establish a successful communism in the country.
When Stalin came to power in 1922, Lenin s plans were already ruined. Stalin was impatient for the complete Communist transition to finish, so he tried to speed it up. He put quotas on time, and production for the people. Stalin established plans, 4 year plans, and 50 year plans to make the quotas of what they wanted to accomplish. Stalin pushed these so hard, that he pushed the people, the fiber of what makes up the society, and eventually the economy fell apart, and his ideas for communism came close to failing.
Propaganda was used in the Soviet Union to promote, and denounce Communism. People showed how Communism would eventually dominate the free world, while the Communists showed how their power would dominate. Propaganda was a very strong power to use in these times. It influenced people, individually, and for some of the stronger pieces, it influenced great masses and public opinion. It promoted nationalism in this instance, and in the instances of the nationalistic Nazi Germany. The people were effected by these propagated pieces of information, and it showed them opposing viewpoints; this is the main reason the government in a Communist country controls free press as well. The propaganda that they promote is of their own, they don t allow other propaganda or information into the state.
In a Communist state, the individual is oppressed, and the whole of society is magnified. Marx s theory went against this actuality. As Marx proposed that when people would be acting for society instead of their greed, technology, would flourish, and oppression would dissolve. Marx was apparently wrong, in actuality. In theory, Marx had a great plan going. However, the individual is always going to exist because people are not sheep; they have their own senses of desire and ability to fight oppression.