The Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848)

"A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism." The most influential political pamphlet of the modern era. In just 12,000 words, Marx and Engels laid out a theory of history, class struggle, and revolution that would reshape the 20th century.

Historical Significance:
Commissioned by the Communist League and published in London on February 21, 1848, the Manifesto appeared just as revolutions erupted across Europe in the Spring of Nations. Marx was 29 years old. The text argues that all history is the history of class struggles, that capitalism contains the seeds of its own destruction, and that the working class will inevitably overthrow the bourgeoisie.

Whatever one thinks of communism as a political system, the Manifesto's influence on world history is undeniable. It inspired revolutions in Russia, China, Cuba, and Vietnam; shaped labor movements, social democratic parties, and welfare states worldwide; and fundamentally changed how we think about economics, class, and power. It remains one of the most assigned texts in university courses and one of the most debated documents in human history.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1848. Free to read and share.