Socialism vs Communism

Victoria Varone

Period G

World History .1

4/29/11

Socialism and Communism

World War One was a cause of many revolutions and changes within governments throughout the world. Many countries broke off from one another and rebuilt their governments. Russia is an example of one of these countries. Russia went through a revolution during WWI and was having a change within their government. Russia was Tsarist until communist ideas came into the country. Karl Marx was one of the first to usher in communist ideas through socialism.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, historian, political theorist, and revolutionary socialist. Marx lived during the 1800’s and never encountered the world wars. Marx developed the political theory of Marxism. Marxism is an economic and political worldview that looks to improve the government and society through socialism with a goal of communism. This political standpoint can be confusing but is explained in more detail through on of Marx’s writing called the Communist manifesto.

The communist manifesto is a book written to tell of the good things a communist government can do for a country. It tells of the problems with capitalism and predicts communism’s future forms. The manifesto starts out with Marx saying how he thinks European countries are afraid to have a communist government, although very good things may come from it. The manifesto goes on in the first section to talk about the struggle of social classes in society and how proletariats will rise to power in the time coming, although usually exploited the proletariats will seize power through revolution. Marx did not like the separation of social classes in society. The second section is about the relationship between the working class and communists. Marx states that communists and the working class, proletarians, do not have many differences the only distinguishes between the two is in national struggles the proletarians of the different countries, point out and...