Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 5th, 1818, in Trier, Prussia (today Germany). He was the oldest son of a successful lawyer. Both his parent were Jewish. However, his father converted to Christianity to reach a higher social status. Hence, the parents baptized young Karl in a church.
After graduating high school in his hometown, he went to Bonn to study law. There, he got involved with various radicals. Besides, he even had problems with law enforcement. Thus, his parents forced him to relocate to the University of Berlin. Influenced by G.W.F. Hegel, his interest in politics and philosophy grew.
After graduating, he was a writer for a liberal democratic newspaper. In 1843, he moved to Paris. There, Marx met his closest partner Friedrich Engels. Besides, he also encountered early socialists and communists.
✟ March 14, 1883, London, England
Socialist revolutionary
In 1845, the Prussian government forced him to move from Paris to Brussels, Belgium. There, he gave up his Prussian citizenship. In 1848, he published the first of his famous works – The Communist Manifesto. The Communist League in London used Marx and Engels to introduce their platform.
He sees the conflict between the two social classes. To summarize, the proletariat is the working class. The Bourgeoisie (the wealthy capitalists) forces the proletariat to work. Otherwise, they would starve.
In 1849, Marx and Engels moved to London and remained there until his death. Marx was unable to maintain a job. As a result, he lived on financial support from Engels. Thus, he and his family suffered. In 1864, he helped establish the First International (International Workingmen’s Association). It was a group that unified left-wing parties from various states.
Between 1867 and 1883, he published Capital (Capital: A Critique of Political Economy), his most famous work. In Capital, he describes capitalism with its faults and why, in his belief, communism will conquer it.
Karl Marx died on March 14th, 1883, in London, England. He was married to Jenny Marx and had eight children.
Lastly, socialists and communists view his work as one of the most significant for their beliefs. Besides, the teaching of Marxism-Leninism was crucial for the Soviet block. Consequently, it led to the brutal and inhumane treatment of millions of people.
“The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope.”
Karl Marx
