Claudia Lau 12R

Beginners Guide to MARXISM

Who was Karl Marx?

In 1843, Karl Marx moved to Paris to

complete his work, DeutschFranzsische Jahrbcher.

Collaborating with his life-long partner

Frederick Engels, the pair created The
Communist Manifesto, their most
infamous work to date.

Following The Communist Manifesto,

Marx also wrote Das Kapital, focusing
on capitalism and economic theory.

Karl Marx died on March 14, 1883,

aged 65 in London, England, due to
poor illness. He was buried at
Highgate Cemetery, North London.

Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818 in

Trier Germany
He was a Philosopher, Journalist,
Historian, Economist, Sociologist and
Revolutionary
He studied at the University of Bonn for
one year and later transferred to the
University of Berlin where he remained
for four years.
After university in 1841, Marx developed
an interest in Journalism, and began
working at the Rheinische Zeitung, a
liberal newspaper supported by
industrialists.

What is Socialism?
Socialism is a class of ideologies that favour a particular economic system, where either
all or most resources belong to the government; the production and distribution of goods,
as well as the services of products are ministered mostly by the government, instead of
individual business. The remaining private production or distribution of goods will also
primarily be regulated by the government.

CLAUDIA LAU 12R

How did Lenin adapt Marxs ideas of Socialism?

Unlike Marx, Lenins dictatorship excluded all non-communist
party members in favour of a political distinction whilst Marx
would have only excluded capitalists in favour of economic
differentiation under his rule. Furthermore, Lenin forced a
political revolution to overthrow the government whilst Marx
chose to choose its government democratically, simply
excluding capitalists. Lenin took a more severe and violent
approach in the hope to control the government, and to a
futher extent, its people.

STALINISm MAOISM TROTSKYISM

Stalinism is a method of rule,
policies and regulations of

Maoism is a doctrine that uses the Trotskyism, again, is a form of Marxist

ideas and methods for revolution ideology based on Trotskys theory of

Joseph Stalin, the leader of the developed by Mao ZeDong, the leader
permanent revolution , the idea that
Soviet Communist Party and was of the Cultural Revolution and his
the economic system had to be seen
state leader from 1929-1953.
associates. Maoism does not
from a global perspective rather than
Stalins rule was partially based necessarily base itself on Marxistfrom a national perspective.
on Marxist ideology and Leon
Leninism or traditional Chinese
Trotskys theory of permanent beliefs. Rather, it is based on Maos
revolution. Fundamentally, Stalin

revolutionary outlook.

used Marxist-Leninism principles,

however it converted into any
ideology Stalin wished for it to be.

How can socialism be criticised?

-Some believe that socialism is purely based on a theoretical
concept.
-Some believe that socialism leads a (the) society to
totalitarianism.
-Some criticise not socialism itself, but rather the movements
that have been brought about because of socialist beliefs.