Marxist Ideology and Communism

Marxist Ideology

• Karl Marx witnessed exploitation of industrial proletariat in 19th century Europe and wrote Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto outlining his plan for creating a communist state.
• Marx's plan involves a conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat social classes, a violent rebellion of the industrial proletariat, and the overthrow of the capitalist/democratic state.
• The workers seize control over factors of production and establish a temporary dictatorship of the proletariat, which controls all economic decision-making.
• As class hierarchies dissolve, a harmonious, classless society develops, and the need for government control eventually dissolves, leading to a truly egalitarian communist society without formal government institutions and laws.

Key Principles of Marxism

• A utopian economic system envisioned by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
• Believed to be the final step in the natural evolution from feudal, mercantilist, and capitalist systems.
• All factors of production (land, labor, and capital) are controlled by the proletariat and shared equally for the benefit of everyone.
• Private property does not exist, and goods and services are shared based on need and ability.

Social Reform and Trade Unions

• Socialism had a major impact on 19th-century reformers, addressing issues of medical insurance, unemployment compensation, and retirement benefits.
• Trade unions formed for collective bargaining, leading to strikes to address workers' demands for higher pay, safer conditions, and shorter hours.

Development and Expansion of Corporations and Financial Institutions

• The ideas of Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill inspired capitalism and classical liberalism, the foundations of Western industrialization.
• Large corporations formed monopolies, trusts, and cartels to eliminate competition, keep prices and profits high.
• Examples of corporations include John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Co. and German firm IG Farben.
• Transnational businesses operated in more than one country, relying on financial institutions to support growth, such as stock markets, insurance, and limited liability corporations.

The Demographic Transition

• Industrialized regions experienced a marked decline in both birth and death rates due to better diets, improved disease control, and the smallpox vaccine.
• At first, mortality fell faster than fertility, but over time, declining birthrates led to lower population growth and relative demographic stability in industrial nations.

Population Growth

• Population growth drove Europeans to migrate to the Americas from the 19th to early 20th century, with 50 million crossing the Atlantic.
• Migrants included British, Irish, and Jews fleeing urban slums, poverty, and persecution.

Transcontinental Migration

• Many migrants entered the United States, with the male condom being a safe and efficient means of contraception, leading to declining birthrates.
• Raising children in urban areas was more costly than in rural society, and children were more likely to survive into adulthood.