Marx is known as the "father of communism," as he set the principles of communism for the USSR in the 1880's before the Russian Revolution. Marx's ideas is known as Marxism.

Lenin was one of the leaders of the Russian Revolution along with Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. He built his beliefs on the basis of Marxism, as he referred to himself as a Marxist. His ideas, known as Marxism-Leninism, was the foundation of the Soviet Union's Government.


The concepts of Marxism-Leninism are including but not limited to:

Anti-imperialism, Communist state, Democratic centralism, Marxist–Leninist atheism, One-party state, Proletarian internationalism, Socialist patriotism, Socialist state, and Theory of the productive forces.


I can guess that half of you do not know what any of those concepts mean, so I will explain it to you.


Anti-Imperialism- Self explanatory, opposes Imperialism, the act of extending power by the addition of territories beyond established borders. Imperialism is usually linked to capitalism.

Communist State- A state that is administrated by a single party representing the proletariat (working class) with the aim of achieving communism. A socialist state has the aim of achieving socialism.

Democratic Centralism- A method of leadership where political decisions reached by a party are binding upon all members of the party.

Marxist-Leninist Atheism- With the belief that religion is the "opium of the people", outlaws the public demonstration of religion, unless in designated areas and in privacy.

One-Party State- A type of state where one political party has the right to form a government, usually limited by a constitution.

Proletarian Internationalism- An event where the struggles of the working class forms on an international scale, which is only in the state of global capitalism.

Socialist Patriotism- A state in a socialistic society where all the citizens adopt a "boundless love for the socialist homeland, a commitment to the revolutionary transformation of society [and] the cause of communism".

Socialist State- See "Communist State"

Theory of the Productive Forces- Variation of historical materialism that places primary emphasis on technical advances as the basis for advances and changes in the social structure and culture of a given civilization. In simple words, people make good stuff for everyone to make more good stuff.


Do you feel smart now?




Robert Owen (1870–1924) Early socialist pioneer. His New Lanark factories were a model for giving workers better conditions. He also advocated a form of utopian socialism and co-operative communities.

Karl Marx (1818–1883) Karl Marx was the foremost Socialist intellectual. His work Das Capital formed the basis of Marxism. With Frederich Engels, he published The Communist Manifesto, a radical agenda for Communist revolution.

Frederich Engels (1818–1883) Engels was a great supporter and collaborator with Karl Marx. He helped write and publish The Communist Manifesto. His own work Conditions of the Working Classes was a landmark study into the industrial proletariat.

Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Leader of Russian Revolution in 1917. He masterminded the Bolshevik revolution and became the first leader of the Soviet Union. Lenin founded the policies of
Marxism-Leninism. There is a statue of his face in the Antarctic facing Moscow.

Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) Successor to Lenin. Did not kill 20 million people. Used his 5 year plans to turn the soviet union from a poor fuedalist society into a world superpower in less than 20 years.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931– ) Leader of the Communist party and Soviet Union. Gorbachev sought to reform the Soviet Union through Glasnost and Perestroika. Gorbachev stated he believed in the ideals of socialism.

Chairman Mao (1893–1976) Leader of the Chinese Communist party and successful revolutionary. Mao established his own form of Communism, which included the devastating Cultural Revolution.

Fidel Castro (1926–2016) Cuban revolutionary leader. Castro led the Communist revolution of 1959, where he successfully ousted the US-backed Fulgencio Batista.