Karl Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. Marx's work in economics laid the basis for the current understanding of labour and its relation to capital, and has influenced much of subsequent economic thought. He published numerous books during his lifetime, the most notable being The Communist Manifesto. Marx studied at the University of Bonn and the University of Berlin, where he became interested in the philosophical ideas of the Young Hegelians. After his studies, he wrote for a radical newspaper in Cologne, and began to work out his theory of dialectical materialism. He moved to Paris in 1843, where he began writing for other radical newspapers and met Fredrick Engels, who would become his lifelong friend and collaborator. In 1845 he was exiled and moved to London together with his wife and children where he continued writing and formulating his theories about social and economic activity. He also campaigned for socialism and became a significant figure in the International Workingmen's Association.
Marx's theories about society, economics and politics – collectively known as Marxism – hold that human societies progress through class struggle: a conflict between an ownership class that controls production and a dispossessed labouring class that provides the labour for production. He called capitalism the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie," believing it to be run by the wealthy classes for their own benefit; and he predicted that, like previous socioeconomic systems, capitalism produced internal tensions which would lead to its self-destruction and replacement by a new system: socialism. He argued that class antagonisms under capitalism between the bourgeoisie and proletariat would eventuate in the working class' conquest of political power in the form of a dictatorship of the proletariat and eventually establish a classless society, socialism or communism, a society governed by a free association of producers. Along with believing in the inevitability of socialism and communism, Marx actively fought for their implementation, arguing that social theorists and underprivileged people alike should carry out organised revolutionary action to topple capitalism and bring about socio-economic change.
Marx has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history. Revolutionary socialist governments espousing Marxist concepts took power in a variety of countries in the 20th century, leading to the formation of such socialist states as the Soviet Union in 1922 and the People's Republic of China in 1949. Many labour unions and workers' parties worldwide are influenced by Marxism, while various theoretical variants, such as Leninism, Stalinism, Trotskyism, and Maoism, were developed from them. Marx is typically cited, with Émile Durkheim and Max Weber, as one of the three principal architects of modern social science.
Timeline The list on the left recounts significant events in the life of Karl Marx, and his friends and family. The list on the right provides contextual information, recounting wider political and historical events that had an effect on Marx.
YearMarxHistory1814 12 February, Marx's future wife, Jenny von Westphalen (1814–1881) is born in Salzwedel, a town then part of the Kingdom of Prussia's Province of Saxony, as the daughter of Freiherr Ludwig von Westphalen (1770–1842) and his second wife Caroline, née Heubel, (1776–1856) 1815 Following the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna redraws the European map. Reaction and conservatism dominate Europe. The Concert of Europe attempts to preserve this settlement, but the forces of liberalism and nationalism make for dramatic changes1816 The von Westphalens moves to Trier, where Ludwig von Westphalen soon befriends Heinrich Marx and the Marx family Year Without a Summer1818 5 May, Karl Marx is born as the eldest son, and second eldest child of eight, of the barrister Heinrich Marx (1777–1838) and his wife Henrietta, née Pressburg}, (1788–1863) in Trier, a town then part of the Kingdom of Prussia's Province of the Lower Rhine1820 20 November, Marx's future collaborator and friend, Friedrich Engels (1820–1895) is born in Barmen, Prussia as the oldest of nine children of the cotton manufacturer Friedrich Engels and his wife Elisabeth, née van Haar 1825 26 December, Decembrist revolt in Russia 1830 October, after first being educated at home by his father, Marx is enrolled at the Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium in Trier at the age of twelve Several revolutions and uprisings takes place in Europe and the Americas throughout 1830 and the following year 26–29 July, the Bourbon monarch, King Charles X is overthrown in the French July Revolution 25 August, outbreak of the Belgian Revolution which eventually leads to the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium in 18311831 14 November, the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) (portrait pictured), whose ideas on dialectics would influence much of Marx's work, dies at the age of 611832 27–30 May, the Hambach Festival, a mass political demonstration, is held in the Palatinate region demanding the unification of Germany 1835 24 September, Marx graduates Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium with good grades in Latin and Greek, decent in French and Mathematics, and a low grade in History 15 October, at the age of seventeen, Marx is enrolled by his father at the University of Bonn as a law student, despite his wishes to study philosophy and literature 1836 Summer, Marx is engaged to his childhood friend Jenny von Westphalen in Trier 22 October, having mismanaged his studies in Bonn, Marx is enrolled at the Frederick William University in Berlin as a law student and soon becomes a member of the Young Hegelians1838 10 May, Marx's father, Heinrich, dies in Trier Chartism, the first mass revolutionary workers’ movement, emerges in England1840 7 June, following his father's death Frederick William IV (1795–1861) is crowned King of Prussia1841 Engels performs one year of compulsory military service with the Prussian Army in Berlin. While in the city he befriends the Zionist philosopher and socialist Moses Hess (1812–1875), attends lectures at the Frederick William University and, like Marx before him, comes in contact with the Young Hegelians 23 January, two poems by Marx, "Der Spielmann" and "Nachtliebe", are published in the periodical Athenäum in Berlin 15 April, Marx is conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Jena, where he submitted his doctoral thesis, The Difference Between the Democritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature, in absentia, as it was deemed too controversial for the Frederick William University Publication of Ludwig Feuerbach's (1804–1872) (pictured) The Essence of Christianity, an important work for the Young Hegelians 1842 5 May, Marx begins writing for the Rheinische Zeitung (front-page pictured) in Cologne, where he becomes editor-in-chief on 15 October and publishes increasingly more radical articles 12 April to 22 December, Engels anonymously contributes a total of seventeen articles to the Rheinische Zeitung 3 March, Freiherr Ludwig von Westphalen, the father of Marx's fiancée Jenny, dies in Trier 16 November, Marx first encounters Engels, who visits the office of the Rheinische Zeitung on his way to England1843 In Manchester, Engels met Mary Burns (1823–1863), a young working woman with radical opinions. They begin a relationship that lasts until her death two decades later, although they never marry 17 March, under censorship and heavy pressure from the Prussian government, Marx resigns as editor-in-chief of the Rheinische Zeitung 31 March, the last issue of the Rheinische Zeitung is published before it is completely banned the following day 19 June, Marx marries Jenny von Westphalen in Bad Kreuznach October, seeing that further political activity in Germany is impossible, Marx moves to Paris Late December, in Paris Marx meets the expatriate German poet Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), his third cousin once removed1844 Marx befriends the anarchists Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876) and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865) in Paris February, together with Arnold Ruge (1802–1880), Marx publishes the first, and only, issue of Deutsch–Französische Jahrbücher May, in a letter Marx formally breaks off any future relationship with Ruge, after quarrelling repeatedly over money and other matters during the publication of Deutsch–Französische Jahrbücher 1 May, Karl and Jenny Marx's eldest daughter Jenny Caroline (1844–1883) is born in Paris 28 August, meets Friedrich Engels (pictured) at the Café de la Régence in Paris, this second encounter becomes the start of their lifelong friendship and intellectual collaboration Winter, works on the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, also known as the Paris Manuscripts, first published in 19321845 3 February, under pressure of the Prussian government Marx is expelled from Paris and moves to Brussels 24 February, publishes The Holy Family, written together with Engels the year before Spring, writes the "Theses on Feuerbach", first published by Engels in 1888 6 September, birth of Jenny and Karl Marx's second daughter Laura1846 Summer, finishes work on The German Ideology together with Engels, however they find no publisher and the work is not published until 19321847
Publication of the first German edition of The Poverty of Philosophy, translated by Eduard Bernstein and Karl Kautsky July, The Poverty of Philosophy, written in French, is published in Paris and Brussels as an answer to the economic and philosophical arguments of French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon set forth in his 1846 book The System of Economic Contradictions, or The Philosophy of Poverty. Late August, foundation of the German Workers' Society in Brussels 29 November to 8 December, participates in the first congress of the Communist League in London and is tasked, together with Engels, to write a manifesto on behalf of the group 17 December, birth of Jenny and Karl Marx's eldest son Edgar (1847–1855) in Brussels1848 24 February, publication of the Communist Manifesto in German 4 March, arrested in Brussels and expelled to Paris 1 June, editor-in-chief of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, writes approximately 80 articles until 19 May 1849 In what remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history, several revolutions takes place throughout 1848 and the beginning of the following year, before reactionary forces regains control and the revolutions collapse1849185018511852185318541855 16 January, the Marx's youngest child Eleanor (1855–1898) is born in London 6 April, the son Edgar dies in London at the age of 8 from gastric fever 1856185718581859 24 November, publication of Charles Darwin's (1809–1882) On the Origin of Species (caricature of Darwin pictured)1860186118621863 30 November, Marx's mother, Henriette, dies in Trier186418651866186714 September, publication of the first volume of Das Kapital (title page pictured), Marx's influential analysis of political economy and criticism of the capitalist mode of production 186818691870 During 1870 and the following year Engels writes about 60 articles on the Franco-Prussian War for the London daily newspaper the Pall Mall Gazette September, Engels moves from Manchester to London 22 April, birth of Vladimir Lenin 19 July, outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War 1871 1 January, formation of the German Empire