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Karl Marx in 1875

Karl Heinrich Marx (German pronunciation: [kaːɐ̯l ˈhaɪnʀɪç ˈmaːɐ̯ks], 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 (1848) and Das Kapital (1867–1894).

Born into a wealthy middle-class family in

Fredrick Engels, who would become his lifelong friend and collaborator. In 1849 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

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

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.

Youth and education

Year Marx History
1814
1815
  • The Congress of Vienna redraws the European map. Reaction and conservatism dominate all of Europe. The Concert of Europe attempts to preserve this settlement, but the forces of liberalism and nationalism make for dramatic changes.
1816
1818
1820
  • 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
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
1831
  • 14 November, the German philosopher
    dialectics
    would influence much of Marx's work, dies at the age of 61
1832
  • 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[3] 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
1838
  • 10 May, Marx’s father, Heinrich, dies in Trier
  • Chartism, the first mass revolutionary workers’ movement, emerges in England
1840
1841
  • Publication of
    Young Hegelians

Early work and communist agitation in continental Europe

Year Marx History
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 briefly visits the office of the Rheinische Zeitung on his way to England
1843
  • 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 removed
1844
1845
  • 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 Laura
1846
  • Summer, finishes work on The German Ideology together with Engels, however they find no publisher and the work is not published until 1932
1847
  • July,
    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 Brussels
1848
  • 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

Life in London

Year Marx History
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
  • 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
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
  • During 1870 and the following year Engels writes about 60 articles on the
    Pall Mall Gazette
  • September, Engels moves from Manchester to London
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
  • 22–27 May, the
    rights and health of workers
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
  • 2 December, Marx’s wife Jenny dies in London after a long illness
1882
1883
  • 11 January, At the age of 38, Marx’s eldest daughter Jenny dies at Argenteuil near Paris, probably from cancer of the bladder, a condition which had afflicted her for some time
  • 14 March, Marx dies in his home in London
  • 17 March, Marx is buried at Highgate Cemetery
  • After the death of Marx, Engels dedicates himself to the editing and publication of their works
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
  • After nine years of work Engels publishes the third volume of Das Kapital
  • 5 August, at the age of 74, Engels dies in London of throat cancer
1896
1897
1898
  • 31 March, at the age of 43, Eleanor Marx commits suicide after discovering that her partner, Edward Aveling, had secretly married a young actress in June the previous year
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
  • 26 November, at the age of 66, Marx's second daughter Laura commits suicide together with her husband Paul Lafargue, 69, in Draveil outside of Paris
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920

First International

Later years

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Wheen 1999, p. 18
  2. ^ Berlin 1996, pp. 17–23
  3. ^ Easton & Guddat 1997, p. 35
  4. ^ McLellan 1969, p. 41
  5. ^ Wheen 2006, p. 76

Bibliography