Karl Marx was a German political philosopher and revolutionist in the 19th century. He is known as the father of modern communism. His theories greatly affected many of the social sciences. He was born in Trier, Prussia in 1818. He was well educated and went to Bonn, Berlin, and Jena Universities. Marx wrote for and edited newspapers for a couple of years. Marx moved to Paris after he resigned from the position of editor for the Rheinische Zeitung. .
Marx's interest in communism began when he studied history, philosophy, and political science in Paris. Marx was visited by Friedrich Engels in 1844. They discovered that they shared the same views on revolutionary problems, and they became best friends. .
Marx was banned from Paris in 1845. He was kicked out because of revolutionary activities, so he moved to Brussels, where they allowed more freedom of expression. In Brussels he started the Communist Correspondence Committee. This was a network of revolutionary groups from different parts of Europe. .
In Brussels he began working on The Communist Manifesto. It was a 12,000 word pamphlet that told what the communist society would be like. It said that over time, the working class would overthrow the upper class and create a class-less society. After this was published, there were revolutions in France and Germany. .
Marx was kicked out of Belgium, because the government feared that a revolution would occur. He was banned from Germany and France in 1849. He then moved to London, England, where he spent the rest of his life. .
One of his goals in England was to build an international communist movement. He also wrote what some people would consider his best works during this time. He wrote Das Kapital and The Civil War in France. .
Soon after the death of his wife and eldest daughter, Karl Marx died on March 14, 1883. .
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