Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a political theorist who conceived of the idea of communism and outlined it in The Communist Manifesto. Marx supported violent revolution as the means to ensure social progress. Much as feudalism replaced capitalism, Marx believed, so would capitalism fall to its own inherent class divides to socialism. He was a hero of revolutionaries around the world and was revered by Communist nations such as the Soviet Union. He was also widely read by members of socialist parties in non-communist countries.

Marxists believe his ideas of dialectical materialism are universal in their applicability, and that every culture of intelligent beings will eventually adopt communism.

Karl Marx in The Gladiator
Karl Marx and his partner Friedrich Engels were considered the founding fathers of communism in an alternate where the Soviet Union won the Cold War.

Karl Marx in A World of Difference
Oleg Lopatin believed that Karl Marx's theories of dialectical materialism applied to Minervan society. Under this philosophy, the proto-capitalist Skarmer of Hogram's domain were more "advanced" than the feudalistic Omalo of Reatur's domain. For this reason, Lopatin was a strong advocate that the Soviet mission to Minerva should support Hogram's and Fralk's invasion of Reatur's domain as fully as possible.

Karl Marx in Worldwar
Karl Marx was considered a founding father of the Soviet Union, along with Vladimir Lenin. Marx was also an inspiration for the Chinese Communist Party. His materialism was supposed to be universal, implying that revolution would eventually come to Home--a notion that profoundly offended the Race.

Karl Marx in Southern Victory
Karl Marx was greatly admired by former United States President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln did not agree with Marx's belief in violent revolution, however, and steered the Socialist Party of the United States towards change through the ballot, rather than the bullet.

In the Confederate States, however, the Negro revolutionaries embraced a purer form of communism, staging a revolt during the early years of the Great War. While various socialist republics were created, the uprising was crushed by the C.S. in short order.