Proletarian revolution

A political revolution in which workers overthrow capitalist class rule and establish their own political power. In Marxist theory, it is the transition from capitalism toward a classless society.

Class struggle: Conflict between social classes over economic interests, political power, and control of production. Marxism treats conflict between workers and capitalists as the force that can make revolution possible.
Karl Marx: A German philosopher and political economist whose writings founded Marxism with Friedrich Engels. Marx developed the theory of class conflict and revolutionary transition associated with this concept.
Russian Revolution: The upheavals of 1917 that ended the Russian monarchy and brought the Bolsheviks to power. The Bolsheviks presented their seizure of power as a proletarian revolution.
Social democracy: A political tradition that seeks social equality and worker protections through democratic institutions and reforms. It offers a reformist route to social change rather than overthrowing capitalist rule.
Proletariat: The wage-earning class that depends on selling its labor and does not own the means of production. The proletariat is the class expected to overthrow capitalist rule.
Friedrich Engels: A German philosopher and socialist who collaborated with Karl Marx and helped develop Marxist theory. Engels co-authored foundational arguments about workers, capitalism, and revolution.
October Revolution: The Bolshevik seizure of power in Petrograd in October 1917 under the Russian calendar then in use. It established the government that claimed to rule in the workers’ name.
Reformism: A strategy for changing society through gradual reforms within existing political institutions. It rejects revolution as the necessary path to worker gains.
Bourgeoisie: The capitalist class that owns or controls the means of production and employs wage labor. Its ownership and political dominance define the class rule the revolution seeks to end.
The Communist Manifesto: A political pamphlet published by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, outlining communist aims and class struggle. Its closing appeal frames the workers’ movement as an international political struggle.

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