Communism

Some people want to share everything.

They want to own things together. This helps everyone get what they need. This is an idea called communism.

Long ago, thinkers wrote about this idea. Two men named Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote a book. It gave a new name to these ideas.

In the past, many people lived under these rules. Some leaders held a lot of power. They made many big changes in their lands.

Today, only a few lands use these rules. Some places are changing how they work. Many people still talk about these ideas.

Communism is a way of organizing society. It aims to make people equal. In this system, people own things together. There is no private property. Instead, things are shared based on what people need.

This idea grew in 19th-century Europe. Many factory workers lived in hard conditions. In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote a book. They called it "The Communist Manifesto." They believed workers should take power. This would end the gap between rich and poor.

In the 1900s, many governments used these ideas. The Soviet Union was the first. Later, many lands in Asia and Europe followed. These governments often had only one party in power. They controlled the economy and the news. Some of these rules were very strict. They limited religious freedom and stopped people from disagreeing.

By 1991, many of these governments ended. Today, only a few remain. These include China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Some have changed to allow more business competition. Others still keep one-party rule.

Communism is a political and economic idea. Its main goal is to create a specific kind of society. In this society, people own things together. This is called common ownership.

This system focuses on how goods are made and shared. It aims to give products to people based on what they need. A true communist society would have no private property. It would also have no social classes. Some people believe it would eventually have no money or government.

This idea is part of a larger movement called socialism. Many different groups have different ways to reach these goals. Some people want a system where workers manage themselves. This is often called a libertarian socialist approach. Other groups prefer a system led by a single party. They believe a strong state is needed to start the change. This is known as an authoritarian or vanguardist approach. These groups believe the state will eventually wither away.

Modern communism grew from the socialist movement in 19th-century Europe. At that time, many factory workers lived in very hard conditions. In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote a famous book. It was called "The Communist Manifesto."

They argued that capitalism created two main classes. One class is the proletariat, or the working class. They sell their labor to survive. The other class is the bourgeoisie, or the owning class. This group owns the tools and factories. Marx and Engels believed a social revolution could fix this.

In the 20th century, many governments used these ideas. The Soviet Union became the first major state using Marxism–Leninism. This happened after the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Later, many countries in Eastern Europe and Asia followed. For a long time, one-third of the world lived under such governments. These states usually had only one political party. They often controlled the news and the economy. They also limited religious freedom and stopped people from disagreeing.

Many of these governments ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved. Today, only a few countries still have communist governments. These include China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Some of these places, like China, allow more business competition now. Others still keep strict one-party rule. People still debate the history of these states today. Some scholars look at how they functioned in real life. Others study the many ways these governments changed the world.

Communism is a political and economic ideology. Its primary goal is to build a communist society. This is a socioeconomic order based on common ownership. In this system, the means of production are shared. The means of production include tools, factories, and land. This order allocates products based on human need. A true communist society lacks private property and social classes. It also aims to eventually eliminate money and the state. Communism is a specific part of the broader socialist movement.

There are different ways to reach these goals. Some followers use a libertarian socialist approach. They focus on workers' self-management and revolutionary spontaneity. This is often called communization. Other groups use an authoritarian or vanguardist approach. These groups use a single party to establish a socialist state. They believe this state will eventually wither away. These different methods create a divide within communist thought.

Many different variants of communism exist today. These include anarchist communism and various Marxist schools of thought. Some versions are even based on religious ideas. Most variants share a specific analysis of capitalism. They believe capitalism creates two major social classes. The first class is the proletariat, or the working class. These people sell their labor power to survive. The second class is the bourgeoisie, or the owning class. This minority owns the means of production and earns profit. Communists believe a social revolution can resolve this exploitative relationship.

Modern communism grew from 19th-century European socialism. Many factory workers faced misery under the capitalist system. In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels changed the movement. They published The Communist Manifesto. This book offered a new definition of communism. In the 20th century, Marxism–Leninism became a global force. The Russian Revolution of 1917 established the first Soviet Union. After World War II, communist governments appeared in Eastern Europe and Asia. By the 1920s, communism was a dominant type of socialism.

For much of the 20th century, communism was very widespread. More than one-third of the world's population lived under communist governments. These states were defined by one-party rule. They rejected private property and capitalism. The state controlled economic activity and the mass media. These governments also restricted religious freedom and suppressed opposition. Many of these regimes are studied for their economic models. Some scholars argue these models functioned as state capitalism. The legacy of these states remains a subject of intense debate.

Many communist governments ended in the 1990s. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 changed the political map. Today, only a few nominally communist governments remain. These include China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Most of these nations allow more economic competition now. However, they still maintain strict one-party rule. The decline of many communist states is linked to several factors. These include economic inefficiency and heavy bureaucracy. Some also point to the effects of authoritarianism.

Since the 1990s, communism has also changed in other ways. Some communist parties have adopted democratic principles. They now share power with other groups in government. For example, the Nepal Communist Party supports People's Multiparty Democracy. This shows how the ideology can adapt to different political systems. The history of communism remains a complex and polarized topic. It connects to many ideas about justice, economy, and power.