In 1848, a sudden wave of coups swept across Europe as masses of people in country after country rose up against their governments. Coincidentally, this was the same year Karl Marx released Communist Manifesto, the end of which declares: “Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!” Why did Marx’s words grip the oppressed working class of Europe like they did? Why did it drive them to such extreme measures? Why did one man’s writings so drastically influence and possibly even ignite the entire socialist movement of the next century? The answers to these questions lie not in the words themselves but in the ready
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Without the healthy regulations around today, early industry began to exploit its own working class. As the urbanization of cities, population, and job competition grew, the working class became increasingly dependent on their work. Eventually, it progressed to the point that the proles had no choice but to work for whatever hours or wages they could. It was either that or starve. Big bosses could pay their employees whatever they wanted and then take home as much of the profit as they desired. They could force their laborers to work for whatever hours they determined; others were always desperate for employment if the current staff was unwilling to comply. Toiling for exhausting 12-15 hour days for pathetic wages, the proles of the Industrial Revolution lived in poverty, sometimes housing a whole family in a single room with a little water and no sanitary facilities (Notgrass, 2008). The cycle continued, and the powerless poor showed no signs of breaking out. Frustrated with the state of their lives, the unskilled working class grew more and more discontent, noticing that their countries were so wealthy while they lived in poverty. This frustration lead to an inevitable contempt for the upper classes who many saw as their oppressors. The problem, as they saw it, was obviously not wealth; there was plenty of that. The problem lay in its even distribution, or lack thereof. True justice for industrial workers like themselves meant the impartial dispersal of capital. No single class would dominate the other, and the quality of life would be completely just and fair. But the rich capitalist leaders in the world snatched all the wealth they could for themselves. As long as they were in power, the proles were completely helpless. The plight of the workers was the most obvious problem that led to the rise of socialism. The second, however, was a bit more
Without the healthy regulations around today, early industry began to exploit its own working class. As the urbanization of cities, population, and job competition grew, the working class became increasingly dependent on their work. Eventually, it progressed to the point that the proles had no choice but to work for whatever hours or wages they could. It was either that or starve. Big bosses could pay their employees whatever they wanted and then take home as much of the profit as they desired. They could force their laborers to work for whatever hours they determined; others were always desperate for employment if the current staff was unwilling to comply. Toiling for exhausting 12-15 hour days for pathetic wages, the proles of the Industrial Revolution lived in poverty, sometimes housing a whole family in a single room with a little water and no sanitary facilities (Notgrass, 2008). The cycle continued, and the powerless poor showed no signs of breaking out. Frustrated with the state of their lives, the unskilled working class grew more and more discontent, noticing that their countries were so wealthy while they lived in poverty. This frustration lead to an inevitable contempt for the upper classes who many saw as their oppressors. The problem, as they saw it, was obviously not wealth; there was plenty of that. The problem lay in its even distribution, or lack thereof. True justice for industrial workers like themselves meant the impartial dispersal of capital. No single class would dominate the other, and the quality of life would be completely just and fair. But the rich capitalist leaders in the world snatched all the wealth they could for themselves. As long as they were in power, the proles were completely helpless. The plight of the workers was the most obvious problem that led to the rise of socialism. The second, however, was a bit more