Marxism, a body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx and, to a lesser extent, by Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th century. It originally consisted of three related ideas: a philosophical anthropology, a theory of history, and an economic and political program.

The fundamental philosophy of Marxism was developed by Karl Marx, who has been characterized as “one of the greatest economists of all time” and “one of the truly great thinkers”. Marx was unhappy with the societal climate of his time, in which the working class (proletariat) were being exploited by the upper/middle class (bourgeois) by using the labor of the working …

Marxism-Leninism was developed by Joseph Stalin in the 1920s based on his understanding and synthesis of orthodox Marxism and Leninism. After the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924, Marxism-Leninism became a distinct movement in the Soviet Union when Stalin and his supporters gained control of the party.

Karl Heinrich Marx FRSA (German: ; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, critic of political economy, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary.His best-known titles are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and the three-volume Das Kapital (1867–1883). Marx's political and philosophical thought had …

Marxist Theory Defined. At its center, Marxism was a theory created by Marx and Engels to create a classless society where workers were appreciated and worked to benefit the common good. While the true theory has never reached fruition, a few governments have tried through communism and socialism.