Laying the Groundwork For Communism

Socialism and Communism were not directly derived from the French Revolution in the 19th century. It did, however, create a social and intellectual climate that allowed these ideologies and their propagandists to thrive. In addition to criticizing private property, the French communist theorists of the late 18th century argued for its abolishment and the construction of a society based on egalitarian and community ownership of property.

François-Nol Babeuf, a political activist and journalist from France, went so far as to call for violent revolution in the sake of the redistribution of wealth. The two most significant communist philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, received their education during the widespread revolutionary activity of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which is another factor. In his book, The Holy Family, Karl Marx wrote, “…the French Revolution gave rise to ideas which led beyond the ideas of the entire old world order. The revolutionary movement, which began in 1789… gave rise to the communist idea… This idea, consistently developed, is the idea of the new world order”. The French Revolution established the principles of equality, democracy, and fraternity, which were followed by the socialist revolution known as the Russian Revolution in Russia. The French Revolution also served as a source of inspiration for Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Russian Revolution. About French revolutions, Lenin said, “Take the great French Revolution. It is with good reason that it is called a great revolution.”