What is Communism?

A Short Lesson about Communism and Socialism

What is Communism?
This is the symbol of Communism The Hammer and the Sickle
Hammer for the Workers! Sickle for the Farmers!

Who are these men?

These men wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1847. Its a short book but billions of people have read it.

This is Karl Marx, the Father of Communism. People who believe in his ideas are called Marxists

This is his good friend, Frederick Engels.

Marx and Engels studied the history of the worlds economies, which is the way that power, industry and finance are controlled. They believed that countries developed in steps. Communism
Socialism

Capitalism Feudalism Primitive Communism

Explain these please!

Primitive Communism

This is how humans first lived together in small groups called tribes. Primitive means not very advanced. These people lived by hunting and gathering. Communism means that everything was shared amongst the tribe food, jobs, belongings. No one owned land. Eventually a group comes to power this leads to Feudalism

Feudalism
1. Under feudalism, a king or emperor or chief becomes the ruler over all the people. 2. The king gives land and privileges to nobles, which are special people who rule the people for him.
Feudalism

3. The people are kept uneducated and told that a god chose the king or emperor to rule. Marx and Engels believed that religious authorities helped the king this way.

Primitive Communism

4. As trade develops, some people get richer. This leads to Capitalism..

Capitalism
1. The business owners, or capitalists, get richer while the workers do all the hard work. 2. The capitalists get more power to serve their own interests. 3. Capitalism creates a huge working class of people who get angry at the way they are treated. They organize in unions and demand changes. This will lead to a revolution and Socialism

Capitalism

Feudalism

Socialism

1. In the Socialist revolution all the rulers kings, religious authorities, and capitalists are kicked out. 2. The workers take control of the country to produce things for everyone. 3. Because nothing is made for profit, all people benefit from education and health. 4. These ideas spread across the world to create Communism.

Socialism

Capitalism

Communism
The remaining capitalists fight back, but Marx and Engels believed that the true will of the people would always win. As everyone now works together, war is a thing of the past armies are not needed. Sharing means no police are needed. Everything is provided by the people so money is not needed anymore. Communism All human activity goes towards benefiting each other allowing all to live their lives freely and happily.

Socialism

In the end, Marx and Engels believed that a true communist state would have no: - government - class - money They thought that everyone would own the things you need to produce things, and that all people would make only what they need.

Today, communism and socialism are different than how Marx and Engels thought they would be Lets look at key points of modern socialism and communism to compare

What are the differences between Socialist and Communist systems?

Socialism
Mostly an economic system Many people should influence how the economy works Distribution of goods should be equal to the amount produced Capitalism can be part of the state, but needs to be managed by a central system

Communism
An economic AND a political system A few people should influence how the economy works Distribution of goods should be equal to the amount a community needs Capitalism and private ownership must be thrown out

Communist Countries in the World Today

1. 2. 3. 4.

China Cuba Laos Vietnam

Socialist Counties in the World Today

Country Name
Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Cooperative Republic of Guyana Republic of India Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) Portuguese Republic Syrian Arab Republic United Republic of Tanzania

Type of Government
Multi-Party System Multi-Party System Multi-Party System One-Party System Multi-Party System One-Party System Multi-Party System

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Multi-Party System

These countries dont have socialism like Marx and Engels suggestions, but their own types of socialism in their constitutions