Karl Marx predicted that the working class, or proletariat, would eventually rise up in a revolution against the capitalist system, overthrow the ruling class, and establish a classless society where the means of production are collectively owned.
The quote on Karl Marx's statue in Highgate Cemetery, London, reads "Workers of all lands unite."
Karl Marx Karl marx
Marx called the industrial class of workers the "proletariat." The workers themselves were called "proletarians."
A revolution
Karl Marx wrote the phrase "The workers have nothing to lose but their chains" in his seminal work "The Communist Manifesto" in 1848, with Friedrich Engels.
They would unite to overthrow the political and social order
Workers would eventually overthrow the upper class
Karl Marx, a philosopher and economist, believed that the working class (proletariat) would eventually revolt against the wealthy capitalist class (bourgeoisie) in a socialist revolution, leading to the establishment of a classless society.
Karl Marx
capitalists and workers
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Karl Marx believed capitalism would bring about economic and social collapse in Europe and America. Karl Marx was a proponent of the dictatorship of the proletariat. The collapse of capitalism would be the result of a workers' revolution. In his time, there were other socialists who believed that a peaceful transition from capitalism to socialism was the path to the future.