Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a German political thinker who wrote about money (economics) and power (politics). Marx thought that if a place that works together runs on wage-labor, then there would always be class struggle. Marx thought that this class struggle would result in workers taking power. His most famous book was the Communist Manifesto. He wrote it with Friedrich Engels in 1848. The book sets out the ideas and aims of communism. His ideas are called Marxism.
His most important work is Das Capital, or Capital. He spent many years working on the three parts of the book. Das Capital describes how "capitalism" works and the problems this creates. The book has led to many arguments between those who agree with the book and those who do not. Marx's ideas have been thought of as responsible for socialist revolutions (like the Russian Revolution).
Marx's most popular theory was his "Materialism". He believed that religion, morality, social structures and other things are all rooted in economics.
Karl Marx was born in Trier (Germany) in 1818, but he had to move many times because the government did not like his ideas. Marx lived for a long time in London. He died there in 1883. After he died, his friend Engels finished many of his works.
Marx also wrote the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 in his early days.
Many people continue to follow and develop Marx's ideas.
