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Primary sourceBookOctober–November 1847

Principles of Communism

Friedrich Engels · October–November 1847

A short 1847 catechism-style text by Engels that served as the draft for the Communist Manifesto.

Engels's own catechism draft reveals his central role in shaping the ideas later published as the Communist Manifesto.

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About this source

What it is

Written by Friedrich Engels in October–November 1847, this text is structured as a catechism with 25 questions and answers about communism. It followed an earlier, similar draft Engels had written in June 1847, and it in turn became the basis for the Communist Manifesto, written soon after with Karl Marx.

Why it matters

This document shows how much of the Manifesto's thinking originated with Engels rather than Marx alone. It was created for the Communist League, an organisation formed from the merger of earlier radical groups, and reflects the process of working out ideas like class struggle and historical materialism before they reached their final, famous form.

Look closer

  • Why might Engels have chosen a question-and-answer format at first, and why was it later abandoned?
  • What does this draft reveal about how political ideas are developed and revised?
  • How does comparing this text to the final Manifesto change your view of who contributed what?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Friedrich Engels on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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