The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism

What it is

Vladimir Lenin wrote this article in 1913 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Karl Marx's death. It identifies German philosophy, English political economy and French socialism as the three sources behind Marxism.

Why it matters

Lenin uses the article to defend Marxism against being dismissed as a 'sect', instead presenting it as the natural result of earlier European thought from thinkers like Hegel, Feuerbach, Adam Smith and David Ricardo. Because it is short and clear, it became a standard text taught to students and even senior pupils across the Soviet Union, shaping how generations understood Marxist ideology.

Look closer

• Why might Lenin want to show Marxism as part of a long tradition of thought rather than something brand new?
• What is left out of his list of 'sources' — does it match later criticism that he omitted other influences?
• Why would a short, simple text like this be especially useful for teaching propaganda to schoolchildren?