While the popularity of communism has declined in recent years, it has been one of the most popular political ideologies in the world and reached its peak in the early 20th century. There are several figures in history who have supported the spread of communism, and they were revered both in their respective countries and internationally.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx was arguably the most influential communist leader in the world of all time. Karl Marx was also a renowned philosopher, sociologist and economist is often referred to as one of the most influential figures in human history. Karl Marx was born on May 5th, 1818 in the Kingdom of Prussia in the modern Lower Rhine region where he spent much of his childhood. The young Marx would later move to Cologne, where he wrote a controversial article entitled Giornale Rhenish which was soon banned by the Prussian government. Karl Marx is perhaps best known for being the founder of Marxism, an ideological movement whose doctrines are practiced by governments around the world and became instrumental in the creation of 20th century communist states such as Cuba, the Soviet Union and the China. Karl Marx died on March 12th,
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a 20th century politician who served in several senior positions in Russia, including as head of government between 1917 and 1924. Vladimir Lenin was among the most prominent Communist leaders in Russian history. Lenin was born on March 22nd, 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia to a relatively wealthy family that was a liberal conservative. Lenin’s father died in 1886 while his brother was put to death in 1887, events that forever altered Lenin’s political and spiritual beliefs and prompted him to start practicing revolutionary socialism. Lenin would begin his long political career in 1893 after moving to St. Petersburg and as a prominent member of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party.
Lenin ascended to lead the country after his party overthrew the government in 1917 during the October Revolution and soon established a communist-socialist government. Lenin’s socialist ideologies were extremely popular among Russian citizens which led Vladimir Lenin to have a sectarian following in Russia (which he was very sorry about). The socialist government that Lenin established in the early 20th century was the basis of successive governments that ruled the republic for about seven decades. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died on January 21st, 1924 in Gorki, at the age of 53. Lenin’s socialist ideologies were extremely popular among Russian citizens which led Vladimir Lenin to have a sectarian following in Russia (which he was very sorry about).
The socialist government that Lenin established in the early 20th century was the basis of successive governments that ruled the republic for about seven decades. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died on January 21st, 1924 in Gorki, at the age of 53. Lenin’s socialist ideologies were extremely popular among Russian citizens which led Vladimir Lenin to have a sectarian following in Russia (which he was very sorry about). The socialist government that Lenin established in the early 20th century was the basis of successive governments that ruled the republic for about seven decades. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died on January 21st, 1924 in Gorki, at the age of 53.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin was a Russian political and revolutionary leader of the 20th century and was the face of the Soviet Union during World War II and the Cold War. Joseph Stalin became an instrumental figure in the socialist movement around the world in the early 20th century. Joseph Stalin was born on December 18th, 1878 in a small town of Gori in the then Russian Empire into a low-income family. The young Stalin would later join the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, where he was engaged in various activities including publishing the party’s publication, Pravda, and conducting kidnappings and robberies to finance the party’s commitments. Joseph Stalin would gain an influential position after the party led by Lenin ascended to leadership in 1917. During Lenin’s reign as leader, Stalin gained a cult following among the Russian public and succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death in 1924. In his government, Stalin drew inspiration from the ideologies of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin and teamed up with two to form Stalinist ideology, a form of socialism which he advocated. Joseph Stalin died on March 5th, 1953 and was mourned by other Communist leaders including Chinese Mao Zedong whose government established a national mourning period in Stalin’s honor.
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong was a 20th-century Chinese revolutionary leader, Communist leader, and founder of the People’s Republic of China. Mao was one of the central figures of communism in Asia and was the founder of the Chinese Communist Party. Mao Zedong was born on December 26th, 1893 in Shaoshan in Imperial China and embraced the anti-imperialist movement that was taking shape in his youth, particularly after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Mao was inspired by other Communist leaders such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin and adopted the ideologies of Marxism-Leninism. Mao founded the Communist Party of China while working at Peking University. In 1949, Mao led the Communist forces which deposed the imperial government and established the one-party state known as the People’s Republic of China. Mao Zedong died on September 9th, 1976 in Beijing.
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh was an early 20th century communist leader in Vietnam and was the most influential politician in the country’s history. Minh was born on May 19th, 1890 in Hoang Tru, a small Vietnamese village, and was later named Nguyen Sinh Cung. Minh had the privilege of visiting several countries including the United States, France and the United Kingdom as a young adult. Ho Chi Minh embraced the communist ideologies of Marxism-Leninism during his brief stay in Moscow in 1923. Minh was instrumental in Vietnam’s struggle for independence and became the first president of North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh died on September 2nd, 1969 in Hanoi. Minh was revered around the world as a revolutionary, and became the inspiration for other revolutionary struggles in Asia and Africa.
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-Sung was a revolutionary leader of North Korea who served as the head of state and government of the country between 1948 and 1994. As the founding father of the Communist Republic of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung became the leading influential in the country’s history, with many North Koreans viewing the leader as a demigod. Kim Il-Sung was born on April 12th, 1912 in Mangyongdae and was exposed to the oppression of North Koreans faced when the country was under Japanese occupation. Kim joined the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao in 1931 and was involved in the anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare. Kim would later emigrate to the Soviet Republic in 1945, where he was named one of the major in the Red Army. After the Soviet army deposed the Japanese occupation in Korea, Kim Il-Sung was appointed head of North Korea. Kim Il-Sung dominated North Korea for around 45 years until his death in 1994.
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was the political and revolutionary leader of Cuba who rose to fame after overthrowing the oppressive regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and establishing a communist government in the country. Fidel Castro was one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world after he headed the government of Cuba between 1959 and 2008 as prime minister and then as president. Fidel Castro was admired by millions around the world for his Communist-led government that supported anti-imperialism movements.
