Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 11

Author: Marx
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1995-06-01
Features: This volume includes political writings, current affairs commentaries, statements, and documents written by Marx and Engels from August 1851 to March 1853. During this period, the revolutionary storm that swept across the European continent in 1848-1849 had subsided, and reactionary forces had consolidated their rule throughout Europe. On December 2, 1851, Louis Napoleon launched a coup d'état, ending the Second French Republic and establishing an authoritarian regime. It became another bastion of reactionary forces in Europe, apart from the Tsarist system, and became the source of policies on international conflict and military adventures. In the first few months after the revolutions in Germany, Hungary, and Italy failed in the summer and autumn of 1849, there was still a prospect of a resurgence of revolutionary struggles. However, after the coup d'état, the position of counter-revolutionary forces was temporarily consolidated. In this context, Marx and Engels believed that the primary task was to seriously analyze the situation, continue to theoretically summarize the experience of the revolution, identify the reasons for its failure, and prepare for the strategic and tactical planning of the workers' movement during the reactionary period, as well as for future revolutionary struggles.