Karl Marx wrote this pamphlet in 1851-52 to analyze how Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew of the emperor, took power in France through the coup of December 1851. He traces the course of the 1848 revolution through the failures of the republicans, the fear of the bourgeoisie, and the support of the peasants, who Marx says are like potatoes in a sack. The famous opening line says history repeats itself, first as tragedy and then as farce. The pamphlet offers a method of linking political events to class interests.
It is for students of political theory, French history, or anyone who wants to see Marx doing concrete analysis. You come away with a vivid example of how a society chooses a strongman, and with some of his most quoted lines.
Deep and outward-looking; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Systems Thinker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1987
- Publisher
- International Publishers
- ISBN
- 9780853155942
- Language
- DE
Quotes by Karl Marx
More →The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.
Theses on Feuerbach
