What is communism? Communism is a society where everyone is equal; a society where all wealth is shared amongst the citizens. This was the collective philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, which compelled them to write a book on their ideology/theory of communism, The Communist Manifesto. Vladimir Lenin was a revolutionist and politician who was greatly influenced by the book. After he took over the government with the Bolsheviks, he transformed Russia into a Marxist society (Edwards 82). When Lenin passed away, his power was given to Joseph Stalin. Stalin believed in Marxism, but he soon converted communist Russia into a totalitarian country ("Life of Stalin"). Even though Stalin changed the system of government, other countries still saw Russia as a communist nation. This image of "communism" was the reason behind Joseph McCarthy's appalling actions. Based on his perception of communism, "he took politicians he suspected were communists and exploited them" . If Stalin had not changed the form of government in Russia, communism would have developed, and people would have seen how The Communist Manifesto influenced their society.…
