The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin

Overview

Course No. 8071

Trace communism’s revolutionary journey from theory to power in this 12-lecture series with an award-winning historian.

This course examines:

• The foundational theories of Marx and Engels

• Lenin’s violent seizure of power in Russia

• Key revolutionary figures like Trotsky and Luxemburg

• How communist ideas worked (and failed) in practice

Discover how a radical economic philosophy transformed into world-shaking political force.

Video Lessons

Theoretical Foundations (1-5)

1. Historical Turning Point (24 min) – Lenin’s 1917 return

2. Marx & Engels (30 min) – Dialectical materialism

• Key Texts (27 min) – Communist Manifesto & Das Kapital

4. Paris Commune (25 min) – First proletarian dictatorship

Road to Revolution (6-9)

6. Russian Context (27 min) – Why Russia?

7. Lenin’s Formation (25 min) – From exile to leader

8. WWI Opportunity (26 min) – War as accelerator

9. October Revolution (29 min) – Bolshevik takeover

Global Impact (10-12)

10. Rosa Luxemburg (29 min) – Revolutionary martyr

11. Comintern (30 min) – Exporting revolution

12. New Civilization (33 min) – Lenin’s social experiments