Preface to the 1872 German Edition Summary and Analysis

The document enjoyed several major reprinting and numerous translation and revision events; the first major re-publication took place in 1872. Marx and Engels added a preface upon each major reprinting and latter editions in general retained all previous preface text. The preface to the 1872 German edition primarily recounts the history of the Communist manifesto's creation and promulgation. An international association of workers, known as the Communist League, in 1847 commissioned Karl Marx and Frederick Engels to write the manifesto. The manuscript was first published in German in 1848, and was printed in London. This was of necessity performed as a secret action. Between 1848 and 1872, the document was republished in twelve German editions that were issued in Germany, England, and America. The document was translated by Helen Macfarlane c. 1850 and published in English initially in 1850. By 1871, at...