AHC: alternatives to Marx and the Communist Manifesto

In the OTL when we think of leftism we think Marx and the Communist Manifesto. What alternatives are possible here? What earlier or contemporary writings could have caught the imagination, and fired up a workers movement? How would they differ from the OTL, ideologically and tactically? How would leftist nations be affected? Or if we can kill of Marx and the CM what might have emerged later?

Even if you kill off Marx the sentiments of marxism will still be there in someone's mind, and eventually that someone is going to put those ideas to paper. He may gain more traction than Marx did or be forgotten in silence. Just killing Marx doesn't kill Marxism by any means, it just changes the name and finer points of the ideology.

Tjakari said:

Even if you kill off Marx the sentiments of marxism will still be there in someone's mind, and eventually that someone is going to put those ideas to paper. He may gain more traction than Marx did or be forgotten in silence. Just killing Marx doesn't kill Marxism by any means, it just changes the name and finer points of the ideology.

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Yes, that's my point exactly! So, again, without Marx who starts the Leftist movement?

I think Engels would also have to be dealt with.

Anarchism might become a more popular ideology.

Ultimate Paragon said:

I think Engels would also have to be dealt with.

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Although that's an interesting question in itself, how might the communist movement have differed if led solely by Engels? I believe he and Marx had some strong differences of opinion.

Thon Taddeo said:

Anarchism might become a more popular ideology.

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I agree, instead of Communism and Marx leftism might be far more strongly associated with Anarchism and Bakunin. Obviously butterflies do away with the USSR, but what might an Anarchist Lenin be like?

Assuming Marx and Engels are somehow killed off: The League of the Just, under the influence of François-Noël Babeuf, Henri de Saint-Simon, Philippe Buonarroti, and Charles Fourier continues to dominate revolutionary leftist philosophy. Blanquism and socialist groups modeled after the Carbonari will also be popular. Net result: more Christian communism, more secret societies, more utopianism in socialist thought.

Morty Vicar said:

I agree, instead of Communism and Marx leftism might be far more strongly associated with Anarchism and Bakunin. Obviously butterflies do away with the USSR, but what might an Anarchist Lenin be like?

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If Lenin is still important, I'd imagine he'd and his fellows would be Blanquists.