More specifically, the point of divergence would be that he was never born. As I myself have read the manifesto (yeah, I'm a socialist...), and know of its influence on culture in the past and present (as well as the future), there are many possibilities for alternate timelines. What would Engels do? Would any kind of socialist party ever come to power? Without the manifesto, would there ever be communist revolutions in Russia? China? Cuba? What do you guys think?