itself was thoroughly democratic, with elective and
always removable boards. This alone barred all
hankering after conspiracy, which requires dictator-
ship, and the League was converted—for ordinary
peace times at least—into a pure propaganda society.
These new Rules were submitted to the communities
for discussion—so democratic was the procedure now
followed —then once again debated at the Second
Congress and finally adopted by the latter on
December 8, 1847. They are to be found reprinted in
Wermuth and Stieber, Vol. 1, p. 239, Appendix X.
The second Congress took place during the end
of November and beginning of December of the same
year. Marx also attended this time and expounded the
new theory in a fairly long debate—the congress
lasted at least ten days. All contradiction and doubt
were finally set at rest, the new basic principles were
unanimously adopted, and Marx and I were
commissioned to draw up the Manifesto. This was
done immediately afterwards. A few weeks before the
February Revolution it was sent to London to be
printed. Since then it has travelled round the world,
has been translated into almost all languages and
today still serves in numerous countries as a guide
for the proletarian movement. In place of the old
League motto, “All Men Are Brothers,” appeared the
new battle cry, “Working Men of All Countries, Unite!”
which openly proclaimed the international character
of the struggle. Seventeen years later this battle cry
resounded throughout the world as the watchword of
the International Working Men’s Association, and today
the militant proletariat of all countries has inscribed it
on its banner.
The February Revolution broke out. The London
Central Committee functioning hitherto immediately
transferred its powers to the Brussels leading circle.
But this decision came at a time when an actual state
of siege already existed in Brussels, and the Germans
in particular could no longer assemble anywhere. We
were all of us just on the point of going to Paris, and
so the new Central Committee decided like wise to
dissolve, to hand over all its powers to Marx and to
empower him immediately to constitute a new Central
Committee in Paris. Hardly had the five persons who
adopted this decision (March 3, 1848) separated,
before the police forced their way into Marx’s house,
arrested him and compelled him to leave for France
on the following day, which was just where he was
wanting to go.
In Paris we all soon came together again. There
the following document was drawn up and signed by
all the members of the new Central Committee. It was
distributed throughout Germany and many a one can
still learn something from it even today:
November - 2018
DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN
GERMANY
1. The whole of Germany shall be declared a single
indivisible republic.
3. Representatives of the people shall be paid so
that workers also can sit in the parliament of the
German people.
4. Universal arming of the people.
7. The estates of the princes and other feudal
estates, all mines, pits, etc., shall be transformed
into state property. On these estates, agriculture
is to be conducted on a large scale and with the
most modern scientific means for the benefit of
all society.
8. Mortgages on peasant holdings shall be declared
state property; interest on such mortgages shall
be paid by the peasants to the state.
9. In the districts where tenant farming is
developed, land rent of farming dues shall be
paid to the state as a tax.
11. All means of transport; railways, canals, steam
ships, roads, post, etc., shall be taken over by
the state. They are to be converted into state
property and put at the disposal of the non-
possessing class.
14. Limitation of the right of inheritance.
15. Introduction of a steeply graded progressive
taxation and abolition of taxes on consumer
goods.
16. Establishment of national workshops. The state
shall guarantee a living to all workers and provide
for those unable to work.
17. Universal free elementary education.
It is in the interest of the German proletariat, of
the petty bourgeoisie and peasantry, to work with all
possible energy to put the above measures through.
For only by their realisation can the millions in
Germany, who up to now have been exploited by a
small number of people and whom it will be attempted
to keep in further subjection, get their rights and the
power that are their due as the producers of all wealth.
The Committee: Karl Marx, Karl Schapper,
H. Bauer, F. Engels, F. Moll, W. Wolff
At that time the craze for revolutionary legions
prevailed in Paris. Spaniards, Italians, Belgians, Dutch,
Poles and Germans flocked together in crowds to
liberate their respective fatherlands. The German
legion was led by Herwegh, Bornsted, Bornstein. Since
immediately after the revolution all foreign workers
not only lost their jobs but in addition were harassed
by the public, the influx into these legions was very
great. The new government saw in them, a means of
getting rid of foreign workers and granted them letape
du soldat, that is, quarters along their line of march
and a marching allowance of fifty centimes per day
11