Karl Kautsky

Austro-German Marxist theorist

Born: October 16, 1854 · Died: October 17, 1938

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Who was Karl Kautsky?

Karl Johann Kautsky (; German: [ˈkaʊtski]; 16 October 1854 – 17 October 1938) was an Austrian-born Marxist theorist. Born in Prague and educated in Vienna, Kautsky became a Marxist in the early 1880s while in exile in Zurich. His influence was so pervasive that he was often called the "Pope of Marxism", with his views remaining dominant until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. He founded the journal Die Neue Zeit in 1883 and was its editor for 35 years. From 1885 to 1890, he lived in London, where he became a close friend of Friedrich Engels. Following the repeal of Germany's Anti-Socialist Laws, he authored the theoretical section of the SPD's 1891 Erfurt Program. His commentary on the program, The Class Struggle, became a popular and widely circulated summary of Marxism.

Historical significance

One of the most authoritative promulgators of orthodox Marxism, he was for decades the leading theorist of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Second International. His influence extended beyond Germany, shaping the development of Marxism in the Russian Empire, where he was seen by figures like Vladimir Lenin as the leading authority on Marxist theory.

Cover of a 1904 pamphlet version of The Class Struggle (Erfurt Program)

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