TheFebruaryRevolutionbrokeout。TheLondonCentralCommitteefunctioninghithertoimmediatelytransferreditspowerstotheBrusselsleadingcircle。ButthisdecisioncameatatimewhenanactualstateofsiegealreadyexistedinBrussels，andtheGermansinparticularcouldnolongerassembleanywhere。WewereallofusjustonthepointofgoingtoParis，andsothenewCentralCommitteedecidedlikewisetodissolve，tohandoverallitspowerstoMarxandtoempowerhimimmediatelytoconstituteanewCentralCommitteeinParis。Hardlyhadthefivepersonswhoadoptedthisdecision（March3，1848）separated，beforepoliceforcedtheirwayintoMarx’shouse，arrestedhimandcompelledhimtoleaveforFrancethefollowingday，whichwasjustwherehewaswantingtogo。
InParisweallsooncametogetheragain。TherethefollowingdocumentwasdrawnupandsignedbyallthemembersofthenewCentralCommittee。ItwasdistributedthroughoutGermanyandmanyaonecanstilllearnsomethingfromiteventoday：
DEMANDSOFTHECOMMUNISTPARTYINGERMANY
1。ThewholeofGermanyshallbedeclaredasingleindivisiblerepublic。
3。RepresentativesofthepeopleshallbepaidsothatworkersalsocansitintheparliamentoftheGermanpeople。
4。Universalarmingofthepeople。
7。Theestatesoftheprincesandotherfeudalestates，allmines，pits，etc。，shallbetransformedintostateproperty。Ontheseestates，agricultureistobeconductedonaverylargescaleandwiththemostmodernscientificmeansforthebenefitofallsociety。
8。Mortgagesonpeasantholdingsshallbedeclaredstateproperty；
interestonsuchmortgagesshallbepaidbythepeasantstothestate。
9。Inthedistrictswheretenantfarmingisdeveloped，landrentorfarmingduesshallbepaidtothestateasatax。
11。Allmeansoftransport：railway，canals，steamships，roads，post，etc。，shallbetakenoverbythestate。Theyaretobeconvertedintostatepropertyandputatthedisposalofthenon—possessingclassfreeofcharge。
14。Limitationoftherightofinheritance。
15。Introductionofasteeplygradedprogressivetaxationandabolitionoftaxesonconsumergoods。
16。Establishmentofnationalworkshops。Thestateshallguaranteealivingtoallworkersandprovideforthoseunabletowork。
17。Universalfreeelementaryeducation。
ItisintheinterestoftheGermanproletariat，ofthepetiteBourgeoisieandpeasantry，toworkwithallpossibleenergytoputtheabovemeasuresthrough。ForonlybytheireducationcanthemillionsinGermany，whouptonowhavebeenexploitedbyasmallnumberofpeopleandwhomitwillbeattemptedtokeepinfurthersubjection，gettheirrightsandthepowerthataretheirdueastheproducersofallwealth。
TheCommittee：KarlMarx，KarlSchapper，H。Bauer，F。Engels，J。Moll，W。WolffAtthattimethecrazeforrevolutionarylegionsprevailedniParis。Spaniards，Italians，Belgians，Dutch，PolesandGermansflockedtogetherincrowdstoliberatetheirrespectivefatherlands。TheGermanlegionwasledbyHerwegh，Bornsted，Bornstein。Sinceimmediatelyaftertherevolutionallforeignworkersnotonlylosttheirjobsbutinadditionwereharassedbythepublic，theinfluxintotheselegionswasverygreat。thenewgovernmentsawinthemameansofgettingridofforeignworkersandgrantedthem_l’etapedusoldat_，thatis，quartersalongtheirlineofmarchandamarchingallowanceof50centimesperdayuptothefrontier，whereaftertheeloquentLamartine，theForeignMinisterwhowassoreadilymovedtotears，quicklyfoundanopportunityofbetrayingthemtotheirrespectivegovernments。
Weopposedthisplayingwithrevolutioninthemostdecisivefashion。Tocarryaninvasion，whichwastoimporttherevolutionforciblyfromoutside，intothemidstofthefermentthengoingoninGermany，meanttounderminetherevolutioninGermanyitself，tostrengthenthegovernmentsandtodeliverthelegionnaires——Lamartineguaranteedforthat——defencelessintothehandsoftheGermantroops。
WhensubsequentlytherevolutionwasvictoriousinViennaandBerlin，thelegionbecameallthemorepurposeless；butoncebegun，thegamewascontinued。
WefoundedaGermancommunistclub，inwhichweadvisedtheworkerstokeepawayfromthelegionandtoreturninsteadtotheirhomessinglyandworkthereforthemovement。OuroldfriendFlocon，whohadaseatintheProvisionalGovernment，obtainedfortheworkerssentbyusthesametravelfacilitiesashadbeengrantedtothelegionnaires。InthiswaywereturnedthreeorfourhundredworkerstoGermany，includingthegreatmajorityoftheLeaguemembers。
Ascouldeasilybeforeseen，theLeagueprovedtobemuchtooweakaleverasagainstthepopularmassmovementthathadnowbrokenout。
Three—quartersoftheLeaguememberswhohadpreviouslylivedabroadhadchangedtheirdomicilebyreturningtotheirhomeland；theirpreviouscommunitieswerethustoagreatextentdissolvedandtheylostallcontactwiththeLeague。Onepart，themoreambitiousamongthem，didnoteventrytoresumethiscontact，buteachonebeganasmallseparatemovementonhisownaccountinhisownlocality。Finally，theconditionsineachseparatepettystate，eachprovinceandeachtownweresodifferentthattheLeaguewouldhavebeenincapableofgivingmorethanthemostgeneraldirectives；suchdirectiveswere，however，muchbetterdisseminatedthroughthepress。Inshort，fromthemomentwhenthecauseswhichhadmadethesecretLeaguenecessaryceasedtoexist，thesecretLeagueassuchceasedtomeananything。ButthiscouldleastofallsurprisethepersonswhohadjuststrippedthissamesecretLeagueofthelastvestigeofitsconspiratorialcharacter。
That，however，theLeaguehadbeenanexcellentschoolforrevolutionaryactivitywasnowdemonstrated。OntheRhine，wherethe_NeueRheinischeZeitung_providedafirmcentre，inNassau，inRhenishHesse，etc。，everywheremembersoftheLeaguestoodattheheadoftheextremedemocraticmovement。ThesamewasthecaseinHamburg。InSouthgermanythepredominanceofpetty—bourgeoisdemocracystoodintheway。InBreslau，WilhelmWolffwasactivewithgreatsuccessuntilthesummerof1848；inadditionhereceivedaSilesianmandateasanalternaterepresentativeintheFrankfortparliament。Finally，thecompositorStephanBorn，whohadworkedinBrusselsandParisasanactivememberoftheLeague，foundedaWorkers’BrotherhoodinBerlinwhichbecamefairlywidespreadandexisteduntil1850。Born，averytalentedyoungman，who，however，wasabittoomuchinahurrytobecomeapoliticalfigure，\"fraternized\"withthemostmiscellaneousragtagandbobtailinordertogetacrowdtogether，andwasnotatallthemanwhocouldbringunityintotheconflictingtendencies，lightintothechaos。Consequently，intheofficialpublicationsoftheassociationtheviewsrepresentedinthe_CommunistManifesto_weremingledhodge—podgewithguildrecollectionsandguildaspirations，fragmentsofLouisBlancandProudhon，protectionism，etc。；inshort，theywantedtopleaseeverybody[allenallessein]。Inparticular，strikes，tradeunionsandproducers’co—operativesweresetgoinganditwasforgottenthataboveallitwasaquestionoffirstconquering，bymeansofpoliticalvictories，thefieldinwhichalonesuchthingscouldberealizedonalastingbasis。When，afterwards，thevictoriesofthereactionmadetheleadersoftheBrotherhoodrealizethenecessityoftakingadirectpartintherevolutionarystruggle，theywerenaturallyleftinthelurchbytheconfusedmasswhichtheyhadgroupedaroundthemselves。BorntookpartintheDresdenuprisinginMay，1849andhadaluckyescape。But，incontrasttothegreatpoliticalmovementoftheproletariat，theWorkers’Brotherhoodprovedtobeapure_Sonderbund_
[separateleague]，whichtoalargeextentexistedonlyonpaperandplayedsuchasubordinaterolethatthereactiondidnotfinditnecessarytosuppressituntil1850，anditssurvivingbranchesuntilseveralyearslater。Born，whoserealnamewasButtermilch，hasnotbecomeabigpoliticalfigurebutapettySwissprofessor，whonolongertranslatesMarxintoguildlanguagebutthemeekRenanintohisownfulsomeGerman。
WithJune13，1849，thedefeatoftheMayinsurrectionsinGermanyandthesuppressionoftheHungarianrevolutionbytheRussians，agreatperiodofthe1848Revolutioncametoaclose。Butthevictoryofthereactionwasasyetbynomeansfinal。Areorganziationofthescatteredrevolutionaryforceswasrequired，andhencealsooftheLeague。Thesituationagainforbade，asin1848，anyopenorganizationoftheproletariat；henceonehadtoorganizeagaininsecret。
Intheautumnof1849，mostofthememberofthepreviouscentralcommitteesandcongressesgatheredagaininLondon。TheonlyonesstillmissingwereSchapper，whowasjailedinWiesbadenbutcameafterhisacquittal，inthespringof1850，andMoll，who，afterhehadaccomplishedaseriesofmostdangerousmissionsandagitationaljourneys——intheendherecruitedmountedgunnersforthePalatinateartilleryrightinthemidstofthePrussianarmyintheRhineProvince——joinedtheBesanconworkers’companyofWillich’scorpsandwaskilledbyashotintheheadduringtheencounterattheMurginfrontoftheRotenfelsBridge。Ontheotherhand，Willichnowentereduponthescene。WillichwasoneofthosesentimentalCommunistssocommoninWesternGermanysince1845，whoonthataccountalonewasinstinctively，furtivelyantagonistictoourcriticaltendency。Morethanthat，hewasentirelytheprophet，convincedofhispersonalmissionasthepredestinedliberatoroftheGermanproletariatandassuchadirectclaimantasmuchtopoliticalastomilitarydictatorship。Thus，totheprimitiveChristianCommunismpreviouslypreachedbyWeitlingwasaddedakindofcommunistIslam。However，thepropagandaofthisnewreligionwasforthefirsttimebeingrestrictedtotherefugeebarracksunderWillich’scommand。
Hence，theLeaguewasorganizedafresh；theAddressofmarch1850
wasissuedandHeinrichbauersentasanemissarytoGermany。TheAddress，composedbyMarxandmyself，isstillofinteresttoday，becausepetite—bourgeoisdemocracyisevennowthepartywhichmustcertainlybethefirsttocometopowerinGermanyasthesaviorofsocietyfromthecommunistworkersontheoccassionofthenextEuropeanupheavalnowsoondue（theEuropeanrevolutions，1815，1830，1848—52，1870，haveoccurredatintervalsof15to18yearsinourcentury）。
Muchofwhatissaidthereis，therefore，stillapplicabletoday。
Heinrichbauer’smissionwascrownedwithcompletesuccess。Thetrustylittleshoemakerwasaborndiplomat。HebroughttheformermembersoftheLeague，whohadpartlybecomelaggardsandpartlywereactingontheirownaccount，backintotheactiveorganization，andparticularlyalsothethenleadersoftheWorkers’Brotherhood。TheLeaguebegantoplaythedominantroleintheworkers’，peasants’andathleticassociationstoafargreaterextentthanbefore1848，sothatthenextquarterlyaddresstothecommunities，inJune1850，couldalreadyreportthatthestudentSchurzfromBonn（lateronAmericanex—minister），whowastouringGermanyintheinterestofpetty—bourgeoisdemocracy，\"hadfoundallfitforcesalreadyinthehandsoftheLeague\"。TheLeaguewasundoutbedlytheonlyrevolutionaryorganizationthathadanysignificanceinGermany。
Butwhatpurposethisorganizationshouldservedependedverysubstantiallyonwhethertheprospectsofarenewedupsurgeoftherevolutionwererealized。Andinthecourseoftheyear1850thisbecamemoreandmoreimprobable，indeedimpossible。Theindustrialcrisisof1847，whichhadpavedthewayfortheRevolutionof1848，hadbeenovercome；anew，unprecedentedperiodofindustrialprosperityhadsetin；whoeverhadeyestoseeandusedthemmusthaveclearlyrealizedthattherevolutionarystormof1848wasgraduallyspendingitself。
\"Withthisgeneralprosperity，inwhichtheproductiveforcesofbourgeoissocietydevelopasluxuriantlyasisatallpossiblewithinbourgeoisrelationships，_therecanbenotalkofarealrevolution_。Sucharevolutionisonlypossibleintheperiodswhenboththesefactors，themodernproductiveforcesandthebourgeoisproductiveforms，comeincollisionwitheachother。
Thevariousquarrelsinwhichtherepresentativesoftheindustrialfactionsofthecontinentalpartyofordernowindulgeandmutuallycompromisethemselves，farfromprovidingtheoccassionfornewrevolutionsare，onthecontrary，possibleonlybecausethebasisoftherelationshipsismomentarilysosecureand，whatthereactiondoesnotknow，so_bourgeois_。Fromitallattemptsofthereactiontoholdupbourgeoisdevelopment_willreboundjustascertainlyasallmoralindignationandallenthusiasticproclamationsofthedemocrats_\"。
ThusMarxandIwroteinthe\"RevueofMaytoOctober1850\"inthe_NeueRheinischeZeitung_，_Politisch—okonomischeRevue_，Nos。VandVI，Hamburg，1850，p。153。
Thiscoolestimationofthesituation，however，wasregardedasheresyamongmanypersons，atatimewhenLedru—Rollin，LouisBlanc，Mazzini，Kossuthand，amongthelesserGermanlights，Ruge，Kinkel，GoggandtherestofthemcrowdedinLondontoformprovisionalgovernmentsofthefuturenotonlyfortheirrespectivefatherlandsbutforthewholeofEurope，andwhentheonlystillstillnecessarywastoobtaintherequisitemoneyfromAmericaasaloanfortherevolutiontorealizeatamoment’snoticetheEuropeanrevolutionandthevariousrepublicswhichwentwithitwasamatterofcourse。CananyonebesurprisedthatamanlikeWillichwastakeninbythis，thatSchapper，actingonhisoldrevolutionaryimpulse，alsoallowedhimselftobefooled，andthatthemajorityoftheLondonworkers，toalargeextentrefugeesthemselves，followedthemintothecampofthebourgeois—democraticartificersofrevolution？Sufficeittosaythatthereservemaintainedbyuswasnottothemindofthesepeople；onewastoenterintothegameofmakingrevolutions。Wemostdecidedlyrefusedtodoso。A
splitensued；moreaboutthisistobereadinthe_Revelations_。ThencamethearrestofNothjung，followedbythatofHaupt，inHamburg。ThelatterturnedtraitorbydivulgingthenamesoftheCologneCentralCommitteeandbeingslatedasthechiefwitnessinthetrial；buthisrelativeshadnodesirestobethusdisgracedandbundledhimofftoRiodeJanerio，wherehelaterestablishedhimselfasabusinessmanandinrecognitionofhisserviceswasappointedfirstPrussianandthenGermanConsulGeneral。HeisnowagaininEurope。
[Engelsfootnote：SchapperinLondonattheendofthesixties。WillichtookpartintheAmericanCivilWarwithdistinction；hebecameBrigadier—GeneralandwasshotinthechestduringthebattleofMurfreesboro（Tennessee）butrecoveredanddiedabouttenyearsagoinAmerica。Oftheotherpersonsmentionedabove，IwillonlyremarkthatHeinrichBauerwaslosttrackofinAustralia，andthatWeitlingandEwerbeckdiedinAmerica。]
Forabetterunderstandingofthe_Revelations_，IgivethelistoftheCologneaccused：
（1）P。G。Roser，cigarmaker；
（2）HeinrichBurgers，wholaterdiedaprogressivedeputytotheLandtag；
（3）PeterNothjung，tailor，whodiedafewyearsagoaphotographerinBreslau；
（4）W。J。Reiff；
（5）Dr。HermannBecker，nowchiefburgomasterofCologneandmemberoftheUpperHouse；
（6）Dr。RolandDaniels，physician，whodiedafewyearsafterthetrialasaresultoftuberculosiscontractedinprison；
（7）KarlOtto，chemist；
（8）Dr。AbrahamJacoby，nowphysicianinNewYork；
（9）Dr。I。J。Klein，nowphysicianandtowncouncillorinCologne；
（10）FerdinandFreiligrath，who，however，wasatthattimealreadyinLondon；
（11）I。L。Ehrhard，clerk；
（12）FriedrichLessner，tailor，nowinLondon。
AfterapublictrailbeforeajurylastingfromOctober4toNovember12，1852，thefollowingweresentencedforattemptedhightreason：
Roser，BurgersandNothjungtosix，Reiff，OttoandBeckertofive，andLessnertothreeyears’confinementinafortress；Daniels，Klein，JacobyandEhrhardwereacquitted。
WiththeColognetrialthefirstperiodoftheGermancommunistworkers’movementcomestoanend。ImmediatelyafterthesentencewedissolvedourLeague；afewmonthslatertheWillich—Schapperseparateleaguewasalsolaidtoeternalrest。
*
Awholegenerationliesbetweenthenandnow。AtthattimeGermanywasacountryofhandicraftandofdomesticindustrybasedonhandlabor；nowitisabigindustrialcountrystillundergoingcontinualindustrialtransformation。Atthattimeonehadtoseekoutonebyonetheworkerswhohadanunderstandingoftheirpositionasworkersandoftheirhistorico—economicantagonismtocapital，becausethisantagonismitselfwasonlyjustbeginningtodevelop。TodaytheentireGermanproletariathastobeplacedunderexceptionallaws，merelyinordertoslowdownalittletheprocessofitsdevelopmenttofullconsciousnessofitspositionasanoppressedclass。Atthattimethefewpersonswhosemindshadpenetratedtotherealizationofthehistoricalroleoftheproletariathadtoforgatherinsecret，toassembleclandestinelyinsmallcommunitiesof3to20persons。TodaytheGermanproletariatnolongerneedsanyofficialorganization，eitherpublicorsecret。Thesimpleself—evidentinterconnectionoflike—mindedclasscomradessuffices，withoutanyrules，boards，resolutionsorothertangibleforms，toshakethewholeGermanEmpiretoitsfoundations。BismarckisthearbiterofEuropebeyondthefrontiersofGermany，butwithinthemtheregrowsdailymorethreateningtheathleticfigureoftheGermanproletariatthatMarxforesawalreadyin1844，thegiantforwhomthecrampedimperialedificedesignedtofitthephilistineisevennowbecominginadequateandwhosemightystatureandbroadshoulderaregrowinguntilthemomentcomeswhenbymerelyrisingfromhisseathewillshatterthewholestructureoftheimperialconstitutionintofragments。Andstillmore。TheinternationalmovementoftheEuropeanandAmericanproletariathasbecomesomuchstrengthenedthatnotmerelyitsfirstnarrowform——thesecretLeague——butevenitssecond，infinitelywiderform——theopenInternationalWorkingMen’sAssociation——hasbecomeafetterforit，andthatthesimplefeelingofsolidaritybasedontheunderstandingoftheidentityofclasspositionsufficestocreateandtoholdtogetheroneandthesamegreatpartyoftheproletariatamongtheworkersofallcountriesandtongues。
thedoctrineswhichtheLeaguerepresentedfrom1847to1852，andwhichatthattimecouldbetreatedbythewisephilistineswithashrugoftheshouldersasthehallucinationsofuttermadcaps，asthesecretdoctrineofafewscatteredsectarians，hasnowinnumerableadherentsinallcivilizedcountriesoftheworld，amongthosecondemnedtotheSiberianminesasmuchasamongthegolddiggersofCalifornia；andthefounderofthisdoctrine，themosthated，mostslanderedmanofhistime，KarlMarx，was，whenhedied，theever—sought—forandever—willingcounselloroftheproletariatofboththeoldandthenewworld。