Communism: Overview Communism is the belief that everyone in a society should be equal and share their wealth. It is an outgrowth of socialism and Anabaptism (Laski 45). It became a firmly rooted term after the Russian Revolution of 1917. According to the words of Karl Marx, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" (monkeywrench@iww.org). These theories were spread by Karl Marx. He believed that what a person made of himself reflected his effort (McLellan 1). He also believed that communism, or the state of equality was ones "final stage in life" (Leone 1). Communism basically started in 1847, with the formation of the London Communist League. This was