Socialism, Communism, Islamist: Historical Timeline
Four original, dated historical accounts follow political ideas into the decisions made by identifiable people. The subjects are not the same ideology: communist revolutionary theory, Bolshevik government, democratic socialism and an Islamist revolution developed in different settings, with different institutions and consequences.
Read the sequence chronologically or select a period below. Each account identifies the people involved, the decisions they made, their achievements and limitations, and what those decisions meant for the wider population.
Article 1 of 4 · 1848
1848: Marx, Engels & the Communist Manifesto
An industrial age, a revolutionary pamphlet and the long distance between political theory and power.
People: Karl Marx (1818–1883) & Friedrich Engels (1820–1895)
Article 2 of 4 · 1917–1921
1917–1921: Lenin, revolution & the cost of civil war
The seizure of power, the promised land and peace, and a civil war that brought repression and hunger.
People: Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924), Alexander Kerensky (1881–1970) & Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)
Article 3 of 4 · 1945–1951
1945–1951: Attlee, Labour & Britain’s welfare state
A democratic socialist program built a national health service while Britain faced debt, shortages and difficult choices.
People: Clement Attlee (1883–1967), Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960) & William Beveridge (1879–1963)
Article 4 of 4 · 1978–1979
1978–1979: Khomeini & Iran’s Islamic Revolution
A broad movement ended Iran’s monarchy; a struggle over the new constitution concentrated authority in religious institutions.
People: Ruhollah Khomeini (1902–1989), Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–1980) & Mehdi Bazargan (1907–1995)
These are historical accounts, not a claim that every socialist, communist, Islamic or Islamist movement is interchangeable. Sources are identified with each article.