Engels, Friedrich (1820–1890)

Friedrich Engels was born the eldest son of a textile industrialist in Braman, Germany. Engels's life is closely associated with another German national, Karl Marx. Together they wrote the highly influential work The Communist Manifesto (1848), a piece of literature which had a profound impact on politics and society in Russia, China, and other places in the 20th century.

As a young man, Engels was sent to Manchester, England, to manage a cotton factory that his father owned. Upon his arrival in the city, Engels was shocked to see the widespread poverty and poor living conditions endured by the working population. As the first industrial nation, England, with its towns and cities, saw the growth of manufacturing industry as progress, despite the often horrific social conditions ...