卡爾·馬剋思，全名卡爾·海因裏希·馬剋思（德語：Karl Heinrich Marx，1818年5月5日－1883年3月14日），馬剋思主義的創始人之一，第一國際的組織者和領導者，馬剋思主義政黨的締造者，全世界無産階級和勞動人民的革命導師，無産階級的精神領袖，國際共産主義運動的開創者。

弗裏德裏希·恩格斯（Friedrich Engels，1820年11月28日－1895年8月5日），德國思想傢、哲學傢、革命傢、教育傢，軍事理論傢，全世界無産階級和勞動人民的偉大導師，馬剋思主義創始人之一。恩格斯是卡爾·馬剋思的摯友，被譽為“第二提琴手”，他為馬剋思從事學術研究提供大量經濟支持。馬剋思逝世後，將馬剋思遺留下的大量手稿、遺著整理齣版，並眾望所歸地成為國際工人運動的領袖。

A sensation since it debuted in 1848, The Communist Manifesto is one of the most important political texts ever written. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were German theorists who, by the mid-nineteenth century, felt that the time had come for working-class people to rebel against the wealthier ruling classes. A more just and equitable political system was needed, and Marx and Engels believed they had the solution. In their Manifesto, Marx and Engels advise readers that change is looming over all of Europe in the form of communism. They outline the fundamental problems of European society and government, calling all who suffer under the current regime to action. Their work led to passionate uprisings and huge political changes, for better and for worse. Whether taken as a rallying cry or a historical document, The Communist Manifesto is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of political and social change.