Workers of the world, unite!

The political slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" is one of the rallying cries from The Communist Manifesto (1848)^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (German: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!, literally 'Proletarians of all countries, unite!',^[5] but soon popularised in English as "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!").^[5]^{[note 1]}

A variation of this phrase ("Workers of all lands, unite") is also inscribed on Marx's tombstone.^[7] The essence of the slogan is that members of the working classes throughout the world should cooperate to defeat capitalism and achieve victory in the class conflict.^[8]

Overview

Five years before The Communist Manifesto, this phrase appeared in the 1843 book The Workers' Union by Flora Tristan.^[9]

The International Workingmen's Association, described by Engels as "the first international movement of the working class" was persuaded by Engels to change its motto from the League of the Just's "all men are brothers" to "working men of all countries, unite!".^[10] It reflected Marx's and Engels' view of proletarian internationalism.

The phrase has overlapping meanings: first, that workers should unite in unions to better push for their demands such as workplace pay and conditions;^[11]^{[better source needed]} secondly, that workers should see beyond their various craft unions and unite against the capitalist system;^[12] and thirdly, workers of different countries have more in common with each other than workers and employers of the same country.

The phrase was used by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in their publications and songs^[13]^[14] and was a mainstay on banners in May Day demonstrations. The IWW used it when opposing World War I in both the United States^[14] and Australia.^[15]

The slogan was the Soviet Union's state motto (Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!; Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes'!) and it appeared in the State Emblem of the Soviet Union. It also appeared on 1919 Russian SFSR banknotes (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Russian),^[16] on Soviet ruble coins from 1921 to 1934^[17] and was the slogan of Soviet newspaper Pravda.^[18]

Some socialist and communist parties continue using it.^[19]^{[failed verification]}

Variations

In the first Swedish translation of The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848, the translator Pehr Götrek substituted the slogan with Folkets röst, Guds röst! (i.e. Vox populi, vox Dei, or "The Voice of the People, the Voice of God"). However, later translations have included the original slogan.^[20]

The guiding motto of the 2nd Comintern congress in 1920, under Lenin's directive, was "Workers and oppressed peoples of all countries, unite!".^[21] This denoted the anti-colonialist agenda of the Comintern, and was seen as an attempt to unite racially-subjugated black people and the global proletariat in anti-imperialist struggle.^[21]

In other languages

This slogan was used by several socialist states and communist parties as their official motto.

Motto of the Soviet Union

In each Soviet republic, the same motto was used in the local language.

Language	Motto	Transliteration	Used by
Russian	Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!	Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes'! (BGN/PCGN) Proletarii vseh stran, soědinäjteś! (Scientific)	Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Ukrainian	Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся!	Proletarii vsikh krayin, yednaytesya! (BGN/PCGN) Proletari vsich kraïn, jednajtesä! (Scientific)	Ukrainian SSR
Byelorussian	Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся!	Pralyetarye, wsikh krain, yadnaytsesya! (BGN/PCGN) Pralětaryi wsich krain, jadnajcěsya! (Scientific)	Byelorussian SSR
Uzbek	Бутун дунё пролетарлари, бирлашингиз!	Butun dunyo proletarlari, birlashingiz!/Butun dunyo proletarlari, birlaşingiz!	Uzbek SSR
Kazakh	Барлық елдердің пролетарлары, бірігіңдер!	Barlıq yelderdiñ proletarları, birigiñder!	Kazakh SSR
Georgian	პროლეტარებო ყველა ქვეყნისა, შეერთდით!	Proletarebo qvela kveqnisa, šeertdit!	Georgian SSR
Azerbaijani	Бүтүн өлкәләрин пролетарлары, бирләшин!	Bütün ölkələrin proletarları, birləşin!	Azerbaijan SSR, Dagestan ASSR
Lithuanian	Visų šalių proletarai, vienykitės!		Lithuanian SSR
Romanian (Moldovan Cyrillic)	Пролетарь дин тоате цэриле, уници-вэ!	Proletari din toate țările, uniți-vă!	Moldavian SSR
Latvian	Visu zemju proletārieši, savienojieties!		Latvian SSR
Kirghiz	Бардык өлкөлордүн пролетарлары, бириккиле!	Bardıq ölkölordün proletarları, birikkile!	Kirghiz SSR
Tajik	Пролетарҳои ҳамаи мамлакатҳо, як шавед!	Proletarhoi hamai mamlakatho, yak šaved!	Tajik SSR
Armenian	Պրոլետարներ բոլոր երկրների, միացե՛ք	Proletarner bolor yerkrneri, miac’ek’!	Armenian SSR Nagorno-Karabakh AO
Turkmen	Әхли юртларың пролетарлары, бирлешиң!	Ähli ýurtlaryň proletarlary, birleşiň!/Ähli yurtlarıñ proletarları, birleşiñ!	Turkmen SSR
Estonian	Kõigi maade proletaarlased, ühinege!		Estonian SSR

Abkhaz	Атәылаӄуа зегьы рпролетарцәа, шәҽеидышәкыл!	Atwylaqwa zeğy rproletarcwa, šwč’eidyšwkyl!	Abkhaz ASSR
Avar	Киналго улкабазул пролетарал, цолъе нуж!	Kinalgo ulkabazul proletaral, col’e nuž!	Dagestan ASSR
Bashkir	Бөтә илдәрҙең пролетарийҙәре, берләшегеҙ!	Böte ilderceń proletariycäre, berläşegec!	Bashkir ASSR
Buryat	Бүхы оронуудай пролетаринар, нэгэдэгты!	Bühy oronuudaj proletarinar, negedegty!	Buryat ASSR
Chechen	Массо а мехкийн пролетареш, цхьанакхета!	Masso a mexkiyn proletareş, cx’anakxeta!	Checheno-Ingush ASSR Dagestan ASSR
Chuvash	Пӗтӗм тӗнчери пролетарисем, пӗрлешӗр!	Pétém ténçeri proletarisem, pérleşér!	Chuvash ASSR
Crimean Tatar	Бютюн мемлекетлерининъ пролетарлары, бирлешинъиз!	Bütün memleketleriniñ proletarları, birleşiñiz!	Crimean ASSR
Erzya	Весе масторонь пролетарийть, вейсэндяводо!	Vese mastoroń proletarijt`, vejsendjavodo!	Mordovian ASSR
Finnish	Kaikkien maiden proletaarit, liittykää yhteen!		Karelo-Finnish SSR, Karelian ASSR
Ingush	Масса а мехкашкара пролетареш вӀашагӀкхета!	Massa a mexkaškara proletareš vwašağxeta!	Checheno-Ingush ASSR
Kabardian	Хэгъэгу пстэухэм япролетариехэр, зы шъухъу!	Xeğegu psteuxem japroletariěxer, zy š’uhu!	Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR
Kalmyk	Цуг-орн нутгудын пролетармуд, негдцхәтн!	Cug-orn nutgudyn proletarmud, negdchâtn!	Kalmyk ASSR
Karachay-Balkar	Бютеу дунияны пролетарлары, бирлешигиз!	Büteu duniyanı proletarları, birleşigiz!	Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR
Karakalpak	Барлык еллердин пролетарлары, бирлесиниз!	Barlık ellerdin proletarları, birlesiniz!	Karakalpak ASSR
Komi	Став мувывса пролетарийяс, oтувтчӧй!	Stav muvyvsa proletarijjas, otuvtčöj!	Komi ASSR
Mari	Чыла элласе пролетарий-влак, ушныза!	Çyla ellase proletarij-vlak, uşnyza!	Mari ASSR
Moksha	Сембе масторонь пролетариятне, пуромода марс!	Sembe mastoroń proletarijatne, puromoda mars!	Mordovian ASSR
Ossetian	Ӕппӕт бӕстӕты пролетартӕ баиу ут!	Áppát bástáty proletartá baiu ut!	North Ossetian ASSR South Ossetian AO
Sakha	Бары дойдулар пролетарийдара, холбоһуҥ!	Barı doydular proletariydara, xolbohuň!	Yakut ASSR
Tat	Пролетарьой гьеме билеетгьо, ек бошти!	Proletar'oy heme bileetho, ek boşti!	Dagestan ASSR
Tatar	Барлык илләрнең пролетарийлары, берләшегез!	Barlıq illärneñ proletariyları, berläşegez!	Tatar ASSR
Tuvan	Бүгү делегейниң пролетарлары, каттыжыңар!	Bügü delegeyniñ proletarları, kattıjıñar!	Tuvan ASSR
Udmurt	Вань странаосысь пролетарийёс, огазеяське!	Vań stranaosyś proletarijjos, ogazejaśke!	Udmurt ASSR

Motto of other countries

Language	Motto	Transliteration	Used by
Albanian	Proletarë të të gjitha vendeve, bashkohuni!		Albania
Bulgarian	Пролетарии от всички страни съединявайте се!	Proletárii ot vsíchki straní, sǎеdinyávaite se!	Bulgaria
Chinese	全世界無産階級和被壓迫的民族聯合起來！^{[note 2]}	Quánshìjiè wúchǎnjiējí hé bèi yāpò de mínzú liánhé qǐlai!	Chinese Soviet Republic
Czech	Proletáři všech zemí, spojte se!		Czechoslovakia
Dari	کارگران جهان متحد شوید!	Kârgarân-e jahân mottahed šavid!	Afghanistan
French	Prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous !		Benin, Madagascar
German	Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!		East Germany, Volga German ASSR
Hungarian	Világ proletárjai, egyesüljetek!		Hungarian People's Republic, Hungarian Soviet Republic
Malagasy	Mpiasa eran'izao tontolo izao, mampiray!		Madagascar
Mongolian	Орон бүрийн пролетари нар нэгдэгтүн!	Oron büriin proletari nar negdegtün!	Mongolia
Polish	Proletariusze wszystkich krajów, łączcie się!		Polish People's Republic
Romanian	Proletari din toate țările, uniți-vă!		Romania
Slovak	Proletári všetkých krajín, spojte sa!		Czechoslovakia, Slovak Soviet Republic
Tuvan	Бүгү телегейниң пролетарлары болгаш дарлаткан араттары каттыжыңар!	Pygy delegejniꞑ вroledarlarь polgaş tarladkan araddarь kaddьƶьꞑar!	Tuvan People's Republic

Motto of communist parties

The English phrase and its variants (the variant "All power to the workers" is used by some parties such as the Communist Party of Australia) are used by communist parties in the English-speaking world. The list below does not include the mottos of communist parties of the above countries or in languages listed above.

Language	Motto	Transliteration	Used by	Active in
Arabic	يا عمال العالم ويا شعوبه المضطهدة، اتحدوا!	Ya ‘ummāla l-‘ālami wa yā shu‘ūbahu l-muṭṭahada, ittaḥidū!	Jordanian Communist Party	Jordan
Bengali	দুনিয়ার মজদুর, এক হও!	Duniẏar môjdur, ek hôo!	Communist Party of Bangladesh	Bangladesh
Greek	Προλετάριοι όλων των χωρών, ενωθείτε!	Proletárioi ólon ton chorón, enothíte!	Communist Party of Greece	Greece
Indonesian	Para buruh seluruh dunia, bersatulah!		Communist Party of Indonesia	Indonesia
Macedonian	Пролетери од сите земји, обединете се!	Proleteri od site zemji, obedinete se!	League of Communists of Macedonia	Yugoslavia
Malay	Kaum buruh semua negeri, bersatulah!		Malayan Communist Party	Malaysia
Serbo-Croatian	Пролетери свих земаља уједините се!	Proleteri svih zemalja, ujedinite se!	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Yugoslavia
Slovene	Proletarci vseh dežel, združite se!		League of Communists of Slovenia	Yugoslavia
Tagalog	Manggagawa ng lahat ng bansa, magkaisa!		Communist Party of the Philippines	Philippines
Turkish	Bütün ülkelerin işçileri ve ezilen halklar, birleşin!^[a]		Socialist Liberation Party	Turkey

Notes

^ The final paragraph of The Communist Manifesto was translated by Samuel Moore as follows: "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!". This translation is the authorized translation by Marx and Engels and is the most commonly used version in English.^[6]
^ This is not the usual modern Chinese translation of the slogan. The most common one nowadays is 全世界無産者，聯合起來！ (Quánshìjiè wúchǎnzhě, liánhé qǐlái!)

^ Literally "Workers of all countries and oppressed people, unite!

References

^ Gabrijela Kišiček; Igor Ž. Žagar (3 October 2013). What Do We Know About the World?: Rhetorical and Argumentative Perspectives. University of Windsor. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-920233-70-2. One of the most famous rallying cries of communism Workers of the world, unite!
^ Simon Levis Sullam (21 October 2015). Giuseppe Mazzini and the Origins of Fascism. Palgrave Macmillan US. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-137-51459-2. only a few years later, would give the famous rallying cry Workers of t...
^ Edward R. Kantowicz (1999). The Rage of Nations. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8028-4455-2. titled The Communist Manifesto, which contained the famous rallying cry: "Workers of the w...
^ Ronald Niezen (15 April 2008). A World Beyond Difference: Cultural Identity in the Age of Globalization. John Wiley & Sons. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-4051-3710-2. The famous rallying cry from The Communist Manifesto, "workers of the world unite!" was meant only to hasten the [...]
^ ^a ^b "Translator's note to the Communist Manifesto". Marxists.org. Marxist Internet Archive. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Marx, Karl; Engels, Friedrich (2002). Jones, Gareth Stedman (ed.). The Communist Manifesto (New ed.). London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-140-44757-6.
^ Wheen, Francis (2002). "Introduction". Karl Marx: A Life. New York: Norton.
^ Ayres, Robert U. (2023). The history and future of economics. Cham: Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-26208-1.
^ Marie M. Collins and Sylvie Weil-Sayre (1973). "Flora Tristan: Forgotten Feminist and Socialist". Nineteenth-Century French Studies. 1 (4): 229–234. JSTOR 23535978.
^ Lucia Pradella in 'The Elgar Companion to Marxist Economics.' Edited by Ben fine and Alfredo Saad-Filho, 2012, p.178.
^ Wiktionary, entry for "Workers of the World"
^ Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, 1848. [1]
^ Joseph Grim Feinberg, "The Gifts of the IWW," Against the Current 117, July–August 2005. [2]
^ ^a ^b Melvyn Dubofsky, We Shall Be All, Quadrangle Books, 1969.
^ Nick Armstrong, "The Industrial Workers of the World," Socialist Alternative, June 2005. [3]
^ Anderson, Joel. "RUSSIAN COINS AND CURRENCY". Interesting World Coins.
^ "Communist States: Russia and China". www.coinlands.com. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
^ Heritage, Timothy (4 May 2012). "Russia's Pravda hits 100, still urging workers to unite". Reuters. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
^ Thurston, Robert W.; Bonwetsch, Bernd (2000). The People's War: Responses to World War II in the Soviet Union (illustrated ed.). University of Illinois Press. p. 64. ISBN 9780252026003. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
^ Götrek, Pehr (1848). Kommunismens röst : förklaring af det kommunistiska partiet, offentliggjord i februari 1848. Pogo Press. ISBN 91-7386-018-2.. libris 7639421. reprint of libris 2683080.
^ ^a ^b Pateman, Joe (2 January 2020). "V. I. Lenin on the 'Black Question'". Critique. 48 (1): 77–93. doi:10.1080/03017605.2019.1706786. ISSN 0301-7605. S2CID 213348492. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

External links

Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Translated by Samuel Moore in cooperation with Frederick Engels, 1888.
- Chapter 4 of The Communist Manifesto.
Collection of Quotes by Karl Marx

[7] The final paragraph of The Communist Manifesto was translated by Samuel Moore as follows: "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!". This translation is the authorized translation by Marx and Engels and is the most commonly used version in English.^[6]

[23] This is not the usual modern Chinese translation of the slogan. The most common one nowadays is 全世界無産者，聯合起來！ (Quánshìjiè wúchǎnzhě, liánhé qǐlái!)

[24] Literally "Workers of all countries and oppressed people, unite!

[KišičekŽagar2013-1] Gabrijela Kišiček; Igor Ž. Žagar (3 October 2013). What Do We Know About the World?: Rhetorical and Argumentative Perspectives. University of Windsor. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-920233-70-2. One of the most famous rallying cries of communism Workers of the world, unite!

[Sullam2015-2] Simon Levis Sullam (21 October 2015). Giuseppe Mazzini and the Origins of Fascism. Palgrave Macmillan US. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-137-51459-2. only a few years later, would give the famous rallying cry Workers of t...

[Kantowicz1999-3] Edward R. Kantowicz (1999). The Rage of Nations. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8028-4455-2. titled The Communist Manifesto, which contained the famous rallying cry: "Workers of the w...

[Niezen2008-4] Ronald Niezen (15 April 2008). A World Beyond Difference: Cultural Identity in the Age of Globalization. John Wiley & Sons. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-4051-3710-2. The famous rallying cry from The Communist Manifesto, "workers of the world unite!" was meant only to hasten the [...]

[Communist_Manifesto_Chapter_IV-5] "Translator's note to the Communist Manifesto". Marxists.org. Marxist Internet Archive. Retrieved 14 February 2015.

[6] Marx, Karl; Engels, Friedrich (2002). Jones, Gareth Stedman (ed.). The Communist Manifesto (New ed.). London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-140-44757-6.

[wh1-8] Wheen, Francis (2002). "Introduction". Karl Marx: A Life. New York: Norton.

[9] Ayres, Robert U. (2023). The history and future of economics. Cham: Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-26208-1.

[10] Marie M. Collins and Sylvie Weil-Sayre (1973). "Flora Tristan: Forgotten Feminist and Socialist". Nineteenth-Century French Studies. 1 (4): 229–234. JSTOR 23535978.

[11] Lucia Pradella in 'The Elgar Companion to Marxist Economics.' Edited by Ben fine and Alfredo Saad-Filho, 2012, p.178.

[12] Wiktionary, entry for "Workers of the World"

[13] Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, 1848. [1]

[14] Joseph Grim Feinberg, "The Gifts of the IWW," Against the Current 117, July–August 2005. [2]

[Melvyn_Dubofsky_1969-15] Melvyn Dubofsky, We Shall Be All, Quadrangle Books, 1969.

[16] Nick Armstrong, "The Industrial Workers of the World," Socialist Alternative, June 2005. [3]

[17] Anderson, Joel. "RUSSIAN COINS AND CURRENCY". Interesting World Coins.

[18] "Communist States: Russia and China". www.coinlands.com. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

[19] Heritage, Timothy (4 May 2012). "Russia's Pravda hits 100, still urging workers to unite". Reuters. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

[20] Thurston, Robert W.; Bonwetsch, Bernd (2000). The People's War: Responses to World War II in the Soviet Union (illustrated ed.). University of Illinois Press. p. 64. ISBN 9780252026003. Retrieved 19 March 2015.

[21] Götrek, Pehr (1848). Kommunismens röst : förklaring af det kommunistiska partiet, offentliggjord i februari 1848. Pogo Press. ISBN 91-7386-018-2.. libris 7639421. reprint of libris 2683080.

[Pateman-22] Pateman, Joe (2 January 2020). "V. I. Lenin on the 'Black Question'". Critique. 48 (1): 77–93. doi:10.1080/03017605.2019.1706786. ISSN 0301-7605. S2CID 213348492. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

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