Marxist theory posits that capitalism is inherently exploitative because it is based on the private ownership of the means of production and the extraction of surplus value from labor. Consequently, Marxists argue that true justice is impossible under capitalism, as the legal and political systems are designed to protect the interests of the ruling class.

The Communist Manifesto argues that the capitalist class will not relinquish power voluntarily. Consequently, Marx and Engels posited that the proletariat must engage in a revolutionary struggle to overthrow the existing bourgeois order. They explicitly stated that the attainment of their ends can only be achieved by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions, which necessitates the use of revolutionary and, by implication, violent methods to dismantle the capitalist state.

J.A. Hobson's 1902 work, 'Imperialism: A Study', is a foundational text in political economy. Hobson argued that imperialism was driven by the need for capital investment outlets for surplus wealth, rather than nationalistic fervor. His critique significantly influenced later Marxist theories of imperialism, particularly those developed by Lenin, who built upon Hobson's economic analysis of colonial expansion.

Marxist theory posits that the state is an instrument of class rule. It argues that the state emerged historically to protect the interests of the dominant economic class by suppressing and exploiting the subordinate classes, such as slaves in ancient societies or the proletariat under capitalism.

Marxist theory posits that the state is an instrument of class rule. While Marx and Engels famously argued that the state arises when class antagonisms become irreconcilable, the provided option highlights the foundational economic relationship of exploitation between capital and labor that necessitates the state's existence to protect the interests of the ruling class.

Marxist theory views the state not as a neutral arbiter of the common good, but as an instrument of class rule. It exists primarily to protect the economic and political interests of the ruling class, which owns the means of production, thereby maintaining the existing social hierarchy.

Karl Marx introduced the theory of surplus value in his critique of political economy, particularly in 'Das Kapital'. He argued that surplus value is the difference between the value produced by workers and the actual wages they receive, which is then appropriated by the capitalist class as profit. This concept is central to his analysis of exploitation within the capitalist mode of production.

During the Cold War era, the 'Second World' referred to the socialist-communist states, primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe. These nations were liberated from Nazi occupation by the Red Army and subsequently integrated into the Soviet sphere of influence, adopting command economies and centralized political systems aligned with Moscow's ideological and strategic objectives.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe that adopted communist governance were collectively known as the 'Socialist bloc' or the 'Eastern bloc'. This group was characterized by state-controlled economies, single-party political systems, and a shared ideological commitment to Marxism-Leninism, standing in direct opposition to the Western 'Capitalist bloc' led by the United States and its NATO allies.

Marxist theory posits that history is driven by class struggle, moving through various stages such as feudalism and capitalism. Marx argued that the inherent contradictions of capitalism would eventually lead to a proletarian revolution, resulting in the establishment of communism—a classless, stateless society where the means of production are collectively owned.