The "Union of Communists," an international workers' association, which in the existing conditions could only be secret, at the Congress held in London in November 1847, entrusted the undersigned to compile a detailed theoretical and practical program of the party, intended for publication.

Thus, the following Manifesto was born, the manuscript of which traveled to London to be printed, a few weeks before the February revolution. It was first published in German and was printed in at least twelve different editions in this language, in Germany, England, and America.

(. . .) [Excerpt from the preface text]