Class Struggle, the struggle between classes (see Classes, Social) whose interests 42 are incompatible or are in contradiction with each other. It is the essential feature and the motive force of the development of all antagonistic socio-economic formations; it resolves the basic contradiction inherent in every antagonistic mode of production. Class struggle is instrumental for the transition from the old, outdated socio-economic system to the new and more progressive system. In pre-capitalist formations, it was predominantly spontaneous. It has reached its peak of development under capitalism, when it became conscious and organised. The inevitability of class struggle under capitalism stems from the inherent contradiction between the economic situation and political status of the two basic classes of bourgeois society— the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Only the working class, which is the most progressive and consistently revolutionary class in history, is able to abolish private property and the exploitation of man by man, and to build a communist society. The proletariat’s vital interests are in line with the progressive development of society and the interests of all working people. Therefore, the struggle of the working class and of all the working people headed by it against the dominance of the bourgeoisie results not only in the abolition of the capitalist mode of production, but also creates the conditions for the ultimate disappearance of classes and class struggle. The working class creates its own trade unions and political parties. The Marxist-Leninist party plays an immensely important role in the class struggle of the proletariat, arms it with a scientific understanding of its vital class interests, and shows the ways for attaining its objectives. The proletariat’s struggle against capitalism may assume three main forms: economic, political and ideological. The economic struggle is aimed at higher wages, shorter working hours, against the excessive intensification of labour, etc. While counteracting the tendency of the impoverishment of the proletariat, it helps shape the class solidarity and class consciousness of the workers, but is not enough to liberate them from the slavery of wage labour. It is the political struggle, waged primarily for attaining the common, class interests of the proletariat, that is the main and decisive form of class struggle. It is the struggle against the political domination of the bourgeoisie, for establishing the power of the working class, which is the only possible way for the proletariat to satisfy its vital economic and political interests, and to rebuild society on a socialist foundation. The struggle for power requires the consolidation of the working class not only nationally, but internationally as well, and the unity of international communist movement. The purpose of the ideological struggle is to liberate the working class from the influence of bourgeois ideology, to educate its members in the spirit of Marxism-Leninism, develop in them hostility to bourgeois ideology, reformism and revisionism. At present, when the general crisis of capitalism is becoming increasingly acute, the world socialist system has come into existence and the scientific and technological revolution is under way, the struggle of the working class against exploitation and monopoly domination, for democracy and socialism is gaining momentum, and is becoming broader and more organised, with its social base progressively expanding. There are more and more strikers in the developed capitalist countries. The class struggle at present is characterised by the closely intertwined economic and political struggle, reflected in the broadening range of socioeconomic demands, including the demand for democratic nationalisation of key industries, the establishment of trade union control over the activities of enterprises, etc. Acting in union with all democratic forces, the working class is able to impose certain limitations on the monopolies’ omnipotence in the economy, as well as certain political and economic reforms which can create increasingly favourable conditions for the struggle for socialism. The working class in the developing countries, as it grows and becomes more organised, consolidates its union with the working peasantry and other strata of the working people, intensifying its struggle against capitalist and other forms of exploitation, and for complete national and social liberation. The working class of the capitalist and socialist countries 43 supports the peoples struggling for liberation. In the period of transition from capitalism to socialism the working class, once it has won political power in alliance with the labouring peasantry and other strata of the working people which it leads, wages a class struggle against the overthrown exploiter classes and the international bourgeoisie supporting them, answering the question "who will win?" in favour of socialism. The struggle is aimed at eliminating the exploiter classes, for the socialist transformation of society and the victory of socialism. Other objectives of this struggle are to consolidate the alliance of the working class with non-proletarian working people, to oppose bourgeois attempts to put ideological and political pressure on the non-proletarian working masses, to reeducate them on socialist principles and root out the survivals of the past from people’s consciousness and behaviour, to establish the new socialist discipline and organisation, and to bring up the working people in the spirit of the new attitude towards labour. In the modern epoch the class struggle is waged not only within the capitalist world; it extends to the international arena as a struggle between the world capitalist and socialist systems, led in the form of economic competition, ideological struggle, etc. This does not mean, however, that this struggle should evolve into war between countries. The socialist countries consistently work to promote peaceful coexistence between states with different social systems.