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shall exist. The land is God’s and its fruits belong to all men in general.” One of his disciples, the
Marquis de Antonelle, a former member of the Revolutionary Tribunal, wrote: “The state of
communism is the only just, the only good one; without this state of things, no peaceful and
really happy societies can exist.”
In April, 1796, Babeuf wrote his Manifesto of the Equals, which was published under the title
Analysis of the Doctrine of Babeuf. In it he wrote:
“No more private property in land, the land belongs to no one ... the fruits of the earth
belong to everyone ... Vanish at last, revolting distinctions of rich and poor, of great and
small, of masters and servants, of governors and governed. Let there be no difference
between men than that of age and sex. Since all have the same needs and the same
faculties, let there be only one education, one kind of food. They content themselves with
one sun and air for all; why should not the same portion and the same quality of food
suffice for each of them...”
Under his plan, workers wouldn’t be paid in money, since the owning of personal property
would be abolished. Instead, payment would be made through the distribution of products. These
products, stored in communal warehouses, would be equally handed out. Another notable aspect
of his plan was that children would not be allowed to bear the name of their father, unless he was
a man of great importance.
Knowing that people would never allow such a communistic system, they never fully
revealed their plans. Instead, their propaganda centered on “equality among men” and “justice of
the people,” while they criticized the “greed” of the government. The working men didn’t fully
understand Babeuf’s doctrines, nevertheless, they praised his ideas.
In August, 1796, Babeuf and 45 leaders of his movement were arrested after the government
found out they were making preparations to lead a revolt of the people against them. They were
put on trial in a proceeding that lasted from February to May, 1797. The Illuminati was secretly
directing the Babouviste movement, and Babeuf testified that he was just an agent of the
conspiracy: “I attest they do for me too much honor in decorating me with the title of head of this
affair. I declare that I had only a secondary and limited part in it ... The heads and the leaders
needed a director of public opinion. I was in the position to enlist this opinion.” On May 28,
1797, Babeuf was hung, and many of his followers were deported.
Those who have studied the Russian Revolution have observed that there is little difference
between Babouvism and Bolshevism. The Third Internationale of Moscow in 1919, in its first
Manifesto, traced its descent from Babeuf. The Russian Revolution may have been the ultimate
goal of Babeuf, who wrote: “The French Revolution is only the forerunner of another revolution,
very much greater, very much more solemn, and which will be the last!”
The earliest advocate of the movement, later to be known as Socialism, was the English mill
owner Robert Owen (1771-1858). He was a student of spiritualism and published his views in
the Rational Quarterly Review. At his Scotland textile factory, he was known as a model
employer because of the reforms he instituted, even enacting child labor laws. He felt production
could be increased if competition was eliminated. Many of his principles were derived from the
writings of Weishaupt. For instance, Weishaupt wrote that the aim of the Illuminati, was “to
make the human race, without any distinction of nation, condition or profession, one good and
happy family.” Owen said that the “new state of existence upon the earth, which, when
understood and applied rationally to practice, will cordially unite all as one good and enlightened