Karl Marx's works were profoundly influenced by the societal changes of his lifetime. The industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism created conditions that sparked Marx’s interest in class struggle and economic disparity. Observing the exploitation of workers, he critiqued the controlling forces of capitalism in his writings, like "The Communist Manifesto." His intellectual evolution reflected a response to shifting political landscapes, including the formation of the working-class movement. Marx's theories on history and society were shaped by these transformations, providing a framework to analyze the relationship between economy and class.