# Workers of the world, unite!

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The political slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" is one of the rallying cries from The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (German: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!, literally 'Proletarians of all countries, unite!', but soon popularised in English as "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!").
A variation of this phrase ("Workers of all lands, unite") is also inscribed on Marx's tombstone. The essence of the slogan is that members of the working classes throughout the world should cooperate to defeat capitalism and achieve victory in the class conflict.

## Overview

Five years before The Communist Manifesto, this phrase appeared in the 1843 book The Workers' Union by Flora Tristan.
The International Workingmen's Association, described by Engels as "the first international movement of the working class" was persuaded by Engels to change its motto from the League of the Just's "all men are brothers" to "working men of all countries, unite!". It reflected Marx's and Engels' view of proletarian internationalism.
The phrase has overlapping meanings: first, that workers should unite in unions to better push for their demands such as workplace pay and conditions; secondly, that workers should see beyond their various craft unions and unite against the capitalist system; and thirdly, workers of different countries have more in common with each other than workers and employers of the same country.
The phrase was used by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in their publications and songs and was a mainstay on banners in May Day demonstrations. The IWW used it when opposing World War I in both the United States and Australia.
The slogan was the Soviet Union's state motto (Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!; Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes'!) and it appeared in the State Emblem of the Soviet Union. It also appeared on 1919 Russian SFSR banknotes (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Russian), on Soviet ruble coins from 1921 to 1934 and was the slogan of Soviet newspaper Pravda.
Some socialist and communist parties continue using it.

## Variations

In the first Swedish translation of The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848, the translator Pehr Götrek substituted the slogan with Folkets röst, Guds röst! (i.e. Vox populi, vox Dei, or "The Voice of the People, the Voice of God"). However, later translations have included the original slogan.
The guiding motto of the 2nd Comintern congress in 1920, under Lenin's directive, was "Workers and oppressed peoples of all countries, unite!". This denoted the anti-colonialist agenda of the Comintern, and was seen as an attempt to unite racially-subjugated black people and the global proletariat in anti-imperialist struggle.

## In other languages

This slogan was used by several socialist states and communist parties as their official motto.

### Motto of the Soviet Union

In each Soviet republic, the same motto was used in the local language.
| Language | Motto | Transliteration | Used by |
| Russian | Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! | Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes'! (BGN/PCGN) Proletarii vseh stran, soědinäjteś! (Scientific) | Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Ukrainian | Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся! | Proletarii vsikh krayin, yednaytesya! (BGN/PCGN) Proletari vsich kraïn, jednajtesä! (Scientific) | Ukrainian SSR |
| Byelorussian | Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся! | Pralyetarye, wsikh krain, yadnaytsesya! (BGN/PCGN) Pralětaryi wsich krain, jadnajcěsya! (Scientific) | Byelorussian SSR |
| Uzbek | Бутун дунё пролетарлари, бирлашингиз! | Butun dunyo proletarlari, birlashingiz!/Butun dunyo proletarlari, birlaşingiz! | Uzbek SSR |
| Kazakh | Барлық елдердің пролетарлары, бірігіңдер! | Barlıq yelderdiñ proletarları, birigiñder! | Kazakh SSR |
| Georgian | პროლეტარებო ყველა ქვეყნისა, შეერთდით! | Proletarebo qvela kveqnisa, šeertdit! | Georgian SSR |
| Azerbaijani | Бүтүн өлкәләрин пролетарлары, бирләшин! | Bütün ölkələrin proletarları, birləşin! | Azerbaijan SSR, Dagestan ASSR |
| Lithuanian | Visų šalių proletarai, vienykitės! | | Lithuanian SSR |
| Romanian (Moldovan Cyrillic) | Пролетарь дин тоате цэриле, уници-вэ! | Proletari din toate țările, uniți-vă! | Moldavian SSR |
| Latvian | Visu zemju proletārieši, savienojieties! | | Latvian SSR |
| Kyrghz | Бардык өлкөлордүн пролетарлары, бириккиле! | Bardıq ölkölordün proletarları, birikkile! | Kirghiz SSR |
| Tajik | Пролетарҳои ҳамаи мамлакатҳо, як шавед! | Proletarhoi hamai mamlakatho, yak šaved! | Tajik SSR |
| Armenian | Պրոլետարներ բոլոր երկրների, միացե՛ք | Proletarner bolor yerkrneri, miac’ek’! | Armenian SSR Nagorno-Karabakh AO |
| Turkmen | Әхли юртларың пролетарлары, бирлешиң! | Ähli ýurtlaryň proletarlary, birleşiň!/Ähli yurtlarıñ proletarları, birleşiñ! | Turkmen SSR |
| Estonian | Kõigi maade proletaarlased, ühinege! | | Estonian SSR |
| Abkhaz | Атәылаӄуа зегьы рпролетарцәа, шәҽеидышәкыл! | Atwylaqwa zeğy rproletarcwa, šwč’eidyšwkyl! | Abkhaz ASSR |
| Avar | Киналго улкабазул пролетарал, цолъе нуж! | Kinalgo ulkabazul proletaral, col’e nuž! | Dagestan ASSR |
| Bashkir | Бөтә илдәрҙең пролетарийҙәре, берләшегеҙ! | Böte ilderceń proletariycäre, berläşegec! | Bashkir ASSR |
| Buryat | Бүхы оронуудай пролетаринар, нэгэдэгты! | Bühy oronuudaj proletarinar, negedegty! | Buryat ASSR |
| Chechen | Массо а мехкийн пролетареш, цхьанакхета! | Masso a mexkiyn proletareş, cx’anakxeta! | Checheno-Ingush ASSR Dagestan ASSR |
| Chuvash | Пӗтӗм тӗнчери пролетарисем, пӗрлешӗр! | Pétém ténçeri proletarisem, pérleşér! | Chuvash ASSR |
| Crimean Tatar | Бютюн мемлекетлерининъ пролетарлары, бирлешинъиз! | Bütün memleketleriniñ proletarları, birleşiñiz! | Crimean ASSR |
| Erzya | Весе масторонь пролетарийть, вейсэндяводо! | Vese mastoronj proletarijtj, vejsendjavodo! | Mordovian ASSR |
| Finnish | Kaikkien maiden proletaarit, liittykää yhteen! | | Karelo-Finnish SSR, Karelian ASSR |
| Ingush | Масса а мехкашкара пролетареш вӀашагӀкхета! | Massa a mexkaškara proletareš vwašağxeta! | Checheno-Ingush ASSR |
| Kabardian | Хэгъэгу пстэухэм япролетариехэр, зы шъухъу! | Xeğegu psteuxem japroletariěxer, zy š’uhu! | Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR |
| Kalmyk | Цуг-орн нутгудын пролетармуд, негдцхәтн! | Cug-orn nutgudyn proletarmud, negdchâtn! | Kalmyk ASSR |
| Karachay-Balkar | Бютеу дунияны пролетарлары, бирлешигиз! | Büteu duniyanı proletarları, birleşigiz! | Kabardino-Balkar ASSR |
| Karakalpak | Барлык еллердин пролетарлары, бирлесиниз! | Barlık ellerdin proletarları, birlesiniz! | Karakalpak ASSR |
| Karelian | Kaikkien maijen proletaariet, yhtykkyä! | | Karelian ASSR (until 1940) |
| Komi | Став мувывса пролетарийяс, oтувтчӧй! | Stav muvyvsa proletarijjas, otuvtčöj! | Komi ASSR |
| Mari | Чыла элласе пролетарий-влак, ушныза! | Çyla ellase proletarij-vlak, uşnyza! | Mari ASSR |
| Moksha | Сембе масторонь пролетариятие, пуромода марс! | Sembe mastoronj proletarijatije, puromoda mars! | Mordovian ASSR |
| Ossetian | Ӕппӕт бӕстӕты пролетартӕ баиу ут! | Áppát bástáty proletartá baiu ut! | North Ossetian ASSR South Ossetian AO |
| Sakha | Бары дойдулар пролетарийдара, холбоһуҥ! | Barı doydular proletariydara, xolbohuň! | Yakut ASSR |
| Tat | Пролетарьой гьеме билеетгьо, ек бошти! | Proletar'oy heme bileetho, ek boşti! | Dagestan ASSR |
| Tatar | Барлык илләрнең пролетарийлары, берләшегез! | Barlıq illärneñ proletariyları, berläşegez! | Tatar ASSR |
| Tuvan | Бүгү делегейниң пролетарлары, каттыжыңар! | Bügü delegeyniñ proletarları, kattıjıñar! | Tuvan ASSR |
| Udmurt | Вань странаосысь пролетарийёс, огазеяське! | Vań stranaosyś proletarijjos, ogazejaśke! | Udmurt ASSR |

### Motto of other countries

| Language | Motto | Transliteration | Used by |
| Albanian | Proletarë të të gjitha vendeve, bashkohuni! | | Albania |
| Bulgarian | Пролетарии от всички страни съединявайте се! | Proletárii ot vsíchki straní, sǎеdinyávaite se! | Bulgaria |
| Chinese | 全世界無産階級和被壓迫的民族聯合起來！ | Quánshìjiè wúchǎnjiējí hé bèi yāpò de mínzú liánhé qǐlai! | Chinese Soviet Republic |
| Czech | Proletáři všech zemí, spojte se! | | Czechoslovakia |
| Dari | کارگران جهان متحد شوید! | Kârgarân-e jahân mottahed šavid! | Afghanistan |
| French | Prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous ! | | Benin, Madagascar |
| German | Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch! | | East Germany, Volga German ASSR |
| Hungarian | Világ proletárjai, egyesüljetek! | | Hungarian People's Republic, Hungarian Soviet Republic |
| Korean | 전세계로동자들은 단결하라! | Chŏnsegyelodongchadŭrŭn tangyŏl'ala! | North Korea |
| Malagasy | Mpiasa eran'izao tontolo izao, mampiray! | | Madagascar |
| Mongolian | Орон бүрийн пролетари нар нэгдэгтүн! | Oron büriin proletari nar negdegtün! | Mongolia |
| Polish | Proletariusze wszystkich krajów, łączcie się! | | Polish People's Republic |
| Romanian | Proletari din toate țările, uniți-vă! | | Romania |
| Slovak | Proletári všetkých krajín, spojte sa! | | Czechoslovakia, Slovak Soviet Republic |
| Tuvan | Бүгү телегейниң пролетарлары болгаш дарлаткан араттары каттыжыңар! | Pygy delegejniꞑ вroledarlarь polgaş tarladkan araddarь kaddьƶьꞑar! | Tuvan People's Republic |

#### Motto of communist parties

The English phrase and its variants (the variant "All power to the workers" is used by some parties such as the Communist Party of Australia) are used by communist parties in the English-speaking world. The list below does not include the mottos of communist parties of the above countries or in languages listed above.
| Language | Motto | Transliteration | Used by | Active in |
| Arabic | يَا عُمَّالَ الْعَالَمِ وَيَا شُعُوبَهُ الْمُضْطَهَدَة، اِتَّحِدُواْ! | Ya ‘ummāla l-‘ālami wa yā shu‘ūbahu l-muṭṭahada, ittaḥidū! | Jordanian Communist Party | Jordan |
| Bengali | দুনিয়ার মজদুর, এক হও! | Duniẏār môjdur, ēk hôō! | Communist Party of Bangladesh | Bangladesh |
| Greek | Προλετάριοι όλων των χωρών, ενωθείτε! | Proletárioi ólon ton chorón, enothíte! | Communist Party of Greece | Greece |
| Indonesian | Para buruh seluruh dunia, bersatulah! | | Communist Party of Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Macedonian | Пролетери од сите земји, обединете се! | Proleteri od site zemji, obedinete se! | League of Communists of Macedonia | Yugoslavia |
| Malay | Kaum buruh semua negeri, bersatulah! | | Malayan Communist Party | Malaysia |
| Serbo-Croatian | Пролетери свих земаља уједините се! | Proleteri svih zemalja, ujedinite se! | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | Yugoslavia |
| Slovene | Proletarci vseh dežel, združite se! | | League of Communists of Slovenia | Yugoslavia |
| Tagalog | Manggagawa ng lahat ng bansa, magkaisa! | | Communist Party of the Philippines | Philippines |
| Turkish | Bütün ülkelerin işçileri ve ezilen halklar, birleşin! | | Socialist Liberation Party | Turkey |