International Relations: Marx(ism) a ghost unwilling to disappear?

Essay from the year 2006 in the subject Politics - General and Theories of International Politics, grade: 1.0, The Australian National University, language: English, abstract: In the midst of the turbulent political and economic transformation during 1989, Francis Fukuyamadeclared the end of history in his [in]famous article, intending to seal the coffin of communistideology once and for all, declaring the western camp as the winner of the cold war and moreimportantly of liberal capitalism over communism.1 However, a peculiar question remains forstudents of International Relations.2 Is it still worth studying Marxist theory today since the formercommunist Soviet Union and its satellites, no longer practice a [certain and often-incoherent]version of Marxist ideology?This paper does not attempt to advocate a utopian klassenlose society in conjunction with radicaland totalitarian outgrowths that had been developed during the 20th century from Stalinist gulags tothe Maoist Cultural Revolution. Despite this, this paper aims to show the merits of Marxist theory,especially the concept of historical materialism, and how, in at least three respects, it adds to thestudy of International Relations.