In this video from the Revolution 2016 Marxist school, Josh Holroyd of the Socialist Appeal Editorial Board discusses the Marxist method of analysing history: historical materialism.

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." This statement by Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto summarises the contrast between the Marxist view of history and the superficial analysis offered by bourgeois commentators, who see history simply as the product of "great men" and their "great ideas". Our task, as Marxists, is to uncover the dynamics of society and history; to reveal the motor force of development and progress; to understand the world in order to change it. (Please note: the video begins with an approximately 10 minute section that is audio only.)