The Communist Manifesto was a one-party state under the rule of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Unlike their mass-based counterparts of the Second International, the CPSU and other Leninist parties like it in the Third International expected their members to know the classic works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. Further, party leaders were expected to base their policy decisions on Marxist-Leninist ideology. Therefore works such as the "Manifesto" were required reading for the party rank-and-file. Therefore the widespread dissemination of Marx and Engels' works became an important policy objective; backed by a sovereign state, the CPSU had relatively inexhaustible resources
1957 International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties hardliners resisting 'de-Stalinization'. The meeting backed Khruschev's new line of different national paths towards socialism, peaceful co-existence and popular front tactics. As per the line given by the meeting, transition to people's democracy was possible through parliamentary elections, as long as the communist parties combined electoral work with mass struggles against reactionary forces. The meeting adopted a 'peace manifesto', outlining capitalist monopolies as the main threat to world peace. The manifesto was signed by all participants, except the Yugoslavs. Whilst the intended purpose of the meeting was to display unity of the world communist movement, the outcome was quite different.