Final answer:
Marx and Engels proposed nationalizing the means of production and introducing socialism, leading to communism, where all property is collectively owned. This was part of a broader Marxist ideology critiquing capitalism and hoping to end class struggle. However, the actual implementation of these principles has not achieved the envisioned equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marx and Engels' plan to close the economic gap involved nationalizing the means of production and establishing a system where the workers, or their government, would control these resources. This was based on the belief that historical change is primarily driven by class struggles, notably between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
In the industrial age, this conflict was characterized by the exploitation of workers by the owners of the means of production. Marx envisaged that the proletariat would eventually rise in revolution to overthrow the bourgeoisie, leading to a society where all are equal and property is held in common, known as socialism.
This transition would ultimately lead to a classless society, or communism, where there would be no private ownership and production is owned collectively by the public.
Marxist ideology emerged as a critique of capitalism and the inequality it fostered, asserting that those in control of production wielded excessive power over societal norms and entrenched the stratification of classes, preventing individuals in lower classes from improving their economic status. The goal of Marxist states was purportedly to create an international economic system that focused on internal development to benefit the citizenry.
Nevertheless, it's important to note that the actual implementation of Marxist principles in various countries has often failed to achieve the political and economic equality predicted by Marx.