Final answer:
Karl Marx did not explicitly state that cities announced a transition to "barbarism". He criticized the conditions created by capitalism and saw cities as places of potential proletarian revolution that would overthrow the capitalist system and establish a communist society. The use of "barbarism" might relate more to the exploitative processes associated with the primitive accumulation of capital.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether cities announced a transition to "barbarism" for Karl Marx is not entirely accurate. While Marx was critical of the excesses of capitalism and believed that it led to dehumanizing conditions, the term "barbarism" might be more accurately applied to the primitive accumulation of capitalism that Marx talks about. This concept refers to the period in which capital is being amassed in the hands of the few, often through violent and exploitative means.
Marx expected the industrial revolution and resulting social upheavals to lead to a proletariat (working class) revolution, initially in countries like England due to its advanced capitalist infrastructure. Contrary to his predictions, the revolution occurred in Russia, which was not the most industrialized society. This event and the subsequent actions of the Russian communist party, which resulted in the deaths of millions, as well as the turn of some labor movements toward fascism, caused many to question Marx's theory and dialectical materialism.
Therefore, the assertion that for Marx, cities heralded a transition to "barbarism" does not fully encapsulate his views on urban development and the social conditions they engendered. Instead, he saw them as sites of intense social conflict that could lead to the overthrow of capitalism and the beginning of a communist society. Marx's vision was of a global worker's revolution, transcending national, ethnic, and social barriers, ultimately establishing a government that would be in control of the means of production.