While expressions like ‘political correctness’ and ‘being woke’ are recent, their origins can be traced to a number of intellectuals and academics associated with the Frankfurt School established in Germany during the 1920s. In addition to becoming dissatisfied with communism, the intellectuals involved also realised such was the prosperity and freedom experienced by those living in the West there was little, if any, chance of the disaffected storming the barricades and using violence to take control. 

The focus of the revolution shifted from the economy to what has become known as the Culture Wars.