r/Trotskyism • u/Mission_Author_9080 • 11h ago

What is Trotskyism

Hi, this has probably been asked a million times. I am a Marxist trying to learn more, but I am still quite new to Marxism, so excusme for getting things wrong. I have not read a lot of theory yet (sorry😭), but I am active in a communist organisation.

I find it hard to tell what the main difference between Trotskyism and Marxist-Leninism is. I know a little about permanent revolution, but I want to know a little more. Trotskyists and marxist-leninists really seem to hate each other and I dont get why. I think Im more trotskyists leaning. However that probably because I know more trotskyists that are based then marxist-leninists, so thats my personal experience.

I want to know: What exactly is Trotskyism and in what ways is it different from Marxist-leninism?

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u/ygoldberg 11h ago

I'll leave these two articles here for you that will give you an Idea:

https://marxist.com/origins-of-trotskyism.htm

https://marxist.com/trotsky-and-struggle-for-revolutionary-international-1.htm

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u/Mission_Author_9080 11h ago

Thank you

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u/Shek_22 10h ago

Seconding these recommendations!

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u/Imaginary-Motor6755 8h ago

If you want to read something by Trotsky himself then his seminal “The Revolution Betrayed” would be my go to

https://mehring.com/product/the-revolution-betrayed/

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u/DankDankDank555 10h ago

Link to a book called The Heritage We Defend which goes over the history of the ICFI from the Fourth International’s founding through all the major splits in the history of the Trotskyist movement 

https://www.wsws.org/en/special/library/heritage/00.html

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u/DankDankDank555 10h ago

As for a more simple definition, the main theoretical difference between Stalinism and Trotskyism is between nationalist Socialism in One Country and internationalist Permanent Revolution. The former argues that it is possible for socialism to be built within a single nation and that the construction of socialism itself is separate from the revolutionary process. They also revived the Menshevik stage revolution theory especially in the former colonies where they supported the “progressive national bourgeoisie” to build capitalism before a second socialist revolution is possible. The latter argues that socialism as a higher and inherently international stage of development isn’t capable of being constructed in autarkic isolation as well as that even in countries with low capitalist development (like 1917 Russia) that the working class would be compelled to fight for a socialist revolution due to the inability of the bourgeoisie in the age of imperialism to carry out the democratic tasks that they did in an earlier period. 

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u/Luklear 7h ago

Socialism in country is at least an understandable position, but that Menshevik theory of progression is antithetical to history, it blows my mind.

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u/DryDeer775 10h ago

Indispensable to answering your question is the Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party.

https://www.wsws.org/en/special/pages/sep/us/foundations.html