EPISODE · Nov 17, 2022 · 31 MIN
The afterlife of Leon Trotsky's politics 1940-1982
from Explaining History
When Leon Trotsky was murdered by NKVD agent Ramon Mercader in 1940, his ideas lived on. The Trotskyist Fourth International and the American Socialist Workers Party in particular claimed (though this was disputed by his widow Natalia) to be the inheritors of his beliefs. Trotsky's critique of the USSR and its capitalist enemies stated that the Russian Revolution had effectively been killed in its infancy, and that instead a bureacratic state had replaced a revolutionary society. Some of Trotsky's former disciples eventually distanced themselves from his beliefs, embracing American conservatism and free market capitalism, most famously the recanting revolutionary James Burnham. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
When Leon Trotsky was murdered by NKVD agent Ramon Mercader in 1940, his ideas lived on. The Trotskyist Fourth International and the American Socialist Workers Party in particular claimed (though this was disputed by his widow Natalia) to be the inheritors of his beliefs. Trotsky's critique of the USSR and its capitalist enemies stated that the Russian Revolution had effectively been killed in its infancy, and that instead a bureacratic state had replaced a revolutionary society. Some of Trotsky's former disciples eventually distanced themselves from his beliefs, embracing American conservatism and free market capitalism, most famously the recanting revolutionary James Burnham. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The afterlife of Leon Trotsky's politics 1940-1982
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