How did Trotsky explain the rise of Stalinism?

The Russian Revolution began as a mass movement with democratic control of society by the workers and poor. But it ended as a brutal police state which collapsed under its own inefficiency.

What caused this complete reversal? Do revolutions inevitably end in treacherous dictatorship? Was the Soviet bureaucracy the same as a capitalist class? What are a ‘degenerated workers’ state’ and a ‘deformed workers’ state’? And what can it all tell us about fighting for socialism today?

This episode of Socialism looks at the revolution betrayed: Trotsky on Stalinism and the ‘degenerated workers’ state’.

The CWI is producing a new book on Trotsky’s life and ideas for the 80th anniversary of his assassination, which this podcast series is following. It’s called ‘Leon Trotsky - A Revolutionary Whose Ideas Couldn’t Be Killed’. You can pre-order it now at www.leftbooks.co.uk.

Further reading

Leon Trotsky's struggle against Stalinism: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/28804/06-03-2019/leon-trotskys-struggle-against-stalinism

USSR 1989 - the collapse of Stalinism: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/8375/18-11-2009/ussr-1989-the-collapse-of-stalinism

What About Russia? https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/russia/r2frame.htm?stalin.html

Lenin: the original dictator? http://socialismtoday.org/archive/80/lenin.html

From Stalinism to New Labour: http://socialismtoday.org/archive/230/hobsbawm.htm

Lessons of October (Trotsky): http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950002679/Products/TROT0080

The Revolution Betrayed: What is the Soviet Union and Where is it Going? (Trotsky): https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/

Stalin - An Appraisal of the Man and His Influence (Trotsky, unfinished): https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1940/xx/stalin/index.htm