
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


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 Content
Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast
Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com
▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper
Website: explaininghistory.org
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
By Nick Shepley4.6
7272 ratings
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 Content
Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast
Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com
▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper
Website: explaininghistory.org
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5,476 Listeners

3,239 Listeners

1,880 Listeners

954 Listeners

661 Listeners

1,236 Listeners

4,776 Listeners

461 Listeners

1,410 Listeners

574 Listeners

3,305 Listeners

531 Listeners

15,629 Listeners

1,884 Listeners

2,474 Listeners