The Character of the Russian Revolution: Trotsky 1917 vs. Trotsky 1924
Publisher: Marxist Essays and Commentary-John Riddell's Blog
Date Written: 25/10/2017
Year Published: 2017
Resource Type: Article
Cx Number: CX21683
An analysis of the evolution of Leon Trotsky's views from 1917 to 1924.
When we put Trotsky's "The Character of the Russian Revolution" next to Lenin's "A Basic Question" as presented in an earlier post, we see that Trotsky lines up with Lenin to make a concerted attack on "Plekhanovite sociology." The two leaders make the same basic points: we do not have to affirm the socialist character of the revolution in order to justify soviet power. We do not have to deny that the Russian revolution taken by itself is a "bourgeois-democratic" one. Basic democratic principles justify soviet power. Long-standing class dynamics justify the role of the Russian proletariat as vozhd of the Russian narod.