Trotskyism or Bolshevik-Leninism is a 
Socialist and 
Internationalist ideology focusing on the political ideals of the Soviet revolutionary 
Leon Trotsky. It is distinguished in the belief of "permanent revolution".
History
Trotskyism originated during the life of Leon Trotsky, who was influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. When the October Revolution occured, Trotsky was a major leader of the revolution and contributed greatly to leading the Petrograd Soviet. During the Russian Civil War, Trotsky was a major leader of the Red Army. When Joseph Stalin came to power in 1924, Trotsky was exiled from the 
USSR and formed the Fourth International with other Trotskyists. Trotskyism and the Fourth International continued to exist after Trotsky's assassination. After the death of the unified Fourth International, the League for the Fifth International (L5I) was eventually formed in hopes of creating a new Trotskyist 'Fifth International'. The L5I still exists to this day and has affiliated parties in multiple countries.
Beliefs
Trotskyism's main belief is the "Permanent Revolution", which is the belief that the complete victory of the 
bourgeois-democratic revolution in Russia is conceivable only in the form of 
the dictatorship of the proletariat, leaning on the peasantry.
The democratic revolution grows over directly into the socialist revolution and thereby becomes a permanent revolution.
Another important Trotskyist belief is the theory of the "Degenerated Workers' State". According to it, a 
Dictatorship of the Proletariat may develop a powerful caste of state bureaucrats, which will seize the power from the workers. 
Such a state will be unable to progress further towards higher-stage Communism, and without any political revolution to overthrow the bureaucracy, it will eventually slide back to Capitalism. As such, Trotsky believed that a socialist state would need to be run 
democratically.
Cliffism
Cliffism' is an Ideology that is in its core Trotskyist but has broken with key components of Orthodox Trotskyism, such as the theory of Deformed Worker's States. It is more ideologically Versatile and puts more emphasis on identity Politics than normal Trotskyism, attempting to "Unite the Struggles". Cliffism is, similar to Trotskyism, on the far Left politically and culturally and slightly above the Authority Axis. It wants to achieve a Leninist Multi-Party Council Communist Democracy.
History
Cliffism was founded in 1948 by Israeli-British Socialist Tony Cliff (real name Yigael Gluckstein). Initially a member of the british wing of the Fourth International, the Revolutionary Communist Party, Cliff was expelled in the 50s for refusing to take a stance for or against North Korea in the Korean War, seeing it as a War between two capitalist Nations and founded the "International Socialists" who would later become the "Socialist Workers Party" of the UK. From there on the SWP was a constant, if minor, power within British Politics, organising during the Vietnam War, being an important part of the Anti-Nazi-League. Due to its ability to change Tactics rapidly it was able to survive Thatcherism and later showed itself again in Anti-War movements. It continues to be force in British Politics to this day. Outside of Britain its Tendency is very strong in Ireland and Germany, where it has members in Parliament.
Personality and Behaviour
Cliffism is most often seen with Trotskyism. They are rather reserved but when angered start chanting Slogans with a Megaphone. They also have a fondness for Congresses, Placards and Newspapers. Despite denouncing them as "Reformists" Cliffism constantly works with 
Social Democracy and Democratic Socialism in the name of left Unity, something 
Left Communism likes to mock them for.
Personality
WIP
How to Draw
Trotskyism's design is based on a soviet flag by ColumbianSFR on DeviantArt.com.
- Draw a ball
- Fill the ball with red
- Color the bottom fifth with yellow
- Add the emblem of the Fourth International within the canton in top left:
- Draw a small yellow hammer-and-sickle
- Within the symbol, draw a slanted number "four"
- Draw the eyes
- (Optional) Give the ball small reading glasses
You are finished!
| Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #CC0000 | 204, 0, 0 | |
| Gold | #FFD700 | 255, 215, 0 | |
Relationships
Товарищи (Comrades)
Marxism - Dad knows best.
Leninism - I helped him set up the Soviet Union. And I am his legitimate successor.
Rosa Luxemburg - Fellow democracy-loving vanguard Marxist. Tad too libertarian, though.
Cardenismo - Nationalist and too economically moderate, but thanks for giving me shelter for the rest of my life in Mexico. And your level of bravery and honesty definitely has my respect.[5]
Попутчики (Fellow travellers)
Posadism - My space-obsessed son, who seems to be always looking at the sky and that have really weird and extreme ideas and views. Surely his insane ideals of total nuclear obliteration will TOTALLY never be realized right?
Strasserism - We have a similar story. I, too, was betrayed and killed... (Nationalism is still cringe)
Left Communism - Agrees with me about 
him, and I get it, the 4th International is just a student union right now, but it will become bigger eventually. And I am more popular than you are.
Council Communism - Silly poet, you are just afraid of the masses.
Caudillismo - I like you when you're with me and hate you when you're against me.
Neo-Marxism - Great job expanding my dad's theories, but you are far too liberal for me.
Menshevik - I used to be you, but now I think you're way too moderate. Like Lenin did before his last years.
Kemalism - Even though I don't like your ideology, you hosted me in Istanbul for 4 years. Thanks.
Honeckerism - You also want a sozialistische Weltrepublik, but you're too revisionist.
Black Nationalism - You seem pretty cool, but why do most of you not like me? At least there's still a significant amount of black Trotskyists.
Ревизионисты (Revisionists)
Agrarian Socialism - We will arouse and organize the advanced workers and through the workers, we shall arouse the peasants. You Kulaks!
Maoism–Third Worldism - I didn't mean this when I said that workers should cooperate with peasants.
Marxism–Leninism - Simply an inferior, he doesn't portray Marxist text as it should be. You also didn't crack down on the family enough. But cracking down Kulaks was based(although I would do it more moderately and etc., etc.,)- Stalinism - Fucking bureaucrat purged me and then sent some asshole to kill me with an ice axe.
Maoism - Stalinist who expelled my son, Chen Duxiu and you called me revisionist. Besides, the peasant war by itself without the direct leadership of the proletarian vanguard can only pass on the power to a new bourgeois clique, some “Left” Kuomintang or other, “a third party”, etc., etc.,
Ho Chi Minh Thought - I will not forget what you did to the workers in Saigon. And you killed 
Tạ Thu Thâu and my followers while ww2.
Bukharinism - Even more degenerated bureaucrat, who helped to purge me! But a lot of my modern followers like you for some reason.
Dengism - You are proof that every Degenerated Workers' State will inevitably return to Capitalism.
Khrushchevism - The new boss of the bureaucracy after Stalin. You helped him with the purges and the creation of his cult of personality and after his death you denounced him.
Imperialism - You oppressed the workers! I won't forgive you for what you have done!
Fascism, I am nothing to like you, You son of a bitch!
Nazism - No matter how much I hate his degenerated workers’ state, he is still far better than your genocidal fascist bourgeois state. So f**k off!
National Bolshevism - You can't be serious!
National Communism - Fake communist. The proletariat knows no country. International!
Reformist Marxism - Another fake communist! Revolution in inevitable.
Platformism - You should have joined the bolsheviks in 1920.
Anarcho-Communism - I kicked you out of Ukraine for a reason.
Anarcho-Syndicalism - The Kronstadt rebellion was a bourgeois counterrevolution attempt!
Insurrectionary Anarchism - Permanent Insurrection? That's Impossible! Just a counter-revolutionary being!
Titoism - Revisionist who calls me a tool of fascism.
Hoxhaism - Stalinite scum. I'm not not revisionist, you are!
Social Democracy - You shot Lenin and killed Rosa!(Although lot's of you guys prefer me over Stalinism)
Capitalism - I may hate Stalin, but even a Degenerated Workers' State is still better, than a Bourgeois one!
Universal Monarchism - You don't know me that well. Just face the Permanent revolution!
Further Information
Literature
Works by Trotsky
Works by other writers
- Trotsky's Theory of Permanent Revolution: A Real Alternative to Socialism in One Country by Eva Dragosits
- From Class Society to Communism: An Introduction to Marxism by Ernest Mandel
- Trotskyism after Trotsky
- What is the real Marxist tradition
- Party and Class
Manifestos
Wikipedia
- Trotskyism
- Leon Trotsky
- Fourth International
- Permanent Revolution
- Tony Cliff
- International Socialist Tendency (IST)
Videos
- Leon Trotsky: Communism's True Believer by Biographics
- What if Trotsky Came To Power Instead of Stalin? by AlternateHistoryHub
- Trotsky with Hitchens and Service by Hoover Institution
Online Communities
Organizations
- https://fourth.international
- International Socialist Alternative
- Committee for a Workers' International
- International Marxist Tendency
- International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist)
- International Socialist League
- Internationalist Communist Union
Notes
References
Gallery
Portraits and Artwork
Alternative designs
-
Cliffism
Comics
-
"ML and Stalinism go on a trip" by
u/ThePosadist, Source
-
"What scares you the most?"
-
"Hey dad!"
-
"What are you looking at Posadism?"
-
"Leftist are fighting"
