Must read

Marxism

Introduction to Marxism

Find out about the three core ideas that provide the foundations of Marxism: + ‘Dialectical materialism’ – Marxist philosophy; + ‘Historical materialism’ – an analysis of human history based on material conditions; + ‘Marxist economics’ – the workings of capitalism.

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it. - Karl Marx

History

History of the Russian Revolution Part One

There is no more significant period of history for socialists to study, in order to prepare for future events. Fortunately, in 1930, one of the Russian Revolution's key leaders - Leon Trotsky - wrote his own 'History of the Russian Revolution', packed full of details, insights and lessons for revolutionaries to learn from today. This course guides you through the first half of that revolutionary year - up until June 1917 - based largely on the content of Trotsky's 'History'.

"Revolutions are the locomotives of history." - Karl Marx

Stalinism

The Rise of Stalinism

How the Bureaucracy Seized Power The Nature of the Soviet Regime The Crisis of the Stalinist States

The isolation of the Soviet Union had enabled the bureaucracy to seize power. The party's commitment to revolutionary internationalism - defended above all by Trotsky – threatened the bureaucracy’s ability to consolidate their power and privileges. In 1924-5, it was therefore abandoned in favour of the ‘theory’ of building ‘socialism in one country’.