Witnesses to Permanent Revolution: The Documentary Record

Historical Materialism #21

by Richard B. Day (Editor / Translator), Daniel Gaido (Editor / Translator)

The theory of permanent revolution has long been associated with Leon Trotsky. Though he was the most brilliant of its proponents, these newly translated documents, most of them translated into English for the first time, demonstrate that Trotsky was only one of several leading figures of international Marxism engaged in a debate, sparked by the first Russian Revolution in 1905, about the form workers’ struggle would take in less developed countries. Among the figures included in these discussions were Karl Kautsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Franz Mehring, Parvus, and David Ryazanov.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction

696 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather excellent collection exploring not just the origin of the 'revolution in permanence', but also implicitly the proto-development of Uneven and Combined Development, as various voices of European Social Democracy attempted to understand how the revolution of 1905 happened, its significance for world revolution, and the future of struggle in an uneven world. Rather odd and ultimately unsound claims in various introductions by the editors, which undermines what would be an otherwise perfectly interesting collection.

Wish we got a full printing of the Borba group critique of the draft Iskra programme, need all 300 pages to begin some maniacal attempt to reclaim the legacy of the 'Struggle' group as the only Marxists.

[Morgan]

An incredibly valuable collection which decisively dispels myths of the Second International as dogmatic and mechanistic, but the editors' introductions are incredibly misleading. They present everyone as proto-Trotskies, when in fact Trotsky's scenario was entirely unique among the Erfurtian generation. See Lars T. Lih's review for further details.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very necessary history of the development of Marxism and the idea of the revolution in permanence whose ultimate advocate was the great revolutionary, Leon Trotsky. Require reading for anyone interested in socialism.

[Jehiel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful study, particularly when read adjacently to that of Lenin's political thought, for analysing the political logic of Lenin's contemporaries, around a very important question for Marxism at the time. Lenin was right, ultimately, but for reasons far from what Stalinists think.