Leon Trotsky was a communist with a unique worldview. Trotsky did not believe an economic system could exist in isolation. He believed that an economic system must be seen and understood as a world system rather than as a national one. Thus, in Trotsky’s view, the lasting success of a socialist revolution (e.g., the October Revolution) depends on revolutions in other countries. Trotsky’s view—which he called “permanent revolution”—was the opposite of Stalin’s: Stalin believed that a socialist revolution could be achieved “in one country,” independent of other countries.
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