The theory of permanent revolution stands alongside Lenin’s theory of imperialism as one of the most important contributions to Marxism since the deaths of Marx and Engels. Accordingly, in this issue of In Defence of Marxism we are proud to publish a number of articles which explore this concept in some depth.

In Helgoland,physicist Carlo Rovelli introduces his own new interpretation of quantum mechanics, coupled with an attack on Lenin. As Ben Curry explains, Rovelli feels the need to attack Lenin, the 20th century’s greatest materialist, because Rovelli himself is clearly abandoning materialism. And while he is attempting to answer Lenin, it turns out that Lenin long ago answered Rovelli’s own philosophical errors.

The Chinese Revolution of 1949 was one of the greatest events in human history. Marxists defend that revolution, which freed China from the shackles of imperialism after a heroic, decades-long struggle. 

In recent months, left-wing figures have made headlines around the world. From Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders in the US, to Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana in Britain, outspoken self-described socialists are capturing significant attention with their claim to be able to find simple solutions to the problems the working class face.

Wellred Books’ bestselling title The Classics of Marxism: Volume One is available in a brand new edition. Here we publish the introduction by Fred Weston – leading member of the Revolutionary Communist International. Fred highlights how, far from being relics of the past, the writings inside by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky are the most modern texts you can come across if you want to understand the nature of the capitalist system and how it can be overthrown.

Over the last ten years in France, repression against young people and workers has continued to intensify: police violence, ‘preventive’ arrests of activists, the criminalisation of trade union activity, bans on demonstrations, gatherings and meetings, etc. The repression of the Yellow Vests and the solidarity movement with Palestine are two glaring examples, but this is a serious and ongoing trend.

In an article published on 2 March, Révolution Permanente announced the launch of a campaign entitled: ‘Against Macron and the Fifth Republic, we need a radical democratic response from below’.

Wellred Books’ latest title Democracy, Bonapartism & Fascism: Class Struggle in the 1930s is out now! We publish below the introduction, written by Niklas Albin Svensson, which explains the invaluable theoretical lessons of this collection of writings by Leon Trotsky and Ted Grant.

We are very proud to announce the publication of the first ever Urdu translations of Leon Trotsky’s The Permanent Revolutionand Results and Prospects! These invaluable texts for revolutionaries everywhere have been painstakingly translated by the comrades of the Inqalabi Communist Party – the Pakistani section of the Revolutionary Communist International – for publication as a single book.

Issue 48 of In Defence of Marxism magazine – the quarterly theoretical journal of the Revolutionary Communist International – is out now! Alan Woods’ editorial, which we publish below, takes up the central question of whether we can truly know and understand the world around us, which is a theme throughout this issue. The four articles in this issue take up a wide range of questions relating to this topic: the crisis and stagnation of contemporary science, mysticism in interpreting quantum physics, the philosophical insights of Goethe’s Faust, and a critique of the philosophical writings of Mao.

The name of Frantz Fanon is intimately associated with the anti-colonial struggle of the postwar period, and his major work, The Wretched of the Earth, is regularly cited as a handbook for anti-imperialist struggle around the world. In this article, Jorge Martín separates the real Fanon from his postcolonial interpreters, and explains both the strengths and the flaws of his ideas.

Trotsky’s theory of the permanent revolution is one of the most important, but also amongst the most misunderstood ideas in the entire Marxist tradition. Does it really mean that revolution needs to happen everywhere, all at once? Does it ignore workers outside of the West? Is it contrary to Lenin’s views? Josh Holroyd, leading member of the Revolutionary Communist International, takes up these questions and explains the real essence of Trotsky’s remarkable contribution to our theoretical arsenal.

In the autumn of 1914 Lenin began a detailed study of Hegel’s writings. His notes contain a brilliant insight into the dialectical method, of which he was a master. In this article, Hamid Alizadeh draws out the essential aspects of this method, underlining the fundamental importance of theory for the communist movement.

We are extremely proud to publish here a brand new English translation of a short 1922 article by Leon Trotsky, Attention to theory. First published in the monthly magazine Under the banner of Marxism, this article met with Lenin’s full approval and is referred to in a piece he wrote for the third edition of the magazine, On the significance of militant materialism. We are republishing the latter alongside this article.

On this day in 1940, Trotsky died of injuries inflicted by a Stalinist agent. Despite the lies of Stalin’s epigones, there is nothing in Trotsky’s ideas that cannot also be found in Lenin. The two men reached the same political conclusions and led the Russian Revolution to victory in 1917, at the head of the Bolshevik Party. Both understood the necessity of world revolution; and after Lenin died, Trotsky continued to defend his real ideas and legacy against Stalin’s bureaucratic counterrevolution. It was for this reason that he was marked for death.