ABSTRACT
For many years Trotskyists argued that their growth and influence was severely constrained by the hegemonic position of mass communist parties, social democratic parties and ‘conservative’ trade union bureaucracies. The prolonged decline of world communism that gathered pace from the late 1950s, coupled with the world strike wave and social movement protests that erupted in the 1960s, finally provided the opportunities for growth that Trotskyists had long awaited. This chapter examines the evidence on these two claims. Whilst communist decline in the 1950s and 1960s was indeed associated with Trotskyist growth, this effect disappeared after the Soviet bloc collapse as both Trotskyist and communist parties alike entered trajectories of long-term decline. In regard to the numerous waves of protest witnessed around the world over the past 40 years, the evidence shows that despite their assiduous involvement and their creation of social movement organizations, Trotskyist groups have comprehensively failed to make any breakthroughs in terms of membership or political influence. The chapter concludes by examining the two examples often cited of mass Trotskyist influence, Bolivia and Sri Lanka in the 1950s, and shows both are quite exceptional and unrepeatable cases.
