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The Transitional Program

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description The Transitional Program Overview

The Transitional Program, officially titled "The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International," is a political document written by Leon Trotsky in 1938. It was adopted as the founding platform at the conference that established the Fourth International. The pamphlet outlines a series of transitional demands designed to bridge the gap between workers' everyday struggles under capitalism and the ultimate goal of socialist revolution.

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What is the Transitional Program and who wrote it?

The Transitional Program was written by Leon Trotsky in 1938 as the founding document of the Fourth International, a rival communist organization to the Stalin-led Third International (Comintern). Its full title is 'The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International.'

What does the Transitional Program mean by 'transitional demands'?

Transitional demands are meant to bridge the gap between modest reformist goals and the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. Trotsky argued that reforms under capitalism are inherently limited, so socialists should advance demands that appear achievable but expose capitalism's inability to meet them.

When was the Transitional Program adopted?

The document was adopted in September 1938 at the founding conference of the Fourth International, held near Paris. It was drafted by Trotsky as the political basis for the new international organization.

What was the Fourth International and why was it founded?

The Fourth International was founded by Trotsky and his supporters as an alternative to the Third International, which they believed had been thoroughly corrupted by Stalinism after Stalin's consolidation of power in the Soviet Union. The Transitional Program served as its foundational political statement.

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