logo
episode-header-image
Sep 21
1h 10m

The Rise and Fall of the Fourth Internat...

Revolutionary Communist Party
About this episode

The rise and fall of the Fourth International is one of the most important lessons for communists today. At the World Congress of the Revolutionary Communist International, Rob Sewell explains how the degeneration of the leadership of the Fourth International left the working class without a revolutionary party. Ted Grant’s sharp criticisms of the opportunism and sectarianism of the leadership are more relevant than ever for revolutionaries seeking to rebuild genuine Marxism.

By revisiting the successes, failures, and betrayals of the Fourth, we gain the necessary clarity to understand why a mass revolutionary communist international is essential in the fight against capitalism today. For listeners interested in the history of communism, Trotskyism, and revolutionary strategy, this talk offers key lessons on how Marxists must organise, study the ideas, and assess perspectives, and why the method of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, and Ted Grant remains the indispensable guide for overthrowing capitalism in the 21st century.

🔗 ⁠⁠Head to our website for more analysis on the topic⁠⁠

✊ ⁠⁠Join the Revolutionary Communist Party⁠⁠

📰 ⁠⁠Subscribe to The Communist and the In Defence of Marxism magazine⁠⁠

💸 ⁠⁠Donate to the RCP⁠⁠

🌐 ⁠⁠Read the latest news and analysis from the RCI

Up next
Oct 6
Can AI have consciousness? │Revolution Festival 2024
Is artificial intelligence truly conscious—or is it just hype? At Revolution Festival 2024, Daniel Morley applies the Marxist method to cut through the illusions surrounding AI. While tech billionaires claim AI is a revolution on par with human thought, Marxism shows that conscio ... Show More
47m 21s
Sep 29
Reason in revolt | Summer camp '25
Marxism is not just a political programme—it is a scientific world outlook. At the RCP Summer Camp, Khaled Malachi explains the role of Marxist philosophy and why dialectical materialism is the most advanced method for understanding reality. From physics to biology, science confi ... Show More
40m 21s
Sep 16
Communists discuss: "Is Starmer's time up?" | Communist Radio #22
Fiona Lali and Khaled Malachi discuss the deepening crisis in Britain — from the failure of Starmer's government to growing political disillusionment across the country. Why is public trust collapsing? Why does everyone seem to hate Starmer? And what does the future hold as the U ... Show More
50m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Communism: everything you wanted to know
First published in 1848, the The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels presents communism as a 'spectre' haunting Europe. During the century that followed, this revolutionary ideology swept the world and left an indelible mark on the geopolitical dynamics of the m ... Show More
50m 30s
Sep 2024
Revolutionary Strategy and the Industrial Proletariat
Chase from the Maoist Communist Union (MCU) joins Breht to discuss revolutionary strategy, both historically and presently, and the specific role of the industrual proletariat in that strategy. Together, they discuss communist organizing, different class stratas and their revolut ... Show More
2h 16m
Oct 2017
Episode 26, Karl Marx's Political Philosophy (Part III)
Website: www.thepanpsycast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepanpsycast Karl Marx is one of the most influential figures in human history. The Prussian-born philosopher, economist, political theorist, sociologist, and revolutionary socialist, produced some of the most controversial ... Show More
32m 15s
Sep 2017
Episode 26, Karl Marx's Political Philosophy (Part II)
Website: www.thepanpsycast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepanpsycast Karl Marx is one of the most influential figures in human history. The Prussian-born philosopher, economist, political theorist, sociologist, and revolutionary socialist, produced some of the most controversial ... Show More
37m 50s
Oct 2017
Episode 26, Karl Marx's Political Philosophy (Part IV)
Website: www.thepanpsycast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepanpsycast Karl Marx is one of the most influential figures in human history. The Prussian-born philosopher, economist, political theorist, sociologist, and revolutionary socialist, produced some of the most controversial ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2017
Episode 26, Karl Marx's Political Philosophy (Part I)
Website: www.thepanpsycast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepanpsycast Karl Marx is one of the most influential figures in human history. The Prussian-born philosopher, economist, political theorist, sociologist, and revolutionary socialist, produced some of the most controversial ... Show More
36m 20s
Jun 2024
Neoliberalism: The Invisible Ideology, with George Monbiot
We live under an invisible ideology. It tells us that we are not citizens but consumers. That intervening in the free market compromises our freedom. That we are all millionaires-in-waiting - and if we are struggling to make ends meet, then we only have ourselves to blame. This i ... Show More
55m 7s
Jan 2025
The Truth about Lenin, Stalin and the Soviet Union - Michael Malice
Michael Malice is the author of Dear Reader, The New Right, The Anarchist Handbook & The White Pill. He's the host of the "YOUR WELCOME" podcast on YouTube @MichaelMaliceofficial | SPONSOR: Aura. Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches. Go to our sponsor https://aura.co ... Show More
1h 11m
Mar 2024
Fatal Neutrality: Lumumba, the CIA, and the Cold War
In 1960, the Congo gained independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba was elected prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. Within a year, Lumumba was deposed and assassinated. This week on Deconstructed, executive editor of Foreign Affairs and author Stuart Reid joins Ryan Gr ... Show More
46m 10s
Jun 2025
[BEST OF] The Chinese Revolution: Chairman Mao, Cultural Revolution, & Communist China
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jun 4, 2018 In this episode, Breht is joined by Yueran Zhang, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University, to discuss the Chinese Revolution and the legacy of Mao Zedong. Together, they explore the historical context of China's revolutionary transformat ... Show More
1h 2m