BECAUSE OF ITS TENDENCY TOWARDS OBSCURITY AND SECRECY, THE MOVEMENT FOUNDED IN THE 1930'S BY LEON TROTSKY AFTER HIS BANISHMENT FROM THE SOVIET UNION IS MORE TALKED ABOUT THAN STUDIED. THIS STUDY SETS OUT TO CONTRIBUTE TO A WIDER KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF TROTSKYISM, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR, AND TO MAKE SOME ASSESSMENT OF ITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AS A REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...BDS