u/Sky_Throwaway9900

Hey everyone,
I’m relatively new to theory and have ONLY read Marx and Engels’ works so far.

From my reading, Marx emphasizes that socialism requires a highly developed capitalist base (advanced industry and abundance) to even function. He and Engels explicitly state that a revolution cannot survive in just one isolated, underdeveloped country because it lacks that material base and will succumb to global capitalist pressure.

Historically, this is exactly what seemed to happen to isolated socialist states. Since Trotsky’s theories on internationalism and the failure of "Socialism in One Country" seem to directly align with Marx's core economic arguments, why is he so heavily disliked in many socialist circles?

I'm trying to understand the gap between Marx's text and 20th-century history. What is the main critique of his position? Thanks!