The defeat of the Chinese revolution in 1927 was one of the decisive factors in the emergence of Trotskyism as a distinct body of thought. In the early 1930s, there were more Trotskyists in China than anywhere else outside Russia. Yet, the history of Chinese Trotskyism is hardly known even among Trotskyists today. It is an inspiring story of perseverance against unimaginable odds to keep alive a revolutionary tradition.