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Leon Trotsky
Who Was He?• Born November 7, 1879 in Kirovohrad, Ukraine.
• Full name: Lev Davidovich Bronshtein.
• He was a writer, a communist, a leader in the 1917
Russian Revolution, a people’s commissar, and the
head of the Red Army.
What Was He A Part Of?
• He joined Social Democratic Party, which split
into two factions.
• Became member of the Menshevik (minority)
faction.
• There, he developed his theory of permanent
revolution.
His Introduction to Marxism
• Marxism: the political, economic, and social, theories of Karl Marx including the belief that the struggle between social classes is a major force in history and that there will eventually be a society where there are no classes.
• Trotsky skipped to school to talk with political exiles and he read many illegal books.
• He met people who had revolutionary ideas, which led to the development of his own.
The 1917 Russian Revolution
• He lead the communist faction.
• He became a war commissioner.
• He eventually joined the Bolshevik (majority) party and
became an ally of Vladimir Lenin, leader of the new
Soviet government.
• Trotsky became second to Lenin.
People’s Commissar• He became a people’s commissar for his new role in
government.• He was responsible for negotiating a peace treaty
with Russia so that they wouldn’t participate in World War I.
• This led to him becoming a commissar of the army and navy after he resigned his position.
The Red Army• After becoming the commissar of the army and navy,
Trotsky raised a powerful new army, which was called the Red Army.
• Red Army: early beneficiary of two ongoing sources of strength for communist Russia; a willingness to use people of humble background, but great ability and an ability to inspire mass loyalty in the name of a brighter communist future.
• Recruited able generals and masses of loyal conscripts.• Red Army fought and won against White Russian forces
in the civil war, which kept the Bolshevik regime alive.
Tension With Joseph Stalin• When Lenin’s health started deteriorating, the people
started questioning who his successor would be.• Trotsky seemed to be a good choice because of his
success.• However, Trotsky was very arrogant, grating him very few
friends.• His Jewish background went against him. • Once Lenin died, a man named Joseph Stalin came and
politically outmaneuvered Trotsky.• This led to Trotsky’s downfall and exile out of the country.
Exile• Trotsky was first exiled to Alma-Ata, which is now
Almaty, Kazakhstan.• Soon after, he was banned from the entire Soviet
Union.• He continued writing books, articles, and memoirs
regarding revolutionary ideas.• He also criticized Stalin, which caused him to name
Trotsky a conspirator in taking him out of power.• Throughout the years that followed, Trotsky lived in
Turkey, France, Norway.• He eventually ended up in Mexico, where he spent his
final days.
His Death• Trotsky escaped the first assassination attempt by
Stalin on May 24, 1940.• On August 20, 1940, Ramon Mercader murdered
Trotsky with an ice pick.• A day later, Trotsky died due to his injuries at the age
of 60.• Mercador assassinated Trotsky by the orders of
Joseph Stalin.