leon trotsky

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.