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Leon Trotsky

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description Leon Trotsky Overview

Leon Trotsky was a Russian Marxist revolutionary, political theorist, and Bolshevik leader in the Russian Revolution and ensuing civil war. He chaired the Petrograd Soviet in 1917, served as Soviet commissar for foreign affairs, and organized the Red Army. After losing the struggle for power to Joseph Stalin, he was expelled from the Soviet Union and continued criticizing Stalinism from exile. He was assassinated in Mexico City in 1940 by Ramón Mercader, a Soviet agent.

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What role did Leon Trotsky play in the Russian Revolution?

Leon Trotsky was a central figure in the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution who subsequently founded and led the Red Army. He was instrumental in organizing the military forces that secured the Communist victory during the Russian Civil War.

Why was Leon Trotsky exiled from the Soviet Union?

After Vladimir Lenin's death, Trotsky became embroiled in a bitter power struggle against Joseph Stalin over the ideological direction of the Soviet Union. Stalin ultimately won, expelled Trotsky from the Communist Party, and exiled him in 1929.

How did Leon Trotsky die?

While living in exile in Mexico City in 1940, Trotsky was assassinated by a Soviet NKVD agent named Ramón Mercader. Mercader killed him by striking him in the head with an ice axe.

What political theory did Trotsky advocate?

Trotsky was the primary proponent of "Trotskyism," a Marxist theory characterized by his theory of permanent revolution. He heavily criticized Stalin's idea of "Socialism in One Country," arguing that global socialist revolution was necessary for survival.

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