Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky was one of the principal leaders of the Russian Revolution, which overthrew Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and replaced the monarchy with a communist government.

Fast Facts:

1. Full name: Lev Davidovich Trotsky
2. Birth name: Lev Davidovich Bronstein
3. Born: November 7, 1879
4. Birthplace: Kherson, Ukraine
5. Attended: Odessa University
6. Political party: Communist Party of the Soviet Union
7. Profession: Politician, writer, editor
8. Spouses: Aleksandra Sokolovskaya, Natalia Sedova
9. Died: August 20, 1940
10. Murdered in: Coyoacán, Mexico

Positions Held

1. People's Commissar for Army and Navy Affairs (March 13, 1918 – January 6, 1925)
2. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs (November 8, 1917 – March 13, 1918)
3. President of the Petrograd Soviet(October 8, 1917 – November 8, 1917)

Early Life

Leon Trotsky was born Lev Davidovich Bronstein to Jewish parents in the southwestern part of what was then the Russian empire, but is now the Ukraine. His first exposure to political activism came in 1896, while he was staying with a family in Nikolayev to finish his secondary education. He was exposed to Marxism and took an active role in the movement, organizing the Southern Russian Workers Union in 1897. He was arrested and exiled to Siberia as a result of his involvement.

Vladimir Lenin

Trotsky met Lenin in 1902, after escaping Siberia and fleeing to London. He joined him in writing for the communist newspaper Iskra, but opposed him politically. In 1903, Trotsky sided with the Mensheviks when they split with the Bolsheviks.

Second Exile

Trotsky returned to Russia to take a leadership role in the 1905 revolution. He was arrested for his involvement and again exiled to Siberia. While in exile he wrote two books, Results and Prospects, in which he discussed his thoughts about revolution in Russia. He escaped from Siberia in 1907, fleeing Russia for Europe and later, the United States. He was in New York City at the time of the Russian revolution in March 1917. He immediately returned to Russia, joining Lenin and the Bolsheviks in July.

Party Leader

Trotsky worked with Lenin to overthrow the provisional government and emerged as a key leader after the October Revolution. His reorganization of the Red Army helped them win the civil war that solidified the revolutionary government. He negotiated the peace treaty with Germany at Brest Litovsk to end Russia's involvement in World War I.

Opposition to Stalin

Trotsky was a vocal critic of Stalin, for which he was exiled, expelled from the communist party and finally murdered in 1940.

Categories