Leon Trotsky

 

Leon Trotsky was one of the most influential figures in the early days of the Soviet Union.To many, He was considered to be Lenin’s de facto successor. Not only was he a driving force in the negotiation that ended Russia’s war against the Germans in 1917,he also helped build the Red Army into the formidable fighting force that won the Russian Civil War.

However, when Lenin kicked the bucket, Trotsky was outmaneuvered politically by Stalin and co. This resulted in Stalin’s rise to power and infamy. Even before that, Trotsky did not share the radical beliefs of Stalin and Lenin. He wanted a slower transition to communism. This caused a lot of friction between him and Stalin. Lenin’s opinion at this point was not valid since he was already dead. Trotsky was slowly stripped of his power and influence in Stalin’s regime, eventually leading to his forced departure from the Soviet Union, settling in Mexico City in the 30s. Accused of treason and sentenced to death by one of Stalin’s “Courts,” he knew that he was on Stalin’s famous list. One would think that him being on the other side of the world from Stalin would keep him safe, but Stalin’s reach was very wide. In May 1940, 20 armed men stormed his house in Mexico City but failed to kill him. With this in mind, he and his bodyguards reinforced his house, making it into “a fortress—and at the same time into a prison.” Security was heightened, however, all of that was useless because of a trusted friend who turned out to be an agent of Stalin. Ramon Mercader seduced a close Trotsky ally and became a trusted member of their little communist family-in-exile. Mercader used this trust to bypass security and secure a 1 on 1 with Trotsky under the guise of asking him to review an article he had written. While he was busy with the article, Mercader pulled out an icepick and stabbed Trotsky in the head. But instead of dying Trotsky fought back, and eventually, his guards stormed into the room and started beating Mercader to death, only for Trotsky to stop them in order to attempt an interrogation. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, with Trotsky falling into a coma the next day and passing. For his actions, Mercader was sentenced to 20 years in a Mexican Prison. After his release, He was awarded an Order of Lenin.