Trotsky (surname)

Leon Trotsky (born Lev Davidovich Bronstein; 1879-1940) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary, theorist, and Soviet politician. A key figure in the Bolshevik revolution, he initially worked alongside Vladimir Lenin, holding significant positions within the early Soviet government.

Trotsky played a crucial role in the October Revolution of 1917 and subsequently served as the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs and later as the founder and commander of the Red Army. He was instrumental in the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War.

Following Lenin's death in 1924, Trotsky became involved in a power struggle with Joseph Stalin. He advocated for permanent revolution – the belief that socialist revolutions should continuously occur in other countries – a view that contrasted with Stalin's "socialism in one country" doctrine.

Ultimately, Stalin prevailed in the power struggle. Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party in 1927, exiled from the Soviet Union in 1929, and eventually assassinated in Mexico in 1940 on Stalin's orders.

Trotsky's political theories and writings remain influential within Marxist and socialist circles, giving rise to the political ideology known as Trotskyism. Trotskyism is characterized by its commitment to international revolution, anti-Stalinism, and a belief in the need for a vanguard party to lead the working class.