Leon Trotsky
- Born:
- 7 November 1879 (O.S. 26 October 1879), Yanovka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine)
- Died:
- 21 August 1940, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
- Nationality:
- Russian (later deprived of citizenship)
- Profession(s):
- Revolutionary, Political Theorist, Soviet Politician
Early Life and Education
- Born Lev Davidovich Bronstein to a Jewish farming family.
- Attended Saint Paul's Real School in Odessa.
- Became involved in revolutionary activities in his late teens.
Career and Major Achievements
- Early involvement in the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP).
- Played a key role in the 1905 Russian Revolution, serving as chairman of the St. Petersburg Soviet.
- Joined the Bolsheviks in 1917.
- A leading figure in the October Revolution of 1917.
- Served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs in the early Soviet government.
- Organized the Red Army and led it to victory in the Russian Civil War.
- Advocated for world revolution and the theory of permanent revolution.
- Engaged in a power struggle with Joseph Stalin following Lenin's death.
- Expelled from the Communist Party in 1927 and exiled from the Soviet Union in 1929.
- Founded the Fourth International in 1938.
- Assassinated in Mexico in 1940.
Notable Works
- Results and Prospects (1906)
- 1905 (1907)
- The History of the Russian Revolution (1930)
- The Revolution Betrayed (1937)
- In Defence of Marxism (1942)
- My Life (1930)
Legacy and Impact
Leon Trotsky remains a controversial figure. His contributions to the Russian Revolution and the development of Marxist theory are undeniable. However, his role in the subsequent political purges and his conflict with Stalin cast a long shadow. Some scholars analyze his life through psychoanalytical lenses, exploring concepts such as the 'trotsky biography resumen de edipo' to understand the complexities of his personality and motivations.