Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky was a Russian revolutionary and Marxist theorist who helped lead the October Revolution, organized the Red Army, and later opposed Joseph Stalin from exile.

Vladimir Lenin: Vladimir Lenin was a Russian revolutionary who led the Bolsheviks and the Soviet government after the 1917 Revolution. Lenin and Trotsky cooperated during the revolution and civil war, despite earlier political disagreements.
Red Army: The Red Army was the military force established by the Bolshevik government during the Russian Civil War. Trotsky organized and led the force that defended Bolshevik rule from 1918.
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party: The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was a Marxist political organization founded in 1898. Trotsky entered revolutionary politics within this party before its Bolshevik-Menshevik split.
Left Opposition: The Left Opposition was a Soviet faction that challenged Stalin’s policies and the growth of bureaucratic power. Trotsky led this opposition before its members were expelled from the Communist Party.
Joseph Stalin: Joseph Stalin was a Soviet leader who consolidated power after Lenin’s death and ruled the USSR until 1953. Stalin’s rise displaced Trotsky and turned their political rivalry into a struggle over Soviet rule.
Russian Civil War: The Russian Civil War was the armed conflict among rival forces following the 1917 revolutions. Trotsky’s leadership of the Red Army was tested in this conflict.
Mensheviks: The Mensheviks were the faction of Russian Marxists that favored a broader, more gradual party organization. Trotsky briefly aligned with the Mensheviks after the party split, though he remained independent of both factions.
Fourth International: The Fourth International is an international organization founded by Trotskyist groups in 1938. Trotsky founded it to build a revolutionary alternative to Stalin’s Communist International.
Natalia Sedova: Natalia Sedova was a Russian revolutionary and Trotsky’s second wife, accompanying him through years of exile. Sedova shared Trotsky’s exile and continued his political work after his death.
War communism: War communism was the Bolshevik government’s emergency economic policy during the Russian Civil War. Trotsky supported coercive measures used to supply the army and sustain the war effort.

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