Leon Trotsky

Politician

November 7, 1879 Bereslavka, Ukraine

August 21, 1940 Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico

Aleksandra Sokolovskaya (m. 1899–1902), Natalia Sedova (m. 1903–1940)

Leon Trotsky was one of the key revolutionaries in the history of Russia. He foughtfor the liberation of the working class from the dominating regime of monarchy alongside the likes of Lenin. Appointed the Commissar of War, he helped defeat the forces that opposed‘Bolshevik’ principles. He was responsible for building the ‘Red Army’ and led the army to victory in the battle against the ‘White Army.’ His actions resulted in him being arrested and exiled to Siberia several times; his final exile was a complete banishment from the Soviet Union. All his life, he struggled to promote the theories of Marxist society and opposed mere capitalism as a means of progress. He supported Vladimir Lenin and his theories, though he disagreed on several principles. After Lenin’s death, the power was transferred to Joseph Stalin. Thereafter, Trotsky’s hold on the party declined steadily, resulting in a permanent exile from the country. The author of several books, Trotsky continued to promote Marxist and Socialist ways of governance. He was a strong critic of the Stalin-led government. He was brutally assassinated in Mexico City, where he was spending his time in exile.