Background
TROTSKJY, Lev was born on November 7, 1879 in village Yanovka, Kherson Province. Son of a Jewish colonist.
TROTSKJY, Lev was born on November 7, 1879 in village Yanovka, Kherson Province. Son of a Jewish colonist.
1896 graduate nonclassical college in Nikolayev. Completed his educational by selfstudy.
1897 co-founded and directed in Nikolayev Southern Russian Workers’ Union. January 1898 arrested with other members of this group and exiled for four years to Verkholensk, Siberia. 1902 fled from exile and made his way to London, where he helped publish newspaper “Iskra”, founded by Lenin together with Plekhanov and Martov.
1903 attended 2nd Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party Congress and sided with Menshevik faction, from which he soon dissociated himself, adopting a centrist stand in the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party. February 1905 relumed to Russia and lived in Kiev, then Saint St. Petersburg. In Saint St. Petersburg began to publish “Rabochaya gazeta" and then, together with Parvus, “Russkaya gazeta”.
Also collaborated with the Mensheviks and helped publish a joint organ, the newspaper “Nachalo". Instrumental in organizing October 1905 strike in Saint St. Petersburg. Member, then chairman, Saint St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers’ Deputy.
Together with Parvus, developed theory of so-called permanent revolution, to which he subsequently also adhered. This theory foresaw the immediate and forcible development of a bourgeoisdemocratic revolution into a socialist revol and constant expansion of the latter on a global scale. December 1905, together with other members of Petrograd Soviet, arrested and again exiled to Siberia.
Fled at Beryozovo, en route to Obdorsk, and again made his way abroad — this time to Vienna. 1908-1912, together with A. Ioffe, published in Vienna newspaper “Pravda’’ and 1912 founded anti-Bolshevik “August Bloc”. 1912-1913 military correspondent in Balkans for newspaper “Kiyevskaya mysl’”.
With start of World War 1 lived in Switzerland, then in France. 1914 founded in France journal “Bor'ba”. 1915 attended Zimmcrwald Conference, adopting centrist stand.
As regards World War 1, rejected idea of defeatism and transition of this conflict into a civil war. 1916 deported from France to Spain, then made his way to America. After 1917 February Rcvol returned to Saint St. Petersburg and sided with "Mezhrayontsy” faction of Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party, midway between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
At 6th Russian Social-Democratic Workers ’Party (Bolsheviks) Congress joined Bolshevik faction and was elected to Central Committee, Russian Social-Democratic Workers ’Party (Bolsheviks). After Bolsheviks’ July 1917 attempt to seize power, he was arrested by Provisional Government but shortly released and was elected chairman, Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers' Deputy. In this capacity, and as member, Central Committee, Russian Social-Democratic Workers ’Party (Bolsheviks) and member, then chairman, Military Revol Committee, he played a key role in preparing and carrying out October 1917 Bolshevik coup.
Entered new Soviet government as People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs but in connection with his stand at Brest peace talks of “neither war nor peace” he resigned from this post and in February 1918 appointed People's Commissar of Military Affairs. Later also appointed chairman, Revol Military Council. From 1922 People's Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs and chairman, Rcvol Military Council.
1920-1921 also ran People's Commissariat of Means of Communication. Instrumental in organizing Red Army and in restoring navy, thus facilitating Bolsheviks’ victory in Civil War. Throughout this period Political Bureau member, Central Committee, Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (Communist Party of the Soviet Union/B/) and member, Communist International Executive Committee.
Throughout Lenin’s illness and particularly after his death, in the course of the power struggle, came into conflict with Stalin, which led to the so-called opposition trend of “Trotskyism”. January 1925 dismissed as People's Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs. Fall 1926, as a further step in Stalin’s campaign against the “Trotskyist Bloc,” he was expelled from Political Bureau and October 1927 from Central Committee, All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and Communist International Executive Committee.
November 1927 expelled from All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). April 1928 also expelled from Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Central Executive Committee. January 1928 exiled from Moscow to Alma-Ata.
February 1929 deported from Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics to Turkey. 20 February 1932 Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Central Executive Committee decree deprived him of Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics citizenship. Living abroad, Trotsky continued to campaign against Stalin and against Stalinism in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and the international Communist movement.
As a counterweight to the Communist International, he founded the independent 4th International. Like Stalin, in this campaign he proceeded from Lenin’s theoretical and practical legacy. Ignoring his disagreements with Lenin in 1903-1917.
Communist Party member from 1917.