Leon Trotsky Analysis

Leon Trotsky’s exile from the Soviet Union meant he had to travel to numerous countries while trying to find asylum. He finally found asylum in Mexico. This is a picture depicting his arrival in Mexico with his wife Natalya Sedova. Frida Kahlo came to greet them upon their arrival and let them stay in the Casa Azul (Blue House). Trotsky was later assassinated in Mexico. This photograph depicts how famous Trotsky was at the time. This international fame led Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, prominent Mexican artists and members of the Communist Party, to be willing to help with accommodating Trotsky. This fame meant that although the Soviet Union’s propaganda war slandered his name, he still was respected by some members of the Communist party. This respect from Mexican communists is a contrast to the viewpoint demonstrated in J.T. Murphy’s The Errors of …show more content…
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyze the value and limitations of Source C for an historian studying __Trotsky’s exile from the Soviet Union__. The origin of this document is an autobiography of Trotsky written after his deportation from the Soviet Union in 1930. The purpose of this document is for Trotsky to depict himself in a positive light after all the negative publicity he received from the Stalin propaganda machine and Leftist opposition. The content of this document is a story of Trotsky’s life and the significant events in it. It also serves as an explanation of Trotsky’s positions. This excerpt in particular sheds light on Trotsky’s treatment before his exile. The values of this source is that it is a first-hand account of the treatment of one of Stalin’s opponents. Many of Stalin’s opponents did not live to tell the tale like Trotsky did - making his testament even more valuable. Trotsky was the most significant threat to Stalin’s power before it was fully realized and his survival is miraculous. The limitations of this source is that it is heavily opinionated and