Leon Trotsky
RESPONSIBILITIES/IDEOLOGIES/CONTRIBUTION
Leon Trotsky’s responsibilities varied during his lifetime as he assumed many different positions in the different factions of the Revolution. Trotsky became a Social Democrat in 1903, resulting in his joining of the Mensheviks at the Second Part Congress. He would split with them not long after. In 1905 Trotsky become the chairman of the St Petersburg Soviet, which would later be raided resulting in exile. Trotsky would then return to Russia in May 1917, only to join the Bolsheviks, the enemy of his former allegiance. Trotsky would be appointed to Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet by Kerensky in October of the same year. In November Trotsky became the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, …show more content…
Seeking refuge in countries such as Turkey, Norway and France. Trotsky was deported to Mexico in 1936, where he would spend the next four years there until his death, when in 1940, he was assassinated with an icepick by Ramon Mercader. Historian Richard Pipes says “His defeat had nothing ennobling about it. He lost because he was outsmarted in a sordid struggle for political power.” As indicated, Trotsky contributed greatly to the Revolution due to his social standing and political power in the roles he undertook. Trotsky believed that true socialism could not be established unless there was a global revolution. His competitor Stalin opposed this, however, Trotsky as Isaac Deutscher states, “…refrained from attacking Stalin because he felt secure… It seemed to Trotsky almost a bad joke that Stalin, the wilful and sly but shabby and inarticulate man in the background, should be his rival.” Trotsky was a heavy believer in Lenin’s work, and used some of the values and ideas from Lenin to shape it into his own idealism, Trotskyism. However, as Robert Daniels suggests, “Trotsky’s failure, however, seems to have been almost inevitable, considering his own qualities and the conditions of …show more content…
Martov and Lenin. Lenin wanted professionalism and to be modelled after Western European social democratic parties, which Martov opposed. Lenin’s followers left and formed the Bolshevik party. Martov’s followers formed the Menshevik party, and as 1903 progressed the two factions grew larger. The Mensheviks believed that the proletariat could/should not dominate a bourgeois revolution. In 1905, the Mensheviks had an active role in the 1905 revolution, especially in the St Petersburg soviet. During the 1905-1907 revolution, the Mensheviks opposed the working class and the peasantry. Believing the Socialism should only be achieved through a bourgeois revolution. Key members of the Mensheviks include Julius Martov, Pavel Axelrod, Alexander Martinov, Fyodor Dan, Irakli Tsereteli and Leon Trotsky (before 1917). After the February Revolution in 1917, they assumed leading roles in the soviets and provisional governments and set up their own party, however were not sufficiently united in cause to maintain a strong position. After the Bolshevik Revolution in October the same year, they tried one last stand against the Bolsheviks, but inevitably were completely supressed in 1922, and many fled into exile, marking the end of the
RESPONSIBILITIES/IDEOLOGIES/CONTRIBUTION
Leon Trotsky’s responsibilities varied during his lifetime as he assumed many different positions in the different factions of the Revolution. Trotsky became a Social Democrat in 1903, resulting in his joining of the Mensheviks at the Second Part Congress. He would split with them not long after. In 1905 Trotsky become the chairman of the St Petersburg Soviet, which would later be raided resulting in exile. Trotsky would then return to Russia in May 1917, only to join the Bolsheviks, the enemy of his former allegiance. Trotsky would be appointed to Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet by Kerensky in October of the same year. In November Trotsky became the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, …show more content…
Seeking refuge in countries such as Turkey, Norway and France. Trotsky was deported to Mexico in 1936, where he would spend the next four years there until his death, when in 1940, he was assassinated with an icepick by Ramon Mercader. Historian Richard Pipes says “His defeat had nothing ennobling about it. He lost because he was outsmarted in a sordid struggle for political power.” As indicated, Trotsky contributed greatly to the Revolution due to his social standing and political power in the roles he undertook. Trotsky believed that true socialism could not be established unless there was a global revolution. His competitor Stalin opposed this, however, Trotsky as Isaac Deutscher states, “…refrained from attacking Stalin because he felt secure… It seemed to Trotsky almost a bad joke that Stalin, the wilful and sly but shabby and inarticulate man in the background, should be his rival.” Trotsky was a heavy believer in Lenin’s work, and used some of the values and ideas from Lenin to shape it into his own idealism, Trotskyism. However, as Robert Daniels suggests, “Trotsky’s failure, however, seems to have been almost inevitable, considering his own qualities and the conditions of …show more content…
Martov and Lenin. Lenin wanted professionalism and to be modelled after Western European social democratic parties, which Martov opposed. Lenin’s followers left and formed the Bolshevik party. Martov’s followers formed the Menshevik party, and as 1903 progressed the two factions grew larger. The Mensheviks believed that the proletariat could/should not dominate a bourgeois revolution. In 1905, the Mensheviks had an active role in the 1905 revolution, especially in the St Petersburg soviet. During the 1905-1907 revolution, the Mensheviks opposed the working class and the peasantry. Believing the Socialism should only be achieved through a bourgeois revolution. Key members of the Mensheviks include Julius Martov, Pavel Axelrod, Alexander Martinov, Fyodor Dan, Irakli Tsereteli and Leon Trotsky (before 1917). After the February Revolution in 1917, they assumed leading roles in the soviets and provisional governments and set up their own party, however were not sufficiently united in cause to maintain a strong position. After the Bolshevik Revolution in October the same year, they tried one last stand against the Bolsheviks, but inevitably were completely supressed in 1922, and many fled into exile, marking the end of the