5.0 out of 5 stars Trotsky, the Butcher

J.D. · December 13, 2012

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } The details of Trotsky's fanatic terrorism and butchery, and his deceit about it within his History of the Russian Revolution, only fully emerged in the latter part of the 20th Century. Much was concealed even by his enemy Stalin, as it would have exposed Lenin, Trotsky's boss, as complicit. Trotsky was basically Lenin's enforcer and executioner. For example, his violent fist-shaking "take no prisoners" speech to the drunken mob in front of the Winter Palace in October 1917, defended only by a woman's brigade and troop of boy cadettes, led to unnecessary rapine slaughter, white-washed also by the later propaganda films of Sergei Eisenstein, which distorted the violent Bolshevik coup against human freedom into something heroic. Trotsky also lied to the Kronstadt sailors defending the remnants of the early Russian democracy to get them to surrender, and then had most of them shot, unleashing the Red Army to pillage Petrograd. As Generalisimo, he sent the Red Army across large areas of Russia to terrorize and murder the remnants of the democratic Soviets, stomping out all opposition to Bolshevism in what was little more than a prelude to the Red Terror and gulag death-camps. His conduct and advocacy of violent and global "War Communism" indicates, had he succeeded in the power struggle against Stalin, there would have been little difference in Soviet policies or behavior. Of course for "true believers" in Marxism and communism, Trotsky is the guy who they imagine would have allowed a "benign communism" to flourish. Unfortunately, that dream is built upon typical Communist Party lies about what Trotsky actually did when he had power.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Man Destroyed By the Revolution He Made

g. · November 24, 2005

Leon Trotsky is one of the most fascinating, and yet despicablemen in history. The most brilliant of the Bolsheviks who made the October Revolution in Russia and its number 2 leader during the Civil War that solidified the Communist regime, the man is truly an enigma. At a young age, he decided to use his talents to create a Marxist world-wide revolution and still at a young age, had already made a name for himself by moving into Lenin's close circle before the famous Second Party Congress that led to the formation of the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions and then to being one of the leaders of the abortive 1905 Revolution in Russia. It is already at this early stage we see the strange combination of far-sightedness combined with myopia that came to characterize him. This is manifested in Trotsky's correct realization that Lenin's formula for creating a tightly controlled movement ruled by the Center would ultimately lead to a one-man dictatorship. Yet, in spite of his almost prophetic perception of Lenin's flaws, when the February 1917 Revolution leading to the overthrow of the Tsarist regime occurs, Trotsky throws all caution to the wind and rejects all his previous criticism of Lenin and the Bolshevist path and wholeheartedly joins him in his plan to carry out a Bolshevik coup. With the success of the Bolsheviks in coming to power, Trotsky reaches the peak of his career, first as Commissar for Foreign Affairs given the unenviable task of negotiating with the Germans who were demanding immenseswaths of Russian territory. He then moves on to be Commissar for War. Here Volkogonov explodes one of the myths that has come up around Trotsky which claims that, overnight, this bookworm and orator suddenly became a military genius in creating the Red Army and leading it to victory over the White forces opposing the Bolsheviks. Volkogonov points out that Trostky, against the views of others like Stalin and Voroshilov supported the use of former Tsarist military officers (called "specialists") to lead the Red Army and they are the ones who really ran the war, even though their "ideological purity" was suspect. Trotsky's role, although important, was primarily to give motivational speeches to the troops and party cadres and to be the liaison with the government in Moscow.We also now see the dark side of the man, in his support of mass terror, executions, confiscation of grain and the like, in order to bring about his Marxist "utopia".With the victory of the Bolsheviks, coinciding with Lenin's deteriorating health, the other Bolshevik leaders, always jealous of Trotksy's eloquence and brilliance and his late "jumping on the bandwagon", began to plot to remove him.At this critical point, Trotsky's myopia, combined with poor health come into play, and he easily falls into the trap of his enemies, the principle one being Stalin, and he is eased out of power. Even though Lenin viewed him as his successor, Trotsky (who was tricked into not coming to Lenin's funeral) is unable to use this and falls quickly.After this, Trotsky's life quickly goes into a downward spiral. Because of his blind belief that world revolution (which the other Bolsheviks were rapidly losing interest in) is more important that "building socialism in one country", he is expelled from his posts, then the Politburo, then the party and then the USSR in short order. He spends the rest of his life in exile.Although we again see his farsightedness in predicting that Stalin would reach an accomodation with Hitler, and then correctly predicting that Hitler would turn on Stalin and invade the USSR in 1941, we also see his blindness in refusing to view Lenin as anything other as a perfect saint and prophet (his cult of Lenin was just as extreme as that of Stalin's, only less cynical), and his ridiculous belief that Stalin's adoption of Trotsky's radical farm collectivisation in 1929 might lead to Stalin recalling him from exile. Stalin's show trials against "Trotskyism" sends Trotsky into a mantle of self-pity about all the "lies" being told about him, all the while ignoring his own role in creating the terror state and all the innocent victims he created. He denounces the Stalin terror against the Party, yet he criticized Stalin for halting the collectivization program that led 10 million deaths from terror and famine. All these contradictions lead in the end to Trotsky being isolated by the Marxists outside the USSR and the pathetic failure of his attempt to create a Fourth International. Finally, his own entourage is infiltrated by Stalinist agents, his close family members are murdered, and he is left alone in Mexico to face the inevitable-an assassin (Ramon Mercader) who easily gains access to the old man who lets down his guard because he is tired of being perpetually on the run from Stalin's murder machine. Mercader finally puts him out of his misery.The life of Trotsky is a tragedy, the story of a man with great potential, who used it to create one of the most evil regimes in human history, and in the end he is consumed by it. This book is a good introduction to this fascinating figure. The author admits that Deutcher's book is very good, but for someone who wants a shorter introduction to the Eternal Revolutionary, this is a good place to start.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Biography of One of the Twentieth Century's Monster

L. · March 4, 2020

Lenin and Stalin are typically referred to as the essence of Soviet Communism. Trotsky has been overlooked and mischaracterized until this vital new biography by an author with access to heretofore sealed historical documents. In short, Trotsky was the outspoken firebrand who sparked the Bolshevik revolution in 1917; who largely defined the terms of the revolution; who played a critical role in defeating the Whites; who became a victim of the murderous politics of the era. This book is revelatory in its details about Trotsky's life and assassination. It does a wonderful job of explaining how the horrendous collectivist impulse drove Russia to seven decades characterized by the many horrors of totalitarianism.

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading

D.S. · July 13, 2014

I read all three of Volkogonov's biographies on Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky. I personally liked this one the best. I think that Trotsky is a more interesting and compelling persona than Lenin and Stalin. I thought it was a good, well balanced and informative biography. After reading this biography, I felt I had a better feel for the Russian Revolution and one of the primary movers during that period of Russian history. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this area of history.

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful book.

M.H. · June 29, 2015

Once more, a wonderful book.

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing

A.F. · September 14, 2021

Trotsky still has not found his English language biographer. I would not buy again. A hack job.

Trotsky l'éternel révolutionnaire

R. · June 7, 2018

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Une bonne biographie de Trotsky basée sur de nouveaux archives. Comment le héros politique et militaire de l'Union Soviétique contribue à créer un régime qui sera sa perte et la victoire de son camarade Staline, beaucoup moins subtil mais plus rustre et sans scrupule que Trotsky.

Iconic revolutionary

J.C. · June 26, 2011

As usual, Amazon have provided an excellent all round service. I haven't got round to reading it yet but previous reviews indicate that it will be an excellent read.

A masterpiece

H. · May 10, 2007

Trotsky is in many ways the forgotten man of the Russian Revolution, with his actual achievements shadowed by the perception of many that he would have created a functioning U.S.S.R. Volkogonov in his book tries to look at the man behind the image and provides an interesting insight into what could have been. The only slight problem is that it is a little disjointed.

Five Stars

A.D. · January 14, 2016

Excellent book.