Trotsky : a biography

Robert Service completes his masterful trilogy on the founding figures of the Soviet Union in an eagerly anticipated, authoritative biography of Leon Trotsky. Trotsky is perhaps the most intriguing and, given his prominence, the most understudied of the Soviet revolutionaries. Using new archival sources including family letters, party and military correspondence, confidential speeches, and medical records, Service offers new insights into Trotsky. He discusses Trotsky s fractious relations with the leaders he was trying to bring into a unified party before 1914; his attempt to disguise his political closeness to Stalin; and his role in the early 1920s as the progenitor of political and cultural Stalinism. Trotsky evinced a surprisingly glacial and schematic approach to making revolution. Service recounts Trotsky s role in the botched German revolution of 1923; his willingness to subject Europe to a Red Army invasion in the 1920s; and his assumption that peasants could easily be pushed onto collective farms. Service also sheds light on Trotsky s character and personality: his difficulties with his Jewish background, the development of his oratorical skills and his preference for writing over politicking, his inept handling of political factions and coldness toward associates, and his aversion to assuming personal power. Although Trotsky s followers clung to the stubborn view of him as a pure revolutionary and a powerful intellect unjustly hounded into exile by Stalin, the reality is very different. This illuminating portrait of the man and his legacy sets the record straight." Trotsky Is Perhaps The Most Intriguing And, Given His Prominence, The Most Understudied Of The Soviet Revolutionaries. Using New Archival Sources, Robert Service Offers New Insights. He Discusses Trotsky's Fractious Relations With The Leaders He Was Trying To Unify; His Attempt To Disguise His Political Closeness To Stalin; And His Role In The Early 1920s As The Progenitor Of Political And Cultural Stalinism. Trotsky Evinced A Surprisingly Glacial And Schematic Approach To Making Revolution. Service Recounts Trotsky's Role In The Botched German Revolution Of 1923; His Willingness To Subject Europe To A Red Army Invasion In The 1920s; And His Assumption That Peasants Could Easily Be Pushed Onto Collective Farms. Although Trotsky's Followers Clung To The Stubborn View Of Him As A Pure Revolutionary And A Powerful Intellect Unjustly Hounded Into Exile By Stalin, The Reality Is Very Different.--from Publisher Description. Pt. 1. 1879-1914 -- The Family Bronstein -- Upbringing -- The Schooling Of Leiba -- The Young Revolutionary -- Love And Prison -- Siberian Exile -- Iskra -- Cutting Loose -- The Year 1905 -- Trial And Punishment -- Again The Emigrant -- Unifier -- Special Correspondent -- Pt. 2. 1914-1919 -- War On The War -- Designs For Revolution -- Atlantic Crossings -- Nearly A Bolshevik -- Threats And Promises -- Seizure Of Power -- People's Commissar -- Trotsky And The Jews -- Brest-litovsk -- Kazan And After -- Almost The Commander -- Red Victory -- World Revolution -- Pt. 3. 1920-1928 -- Images And The Life -- Peace And War -- Back From The Brink -- Disputing About Reform -- The Politics Of Illness -- The Left Opposition -- Fighting For Culture -- Failing To Succeed -- Entourage And Faction -- Living With Trotsky -- What Trotsky Wanted -- Last Stand In Moscow -- Alma-ata -- Pt. 4. 1929-1940 -- Büyükada -- Looking For Revolutions -- The Writer -- Russian Connections -- Europe South And North -- Setting Up In Mexico -- The Fourth International -- Trotsky And His Women -- The Russian Question -- Confronting The Philosophers -- The Second World War -- Assassination -- The Keepers And The Flame. Robert Service. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 1879-1913 -- -- The family Bronstein -- Upbringing -- Schooling -- -- The young revolutionary -- Love and prison -- Siberian exile -- Iskra -- Cutting loose -- -- The year 1905 -- Trial and punishment -- Again the emigrant -- Unifier -- Special correspondent -- 1914-1919 -- War on the war -- Designs for revolution -- Atlantic crossings -- Nearly a Bolshevik -- Threats and promises -- Seizure of power -- People's commissar -- Trotsky and the Jews -- Brest-Litovsk -- Kazan and after -- Almost the commander -- Red victory -- World revolution -- 1920-1928 -- Images and the life -- Peace and war -- Back from the brink -- Disputing about reform -- -- The politics of illness -- -- The left opposition -- On the cultural front -- Failing to succeed -- Entourage and faction -- Living with Trotsky -- What Trotsky wanted -- Last stand in Moscow -- Alma-Ata -- 1929-1940 -- Büyükada -- Looking for revolutions -- -- The writer -- Russian connections -- Europe south and north -- Setting up in Mexico -- -- The Fourth International -- Trotsky and his women -- " -- The Russian question" -- Confronting the philosophers -- -- The Second World War -- Assassination -- -- The keepers and the flame. Revolutionary Practitioner, Theorist, Factional Chief, Sparkling Writer, ‘ladies’ Man’ (e.g., His Affair With Frieda Kahlo), Icon Of The Revolution, Anti-jewish Jew, Philosopher Of Everyday Life, Grand Seigneur Of His Household, Father And Hunted Victim, Trotsky Lived A Brilliant Life In Extraordinary Times. Robert Service Draws On Hitherto Unexamined Archives And On His Profound Understanding Of Russian History To Draw A Portrait Of The Man And His Legacy, Revealing That Though His Followers Have Represented Trotsky As A Pure Revolutionary Soul And A Powerful Intellect Unjustly Hounded Into Exile By Stalin And His Henchmen. The Reality Is Very Different, As This Masterful And Compelling Biography Reveals. Offers new insights to Trotsky's life, including his relations with world leaders, his attempt to disguise his political closeness to Stalin, and his role as the progenitor of political and cultural Stalinism.