Special Sub-Topic: Leon Trotsky Click Here To Play: Leon Trotsky

Trotsky was born in _________.

Ukraine, in 1879. He was born Lev Davidovich Bronstein in Ukraine, then part of the Russian empire, to a wealthy Jewish farmer.

In 1897, Trotsky helped form the ________________________.

South Russian Workers' Union. Trotsky had become a radical follower of the German philosopher, Karl Marx. He was arrested and charged with spreading dangerous ideas and causing political disorder in 1898, and was exiled to Siberia. Four years later, he escaped-using Trotsky as his name, which later became his popular name-and fled to London, where he met Lenin Plekhanov, and Martov and joined their group of Russian Social Democrats.

After the Russian Revolution of 1905, Trotsky returned home to direct the socialist workers' movement in __________________.

St. Petersburg. Trotsky was made chairman of St. Petersburg Soviet (Council) of Workers' Deputies. He distinguished himself from other leaders by his stubborn and revolutionary nature. After Emperor Nicholas II promised civil rights for Russia's peasants, Trotsky called for an end to the workers' strike.

In 1917, Trotsky joined the _______________ party.

Bolshevik. Although he had earlier criticized Lenin's policy of a one-party dictatorship, he later joined forces with him, and became one of the most important members of the Bolshevik Party. He led the opposition to the Provisional Government that had formed after Nicholas II's abdication, and was arrested in August. He was released the next month.

In September 1917, Trotsky was elected chairman of the _________________________________.

Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet. During this time, Lenin was in hiding to escape arrest, so Trotsky made most of the plans of the Bolshevik takeover.

After the October Revolution of 1917, Lenin appointed Trotsky as the head of ___________________.

foreign affairs. Trotsky was a key figure in negotiations with Germany. He resigned from his post five months later in protest of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which made severe demands on Russia. He was made commissar and chairman of the Supreme Military Council of Russia.

Because of Trotsky's brilliant military leadership, the Bolsheviks won the ___________________________ in 1921.

Russian Civil War. The war started in 1918, and continued for three years.

In December 1922, the ___________________________________ was proclaimed.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics & USSR & U.S.S.R. & Soviet Union.

After Lenin died in 1924, ___________ established a three-body government with Zinovyev and Kamanev.

Stalin. Stalin, Georgian of birth, later assumed absolute power. Trotsky continued to criticize Stalin which led to the loss of his post as Commissar of War.

In 1926, Zinovyev, Kamanev, and Trotsky formed an opposition coalition against Stalin called the ___________________.

Left Opposition.

In ________, Trotsky was exiled from the USSR.

1929. Stalin had at first exiled him to Soviet Central Asia in 1928, but because of his continuous political and oppositional activities, he was exiled altogether from the USSR in 1929.

After his exile, Trotsky was admitted in _____________, where he lived for four years.

Turkey. In 1933, he moved from Turkey to France.

In 1936, Trotsky took permanent residence in ________________.

Mexico. He lived in Mexico City, Mexico with his family where he continued to advocate world revolution.

In 1937, Trotsky published ______________________.

The Revolution Betrayed. The book criticized Stalin's dictatorial policies.

In ________________, Trotsky was assassinated.

August 1940. A Spanish-born Soviet agent planted an ice-pick in his head, bringing an end to one of the greatest intellectuals and revolutionaries the world had ever produced.