#OnThisDay in 1940 Leon Trotsky died in Mexico. In 1976 one of his bodyguards, Harold Robbins, talked to PM about the assassination and its aftermath. | BBC Radio 4

Trotsky vs. Stalin: The Red Army Power Struggle The power struggle between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin in the early years of the Soviet Union was a defining conflict following Lenin's death in 1924. Trotsky, a key revolutionary leader and the architect of the Red Army, advocated for "permanent revolution," believing that socialism should spread internationally to succeed. In contrast, Stalin promoted "socialism in one country," focusing on strengthening the Soviet state before supporting revo

Leon Trotsky was in born 1879 in Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian Empire. His real name was Lev Davidovich Bronstein. He was the son of wealthy farmers. When he was 17, he discovered Marxism and socialism and became completely drawn to it. He joined a small local Marxist group. Trotsky eventually rose to be one of the most prominent communist leaders in the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War of 1917-1922. Sources: Biography.com Editors. “Leon T