EVALUATING LEON TROTSKY Trotsky was a complex personality. He was one of those figures in history who may be described as having been their own worst enemy. Despite his many gifts and intellectual brilliance, he had serious weaknesses that undermined his chances of success. At times he suffered from diffidence and lack of judgment. -
Historian’s Evaluation
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Historian’s Evaluation
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Kath Driver, teacher, 2016
He was the only one of Stalin’s opponents who grasped what was happening in Russia and who, as a result of this knowledge, decided to fight. Trotsky’s struggle in exile was the only antiobiotic which might have rid the international workers’ movement of this disease. Trotsky’s legacy is the unfinished struggle: for proletarian democracy, for genuine social revolution in the ‘Third World’, for internationalism. -
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Anne Gripton, teacher, 2016
I think Trotsky's biggest mistake was to make assumptions based on his position as a theorist and Civil War leader rather than working to garner support. He faced an obvious challenge in exile and personally I think this is where he gained his biggest victory - by rewriting history, positioning himself as the keeper of true communist tradition, and through his writings posthumously convincing historians like Deutscher that he would have been the better alternative to Stalin. -
Michael Lynch, author, 1990
Trotsky's biggest mistake was to underestimate Stalin in both the Civil War and in the leadership struggle. While Trotsky's performance itself in the Civil War was good, and undoubtedly contributed significantly to Bolshevik success, he alienated a lot of people which undermined him later on. Also, Trotsky's absolute and unswerving loyalty to the revolution made his response to many challenges inflexible and, to be honest, really frustrating! -
Historian’s Evaluation
Tariq Ali, journalist, 1980
Historian’s Evaluation
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…He was also not particularly popular with his peers and this did him no favours either. He should have worked harder to be a people's person. Although the position of War Commissar made him unpopular and he was seen as being cruel and calculated, setting him apart from virtually everyone. -
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Historian’s Evaluation
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Historian’s Evaluation
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Jonathon Dallimore, teacher, 1994
Trotskywas__________________________ a revolutionary hero – a man of principle __________________________ who represented the interests of the working class… Lenin’s true heir. Trotsky 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. -
Richard Pipes, academic, 1994
His strategy at Brest-Litovsk was an utter failure and, ultimately, incredibly costly both to the RSFSR and to his own position. Perhaps how an individual responds to challenges is sometimes not as important as the challenges themselves. The support base Stalin had in his formal positions far outweighed anything Trotsky could muster at the political centre. Something similar could be said for Alexandra Kollontai; she dealt with some challenges in the best possible manner but the obstacles were simply too great and once she slipped from a position of strength it was almost impossible for her to return to any position of great influence. -
Lianne Fisher, teacher, 2016
Trotsky’s role in the November Revolution has been exaggerated by his admirers. Trotsky’s methods (in the Civil War) were more brutal than those of the Tsarist regime, and his defeat by Stalin had nothing ennobling about it. He lost because he was outsmarted in a sordid struggle for political power. Trotsky’s campaign against Stalin was the result of base motives rather than high ideals. …(He) merely wanted revenge, and was willing to destroy the Party in order to achieve it. -
Historian’s Evaluation
Historian’s Evaluation
Isaac Deutscher, journalist, 1953
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Once you’ve finished summarising each evaluation, rank them 1 to 8 in order of your agreeance with each historian.
