Anyone who's spent time engaging with Trotskyists has probably heard this story: after 1917, Trotsky became Lenin's closest ally and chosen successor, only to be brutally suppressed by the bureaucratic counter-revolutionary Stalin. According to Trotskyists, Stalin was an arch-revisionist and counter-revolutionary who fell out of favor with Lenin and ultimately usurped power from the man Lenin had actually intended to succeed him. The purpose of this article is to examine these claims and determine whether they are supported by the available evidence. To do this, we'll examine Lenin's relationship with Trotsky after 1917 and the so-called Testament. Lenin & Trotsky Post-1917 From 1903 to 1917, Lenin waged a relentless struggle against Trotsky. The polemics, speeches, criticisms, and disputes are too numerous to cover here. Even Trotskyists recognize this fact. Marxist-Leninists often cite Lenin's writings and speeches from this period to demonstrate the irrecon...
Okay, I pull up. 🇰🇵