Description
Highlyy Publishing LLP Terrorism and Communism by Leon Trotsky
"Terrorism and Communism" is a political treatise written by the influential Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky in 1920. Originally published in Russian under the title "Terrorizm i kommunizm," the work addresses the pressing issues faced by the Bolshevik government in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War (1918-1922). Trotsky, a key figure in the October Revolution of 1917 and a leader of the Red Army, sought to defend the Bolshevik approach to building socialism in the face of internal and external threats. The book is structured as a series of essays, each examining different aspects of the revolutionary struggle and the challenges encountered by the nascent Soviet state. Trotsky argues for the necessity of what he terms "military communism" during the Civil War, emphasizing the role of revolutionary violence and coercion to secure the survival of the socialist state. The use of the term "terrorism" in the title may be somewhat misleading, as Trotsky is not advocating terrorism in the contemporary sense but rather a ruthless and authoritarian approach to suppress counter-revolutionary forces. One of the central themes of the book is the idea that the revolutionary state must resort to "war communism" and adopt extraordinary measures, including the Red Terror, to defend itself against both internal and external enemies. Trotsky justifies the use of violence and coercion as a means of preserving the gains of the October Revolution and preventing the restoration of capitalism. He argues that in times of civil war and external threat, the revolution must prioritize survival and consolidation over democratic principles. Trotsky's arguments in "Terrorism and Communism" have been a subject of much debate and controversy.