Russian Communist leader (1879–1940) who, with Lenin, organized the Bolshevik seizure of power during the October Revolution of 1917. In 1929, five years after Lenin’s death, Stalin defeated Trotsky for control of the Communist Party and banished him from Russia. Trotsky spent most of the remainder of his life in Mexico, where he was assassinated with a pickaxe by a Stalinist agent. TLS in French, signed “[Warm wishes,] Leon Trotsky,” one page, 8.5 x 11, January 14, 1938. Trotsky writes from Coyoacán, Mexico to his friend, Gérard Rosenthal. In part (translated): “Jeanne Molinier [wife of Trotsky’s son, Léon Sedov] sent a letter in which she accuses Cannon [James Cannon, Chairman of the American Communist Party] to have ‘shamefully deceived’ her in Léon’s [his son’s] letters affair that she transmitted through him. She states her suspicions against Naville [Pierre Naville, French writer and member of the French Communist Party] who was seen in Le Havre when the boat left, etc. All of this is premeditated craziness. Cannon is our most devoted friend. It is to him that I gave full power concerning all the things in Paris that are mine and Natalia’s [Trotsky’s second wife]…. I cannot tolerate any control from Jeanne Molinier over things that do not concern her. I refuse to grant the least trust in her, most of all since she has tried to hand over my papers to Vereecken [member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belgium] Léon’s enemy and slanderer…. I cannot allow the person who is capable of such treason to touch the documents that are mine. I can even less trust this person with the education of my grandson and Léon’s nephew. By this letter, I am giving to my friend Jim Cannon full power to take Sieva to America…. I beg of you, dear friend, to act with extreme vigor. I want such blackmail over with as soon as possible. I can picture very well Raymond Molinier’s [Jeanne Molinier’s brother who had earlier split with Trotsky on ideological matters] clique behind this…. I will send you for the lawsuit copies or photostats of Léon’s letters where he states his opinion on Molinier’s clique and about Vereecken to whom Jeanne Miolinier has tried to betray his memory. We must get it over with. The abscesses must burst. The worst splashes cannot stain Léon’s memory but they will be deadly for few ignoble schemers. The most revolting is that all these betrayals are accomplished under the cover the faithfulness to Léon’s ‘will’….” Vertical marginal crease, small staple rust stains, and a few mild wrinkles, otherwise fine, clean condition. JSA/John Reznikoff Auction LOA and RRAuction COA.
