Leon Trotsky, a brilliant revolutionary and theorist, emerged as Stalin's arch-enemy within the Soviet Union. Known for his charisma, eloquence, and military prowess, Trotsky led the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. However, his independent thinking and opposition to Stalin's authoritarianism put him at odds with the increasingly powerful General Secretary. After a failed assassination attempt on Trotsky in 1927, Stalin orchestrated his exile and eventually ordered his assassination in Mexico City in 1940 by a Soviet agent. Trotsky's assassination marked the culmination of Stalin's relentless purge of political rivals and the silencing of dissenting voices in the Soviet Union.
