The ice axe used in the 1940 assassination of Leon Trotsky has been found. As a bit of background information: Trotsky was a major contributor to the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and was head of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, only to lose in a power struggle with Stalin and be exiled from the USSR in 1929. As an active revolutionary figure with many accomplishments to his name, his theoretical contributions and differences with Stalin led to the development of Trotskyism as a international political movement with the founding of the Fourth International in 1938. Trotsky made his way to Mexico, then a centre of revolutionary activity, and was assassinated in August 1940 by being struck with an ice axe in the back of his head. As a movement Trotskyism has had limited success (particularly due to sectarian infighting), but was popular in Vietnam until its extermination by the (Pro-Stalin) Vietnamese Communist Party in 1945.
The axe was stored in the Mexico City police evidence room until it was checked out by Alfredo Salas, a secret police officer who wanted to preserve it for posterity. It was passed down to his daughter, Ana Alicia, who kept the ice axe under her bed for 40 years and putting it on Sale in 2005. it was eventually bought by a US private collector, Keith Melton, and next year it will go on display at Washington's International Spy Museum.
Bloodstained ice axe used to kill Trotsky emerges after decades in the shadows
Here's a video about the assassination as seen by Trotsky's Grandson.
Not exactly breaking news and probably pretty morbid, but still worth a share. Any Thoughts Comrades?
The axe was stored in the Mexico City police evidence room until it was checked out by Alfredo Salas, a secret police officer who wanted to preserve it for posterity. It was passed down to his daughter, Ana Alicia, who kept the ice axe under her bed for 40 years and putting it on Sale in 2005. it was eventually bought by a US private collector, Keith Melton, and next year it will go on display at Washington's International Spy Museum.
Bloodstained ice axe used to kill Trotsky emerges after decades in the shadows
Here's a video about the assassination as seen by Trotsky's Grandson.
Not exactly breaking news and probably pretty morbid, but still worth a share. Any Thoughts Comrades?
**Please Note this is in the Communist Only Sub-forum**
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