Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky, born November 7, 1879, was a Communist theorist, leader in the 1917 Russian Revolution, writer and worked under Lenin as the people's commissar for foreign affairs. He was head of the Red Army from 1918 to 1924. Trotsky lost a power play with Joseph Stalin and was exiled form the Soviet Union.
At 17 Trotsky learned about Marxism and began to read illegal books and pamphlets related to Marxism. His friends were considered revolutionaries and in 1897 Trotsky founded the South Russian Worker's Union. He was arrested in 1898 for his revolutionary ideas and married Alexandra Lvovna one of his revolutionary companions. They had two daughters while living in exile in Siberia.
Trotsky escaped prison, left his wife and daughters, and changed his name from Lev Davidovich Bronstein to Leon Trotsky. He moved to London and worked with Lenin on the Russian Social Democrat's revolutionary papers. He married Natalia Ivonovna in 1902. They had two sons. In 1905 Trotsky wrote papers to encourage and help with the uprising challenging the tsar's power. Late 1950 found Trotsky as a leader of the revolution.
Trotsky was again arrested for revolutionary activities, but escaped his Siberian prison via a deer-pulled sleigh. He spent ten years in exile where he wrote anti-war (WWI) literature. Trotsky was a key figure in the 1917 Russian Revolution and he aligned himself with Lenin. He became second in command and was Lenin's pick as a successor. He lost the bid for complete power to Stalin and was exiled. Sixteen members of Trotsky's family were charged with aiding Trotsky and were executed. On August 20, 1940 Trotsky was murdered via an ice pick through his skull. He died on August 21, 1940 from his injuries.