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Trotsky Downfall of a Revolutionary Bertrand M Patenaude Books

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Trotsky Downfall of a Revolutionary Bertrand M Patenaude Books

Patenaude's book is primarily about Trotsky's years in Mexico, from January 1937 until his assassination in August of 1940 (his "flashbacks" to earlier events are not as well researched, and contain a number of errors). That's the only reason I read it, since Mexico is the weakest part of the definitive Isaac Deutscher trilogy, The Prophet Armed: Trotsky 1879-1921,The Prophet Unarmed: Trotsky 1921-1929 and the The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky 1929-1940, being given only one chapter in the last of these, a book that covers Trotsky's life from 1929-40.

The author's thesis is that Trotsky was in decline, creating unnecessary battles with his followers. No one ever said that Trotsky was easy to get along with, but anyone with an understanding of Marxism knows that clarification takes place amidst the clash of ideas. Patenaude makes a big deal about what wasn't important, like the disagreements in the Socialist Workers Party in Trotsky accepting to invitation to testify before the Dies Committee (which became the House Committee on Un-American Activities. There were always some in the party at that time who wanted to present themselves as more "revolutionary" than Trotsky. Had Trotsky testified, it would have given him an opportunity to speak more directly to the American working class, and he would not have said anything different than what he said anywhere else. But apparently Dies understood this, and probably only invited him thinking he would refuse. When he accepted, Dies rapidly cancelled the invitation, giving Trotsky the moral high ground.

The split with the Shachtman group was a big deal, but Patenaude totally fails to understand what it was about. He blames Trotsky for precipitating the split, which he views as totally unnecessary. He quotes a member of the Shachtman group as saying "The war broke out and we did nothing." While the debate covered many important questions fundamental to Marxism, it was, above all, a debate about what position to take in World War II, the majority defending the point of view that Trotsky had always held, that of defense of the Soviet Union against imperialism, despite the Stalinist degeneration.

This struggle took almost half the membership, but it left the party in a stronger position to fight against the war, and the persecution of the party under the Smith Act (see Teamster Bureaucracy,Socialism on Trial and The Socialist Workers Party in World War II: Writings and Speeches, 1940-43 (James P. Cannon writings & speeches)) precisely for representing an important antiwar current within the labor movement.

To fully understand the split with the Shachtmanites, one must read and understand In Defense of Marxism: The Social and Political Contradictions of the Soviet Union and The Struggle for a Proletarian Party.

The best part of the book is the use of important material from the archives of Joseph Hansen, secretary to Trotsky in Mexico, and life-long leader of the Socialist Workers Party. I also suggest reading the Pathfinder edition of My Life: An Attempt at an Autobiography, which has an introduction by Hansen entitled "With Trotsky in Coyoacán."


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Trotsky Downfall of a Revolutionary Bertrand M Patenaude Books Reviews

The only biography that looks at the 4 Mexican years. If you are interested in Trotsky and focus only on the young man you're missing how he left his legacy. An absolute must read that's not too "intellectually heavy" and makes history live. I couldn't put it down. I was researching the story of Frida and Trotsky when I bought this and it is just one of the most fascinating bios I've ever read about Trotsky.
A better title for this book would have been Trotsky the Exile Years or even more specifically, Trotsky the Exile in Mexico. That is what this book is all about. For those seeking more, as I was, you'll be disappointed. There is little or nothing about Trotsky's development into a revolutionary during the rule of the czars, nor is there much about how Trotsky rose through the Bolshevik movement to the unofficial second highest position, behind Lenin. I also would have appreciated more (although there is some) about Trotsky's role in deveoping the Red Army. The exile years in Mexico are covered in great detail, more than I needed, while the development of the person, his successes and evolution of his beliefs as a young man, is sorely lacking.
Leon Trotsky revolutionary, Red Army commissar, dreamer, exile, assassination victim. There are few people who have lived the life of Trotsky. He was certainty at the vanguard of 20th century history.

Bertrand Patenaude has written a biography of Trotsky that covers his time in Mexico after fleeing Europe and seeking sanctuary in a more distant third country. And sanctuary was key. Trotsky was forever and increasingly in the sights of Joseph Stalin. Trotsky was everything that Stalin was not. He was bold, daring and spellbinding while Stalin was cautious, plodding and cruel.

I found Patenaude's book to be quite compelling. I knew little of the details of Trotsky's time in Mexico and it was fascinating for them to be brought to life. Patenaude is a good writer who has mastered his brief. He also clearly showed that Trotsky for all his boldness and daring could be spectacularly naïve. Nowhere was this more the case than with his assassination. How could a man who had survived previous attempts on his life be so trusting of people? How could a man smuggle an ice pick into Trotsky's house underneath a raincoat on a hot day?

I recommend this book to readers of general history. Trotsky was with little doubt one of the more influential figures of the 20th century. Ignore his politics. Here he had both admirers and detractors. Indeed, he still does. However, his impact was significant. Read this book to understand a small portion of the enigma that was Leon Trotsky.
Patenaude's book is primarily about Trotsky's years in Mexico, from January 1937 until his assassination in August of 1940 (his "flashbacks" to earlier events are not as well researched, and contain a number of errors). That's the only reason I read it, since Mexico is the weakest part of the definitive Isaac Deutscher trilogy, The Prophet Armed Trotsky 1879-1921,The Prophet Unarmed Trotsky 1921-1929 and the The Prophet Outcast Trotsky 1929-1940, being given only one chapter in the last of these, a book that covers Trotsky's life from 1929-40.

The author's thesis is that Trotsky was in decline, creating unnecessary battles with his followers. No one ever said that Trotsky was easy to get along with, but anyone with an understanding of Marxism knows that clarification takes place amidst the clash of ideas. Patenaude makes a big deal about what wasn't important, like the disagreements in the Socialist Workers Party in Trotsky accepting to invitation to testify before the Dies Committee (which became the House Committee on Un-American Activities. There were always some in the party at that time who wanted to present themselves as more "revolutionary" than Trotsky. Had Trotsky testified, it would have given him an opportunity to speak more directly to the American working class, and he would not have said anything different than what he said anywhere else. But apparently Dies understood this, and probably only invited him thinking he would refuse. When he accepted, Dies rapidly cancelled the invitation, giving Trotsky the moral high ground.

The split with the Shachtman group was a big deal, but Patenaude totally fails to understand what it was about. He blames Trotsky for precipitating the split, which he views as totally unnecessary. He quotes a member of the Shachtman group as saying "The war broke out and we did nothing." While the debate covered many important questions fundamental to Marxism, it was, above all, a debate about what position to take in World War II, the majority defending the point of view that Trotsky had always held, that of defense of the Soviet Union against imperialism, despite the Stalinist degeneration.

This struggle took almost half the membership, but it left the party in a stronger position to fight against the war, and the persecution of the party under the Smith Act (see Teamster Bureaucracy,Socialism on Trial and The Socialist Workers Party in World War II Writings and Speeches, 1940-43 (James P. Cannon writings & speeches)) precisely for representing an important antiwar current within the labor movement.

To fully understand the split with the Shachtmanites, one must read and understand In Defense of Marxism The Social and Political Contradictions of the Soviet Union and The Struggle for a Proletarian Party.

The best part of the book is the use of important material from the archives of Joseph Hansen, secretary to Trotsky in Mexico, and life-long leader of the Socialist Workers Party. I also suggest reading the Pathfinder edition of My Life An Attempt at an Autobiography, which has an introduction by Hansen entitled "With Trotsky in Coyoacán."