The assassination of Trotsky is the planned assassination by NKVD agent Ramon Mercader of the former ideologist of the revolution, L. D. Trotsky, on August 20, 1940.
Background
Trotsky Lev Davidovich - nee Lev Davidovich Bronstein - one of the organizers and leaders of the October coup. 1924 - after Lenin died, a fierce struggle for power began between Stalin and Trotsky. Stalin managed to win this fight by forcing his rival to leave Russia. Over the next 10 years, Trotsky sought refuge in various countries, such as Turkey, France, Norway, but everywhere his presence was undesirable.
In the past, associates, Stalin and Trotsky, became sworn enemies. Assassins-mercenaries pursued the disgraced oppositionist until the end of his days.
Enemy of the people
1937 - The opposition leader finally found his last refuge in Mexico. At that time, his former supporters in the USSR were subjected to severe repression, and Trotsky himself was declared an enemy of the people. As Stalin stated, this "traitor to the cause of the revolution" creates a powerful base abroad for espionage and terrorist activities against the Soviet Union. In fact, the only weapon of the disgraced ideologue of the revolution was his sharp pen. The famous writer Bernard Shaw said about the style of his works: "When this man cuts off the opponent's head, he raises it to show that it has no brains."
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Murder ordered by the NKVD
The special services of Stalin were tasked with destroying the hated "ally". The notorious NKVD, which at that time learned how to successfully combine punitive functions within the state with covert operations abroad, has accumulated considerable experience in performing tasks of this kind. In the 1920s and 1930s, hundreds of those who left the USSR disappeared, were killed, or committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. This kind of death overtook Trotsky's personal secretary Erwin Wolf, but it was not proven that this was the work of the NKVD, although few doubted that the punitive Stalinist department did it.
Mercader's introduction
The secret services decided to murder Trotsky with the help of their agent Ramon Mercador. The 26-year-old son of an influential Spanish communist took part in the Spanish civil war, which ended in the defeat of the republican forces. Many of the opponents of the Franck, fearing reprisals, left the country. Among them were Caridad Mercador and her son. Ramon, who had already mastered the initial course of terrorism in Barcelona, continued to improve his skills in one of the special schools of the NKVD, specializing in secret murders, sabotage, intelligence and guerrilla operations. From Moscow he was sent to Paris, and there he "accidentally" met an American woman named Sylvia, who was Leon Trotsky's courier. Ramon, according to the documents of Jacques Mornard, was a man of pleasant appearance and without much difficulty was able to persuade Sylvia to marry him. The trusting girl gave her consent.
Another attempt
From Paris, the newlyweds arrived in New York, and from there they flew to Mexico City. Jacques Mornard, who instantly turned into Frank Jackson, at first tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the local Trotskyists. At the same time, the Mexican communists, probably on instructions from Moscow, decided to "duplicate" the actions of the special agent and organized their own conspiracy to kill Trotsky. 1940, May 24 - an armed attack was carried out on his villa. More than 20 masked militants literally turned the entire villa upside down, but the owners managed to hide. Trotsky was kept safe by fate itself: Lev Davidovich, his wife and grandson did not suffer.
At home among strangers
After such a scandalous incident, which became the property of the world media, the disgraced ideologue of the revolution turned his house into a real fortress, where people who were especially devoted to him could be admitted. Among them were Sylvia and her husband Frank Jackson, who were able to gain confidence in the "teacher".
At first, the American, who showed an increased interest in Marxism, seemed to Lev Davidovich too intrusive. But all the same, the old underground worker, who considered it his sacred duty to raise a young generation of fighters for the "world revolution", was imbued with confidence in the charming young man.
Assassination attempt by Mercader
1940, August 20 - despite the heat, Frank Jackson came to Trotsky's villa in a tightly buttoned raincoat and hat. Under the cloak, the "family friend" had a whole arsenal: a climbing ice ax, a hammer and a large-caliber automatic pistol.
The guards, who often saw this man in the villa and habitually considered him “their own,” took the guest to the owner, who at that time was feeding rabbits in the garden. It seemed strange to Natalia, Trotsky's wife, that Sylvia's husband showed up without warning, but the guest was nevertheless invited to stay for lunch.
Not accepting the invitation, Mercador-Jackson asked to see the article he had just written. The men went to the office. As soon as Leon Trotsky went deep into his reading, Jackson pulled out an ice ax from under his cloak and stuck it in the back of the victim's head. Deciding that the blow was not reliable enough, the killer swung the ice ax again, but by a miracle, Trotsky, who had retained consciousness, grabbed his hand, and he dropped the weapon. Then, staggering, I could get out of the study into the living room. "Jackson! he shouted. "Look what you've done!" The guards who ran up to the screams knocked down Jackson, who was aiming at his victim with a pistol. “Don't kill him,” Trotsky stopped the guards. “He needs to tell everything…” After these words, the wounded man lost consciousness.
Conclusion
A few minutes later, Mercador Jackson and his victim were taken to the metropolitan emergency hospital. The persistence with which this mortally wounded man fought for his life shocked even the doctors. In their practice, there has never been a case that a patient with such a terrible trauma - a split skull - lived, regaining consciousness from time to time, for more than a day …
Over 30,000 people visited the coffin with the body of Stalin's former comrade-in-arms in 5 days. Even those who did not share his communist views paid tribute to this violent revolutionary.
Ramon Mercador, aka Frank Jackson, aka Jacques Mornard, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Released from a Mexican prison in March 1960, he settled in Cuba. 1978, October 18 - shortly before his death in Havana, Trotsky's killer received the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.