Trotsky - Tumblr Posts
"Terrorism and Communism" by Leon Trotsky is book published in 1920 as a reply to Karl Kautsky and others who had criticized the Bolshevik use of political terror, compulsory labor, and other tactics. It is a defense of the use of revolutionary violence by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. Trotsky argues that in the struggle to build a socialist state, the use of force and even terror is justified to protect the revolution against its enemies, both internal and external. He critiques those who condemn Bolshevik methods, claiming that the harsh measures are necessary to ensure the survival and success of the workers' government. The book contrasts the violent methods of the bourgeoisie, which Trotsky argues are used to oppress, with the revolutionary violence of the proletariat, which he believes is used to liberate and create a just society.