Trotsky never left his small compound in the Mexican capital where he went into exile, protected by a handful of armed guards. But Mercader gained entry to the revolutionary's small entourage as the ...

A brilliant organiser and improviser, Trotsky created the Red Army out of the Red Guards and from the remnants of the old Tsarist army. Appointing ex-Tsarist officers was questioned, but Trotsky ...