Leon TrotskyTrot·sky, Le·on /ˈtrɒtski $ ˈtrɑː-, ˈliːɒn $ -ɑːn/ (1879–1940) a Russian political leader, born in Ukraine, who had an important part in the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was also a writer on Communism and he believed in revolution by workers all over the world. He lost power when his enemy Stalin took control of Russia after the death of Lenin (1924), and he was later forced to leave the country. He was eventually murdered in Mexico on the orders of Stalin.