And the The Welcome to Russian History Retold, episode 154. Leon Trotsky 1905 last time. 1905 to 1917.

Last time, we covered the early years of Leve Braunstein

and its conversion into the revolutionary Leon Trotsky.

When we last met Trotsky, he was in Kiev, having come back from self-imposed exile.

It is 1905, and Russia is roiling because of numerous events leading to revolts, protests, and strikes, crippling

the country.

The Russo-Japanese war is going poorly, and Russian police have killed hundreds of people during a peaceful protest on Bloody Sunday January 6,

1905.

While Lenin and Martov stayed away from Russia fearing arrest if they returned.

Leon had no such fear.

While the others continued arguing about whether the Mensheviks or the Bolsheviks

should lead the organization, Trotsky at this point thought that action was more important than ideologies,

and he began to do what he did best, write.

His letters and articles were being passed around all over the country. His popularity

was growing. While Leon made it to St. Petersburg by spring, his wife, Natalia Sedova, was arrested. She was

sent to prison for six months before being sent to Tver under police supervision. Trotsky knew his time in St. Petersburg was too dangerous and he headed to Finland that summer.

The pressure on Zarr Nicholas II was growing due to the unrest throughout the country and in particular within the factories.

They're growing Soviets, also known as councils, wanted changes and were calling for strikes until they were appeased.

Then Nicholas proposed the creation of a Duma, or legislative body.

But it was a sham.

Sir Gee Wette said that it would be, quote, a monstrosity.

It would be a body that would permit those in power to say, in effect, we'll always listen

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