MEXICO CITY — 1940 · Murder
The Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky, one of the leaders of the Soviet revolution, was exiled after his conflict with Stalin and from 1937 lived in the Coyoacán district of Mexico City. Having survived an armed raid on his house in May 1940, he was attacked with an ice axe in his study on 20 August 1940 by a Soviet NKVD agent who had infiltrated his circle under a false identity, and died in hospital the next day. The assassin was seized at the scene, convicted of murder in Mexico and served 20 years; on his release in 1960 he was decorated as a Hero of the Soviet Union. Trotsky's house in Coyoacán is now a museum open to visitors.
- Date
- 1940
- Place
- Coyoacán, Mexico, Mexico City, MX
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 19.3550, -99.1630 ↗
Timeline of Events
- January 1937Trotsky took refuge in Mexico.
- 24 May 1940He survived an armed raid on his house.
- 20 August 1940An NKVD agent attacked Trotsky in his study.
- 21 August 1940Trotsky died in hospital.
- 1960The killer was released after serving 20 years.
Sources
- BBC News — Trotsky's grandson recalls ice pick killing bbc.co.uk ↗
- The Guardian — Bloodstained ice axe used to kill Trotsky emerges after decades theguardian.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Assassination of Leon Trotsky en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.