Trotsky instead of Stalin

What would have been the repercussions if Leon Trotsky had gained power instead of Joseph Stalin? Say, Lenin lived long enough to pass power to Trotsky. Or, Stalin died earlier. So I guess this would be two different possible outcomes, i.e. if Stalin lived to challenge Trotsky or if Trotsky had unquestioned power. What happens during WW2 and after?
 
The military would be in a much better shape and would likely be ready for WWII. Trotsky was willing to bring on ex-Tsarist experienced generals, and would likely never purge the officer corp like Stalin did.
 
Alas, this idea has been exposed as ASB quite thoroughly by one Wolpaw (see here) -- that said, there's another possibility of a Trotskyist taking power, which is plausible (discussed here).
 
It's not ASB, Wolfpaw never wrote it was ASB. I agree with him that Trotsky couldn't take Stalin or Lenin like levels of power. He might be the leader of the Clique that is in power for a time. But he would have to compromise with other Bolsheviks.

One way it could happen is if a longer lived Lenin had a paranoid breakdown similar to Stalin and purged the upper politburo and other parts of the Party and army. Including Stalin, Khaganovich, Budyonney, Yagoda, and maybe even Molotov.
 
One way it could happen is if a longer lived Lenin had a paranoid breakdown similar to Stalin and purged the upper politburo and other parts of the Party and army. Including Stalin, Khaganovich, Budyonney, Yagoda, and maybe even Molotov.

Just like violating Swiss neutrality... getting rid of Molotov is ASB... if a plague hit the USSR and everyone was killed. it would be everyone... except Molotov... ;)
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
I'm not sure Trotsky would be a good leader. He was more a military commander than a skillful politician. He also supported an earlier collectivization of agriculture, and I'm not sure that abandoning NEP early would have been good.

On the other hand anyone is better than nutjob Stalin, I guess.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
Alas, this idea has been exposed as ASB quite thoroughly by one Wolpaw (see here) -- that said, there's another possibility of a Trotskyist taking power, which is plausible (discussed here).
You ever gonna write that "Trotskyist USSR" TL, boyo? I really dug that idea and I'd love to see what you'd do with it.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
I'm still quagmired in my ongoing TL -- on the upside, I've got no qualms about others running with my ideas ;)
You know I'd like to, but I got me hands full with Tail-Gunner and I'm working with Hendryk on some stuff. I don't recall if IBC's ever done a TL...maybe he'd be a good candidate.
 
Why would Lenin support Trotsky against Stalin? Trotsky had been an enemy of Lenin for many years before the revolution and had only joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 while Stalin had been a a loyal Bolshevik since the original split with the Mensheviks.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Hmm, a Trotsky- Smirnov- Rakovsky triumvirate was proposed in an earlier thread. With Trotsky responsible mainly for the Red Army and Smirnov and Rakovsky doing the actual politicking.

However getting them to outmaneuver the Centre: Kamenev- Zinionev- Stalin and the right: Bukharin, Tomsky, Rykov etc. would be hard.
 
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