VOLINE AND TROTSKY

Волин и Троцкого

A Footnote in Russian History
In April 1917 the Russian anarchist revolutionary Voline* and Leon Trotsky were both stranded in New York as the Russian revolution broke out in Petrograd, inevitably coming into contact with one another.
Voline stated that he felt that the Bolsheviks, given their ruthlessness and single minded determination, would ultimately come to power. They would then begin eliminating their opponents, amongst whom of course were the anarchists; this persecution would end with the Bolsheviks shooting the anarchists “like partridges.”
Trotsky was dismissive, they might have their differences but they were comrades in arms, they had different interpretations of the revolutionary process but shared the same goals. It was nonsense to speak of Bolsheviks shooting revolutionary comrades, “we are socialists, comrade Voline! So we are not your enemies….”[1]
In December of 1919, whilst gravely wounded Voline was captured by the Bolsheviks. As an anarchist of some standing his captors telegraphed Trotsky enquiring what to do with him. Trotsky’s reply was terse and to the point, ‘Shoot out of hand – Trotsky.’[2]
*Vsvevolod  Mikhailovitch Eichenbaum, Voline was his pseudonym
[1] “No Gods No Masters,’ an anarchist anthology edited by Daniel Guerin AK Press 2005.
[2] Voline was not, thanks to fortuitous circumstances not shot.
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