The Leon Trotsky Internet Archive

The Leon Trotsky Internet Archive is a part of the Marxists Internet Archive, which also includes mateial relating to other famous Marxists, including Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Lenin, and Che Guevera. The Trotsky section of the site includes biographical sketches by several writers, selected writings (which, despite the fact that it is incomplete, are voluminous), and photographs and drawings of him from various periods of his life.

The marxists.org website is intended as a resource for anyone interested in Marxism, to give information on various famous Marxists, and to highlight various strands of Marxism. The Trotsky section is no exception. The creators of the site are coming from a definite viewpoint, as evidenced by whose writings are included and whose are excluded on the site (Stalin and Mao are not included, for example). Selection Criteria:

The writings are clearly the primary emphasis of the site, while the other material is secondary. Trotsky’s complete works would encompass many volumes, so there is no way everything could be included; instead, selections were include that emphasize his main contributions. Included are writings related to his theory of Permanent Revolution, various literary and artistic criticism, his writings on the Russian Civil War, and his struggle with Stalinism. The writings are available in numerous languages. Metadata:

The metadata to the photographs is extremely limited. It consists of a date and very brief descriptive title. The context that these images were taken in should be familiar to serious Trotsky scholars, but not to novices. Many of his writings are accompanied by descriptive narrative containing a brief synopsis; however, this is not consistent.

Object Characteristics:

One can gain access to the writings either through a chronological list, or by links from a list of general subjects. There is no search function on the site. The writings are all in HTML, so the user does not have to worry about scanning quality. The scans of photos are adequate, though not particularly good.

Intended Audience:

The intended audience is for people with a general interest in Trotsky’s writings and career, with more than a beginner’s level of knowledge, but not for serious specialists in the subject. These intermediate users will probably include college students needing sources for a paper on Trotsky, as well as members of the public who have some knowledge of Trotsky's life.