Conclusion

Abstract

For various reasons, World War One can be seen as the most significant event of the twentieth century. Without it no Russian Revolution,¹ without it no Hitlerite Germany.² Given the magnitude of the war’s destruction and its consequences, Trotsky’s revolutionary activities may seem frivolous and even irrelevant. This study has pointed out that some of the localised disputes with, for instance, social-patriots have no long-term significance, however illustrative they are of how Trotsky occupied his time. It is also unlikely that Trotsky’s journalism made any great impact on workers and socialists. However, there are reasons to judge Trotsky’s work positively, if critically, and for arguing that some of his work remains pertinent to contemporary issues. Furthermore, World War One is an important part of Trotsky’s intellectual biography.