Question

Why did Josef Stalin have Leon Trotsky assassinated in 1940?

Trotsky was staunchly anti-communist.
Trotsky had been an opponent of Lenin.
Trotsky threatened Stalin’s absolute hold on power.
Trotsky had opposed Stalin’s Bolsheviks during the revolution.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

After the death of Lenin in January 1924 and the rise of Joseph Stalin, Trotsky gradually lost his government positions; the Politburo eventually expelled him from the Soviet Union in February 1929. He spent the rest of his life in exile, writing prolifically and engaging in open critique of Stalinism.