This is the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy, and it involves an ice axe, a bloody study in Mexico City, and a betrayal years in the making.

At its centre is Ramón Mercader, a Soviet-trained agent who infiltrated Leon Trotsky’s inner circle and killed him. But this was more than a simple murder - it was the result of Stalin’s ruthless drive to eliminate all rivals and consolidate power.

With us is Josh Ireland, author of "The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy". He explains the shadowy politics of Stalin's Kremlin, and how manipulation and conviction put Mercader on a path to Mexico City...

Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Matthew Wilson.

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The Bloody Assassination of Trotsky

Dan Snow's History Hit