Trotsky's documents for school (Primary source)

[The New Left]

So I have to do a paper on the USSR and I've chosen to do a single work Trotsky (has to be a primary source). However, I dove into this without picking a single letter or document, etc. Any good pieces that specifically reflect the Russian Revolution, WWI, etc. Any help would be great.

Also, if you can think of any other works by notable leader in the USSR during this time (Stalin, Lenin) that show first hand what it was like living during WWI, RR, etc. would be great.

P.S.: Don't bother just referring me to Marxist.org and telling to: Just look around, been there done that, I need 1 specific document that happens to be a primary source.

[Valeofruin]

Im not too big on Trotsky, but i can dig up something.

For starters the Stalinist reference on the history of the soviet union is this rather long book:

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1939/x01/index.htm

Its an official publication and passes as a primary source any day.

of course Trotsky published this work

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1930/hrr/index.htm

Which is considered his most important work on the topic

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Trotsky's 'The Revolution Betrayed' is perhaps the best:

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/

For a slightly more up-to-date Trotskyist account:

http://www.marxists.de/statecap/harman/revlost.htm

[Coggeh]

"The revolution betrayed" has to be your best bet with Trotsky , a total masterpiece in his analysis of the Russian revolution and the decaying soviet union .

[Led Zeppelin]

Revolution Betrayed doesn't say much, if anything, about WW 1 or the origin of the revolution (not in great detail anyway), so I'm not sure why you recommended that...

Your best bet is: The History of the Russian Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1930/hrr/index.htm)

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Sure, it's not about WWI, but it is about the revolution and its aftermath.

I thought of the book you mentioned, but it's rather long, even if 100% excellent.

[Fiskpure]

You should also consider the book "My Life", which was written during his exile.

[Poum_1936]

John Reed's "10 Days That Shook the World" might be a better substitute than Trotskys "History of the Russian Revolution." Well, in the sense that its a lot quicker to go through.

[Hiero]

I think he is looking for a personal account about living in Russia and the USSR during the early days of the revolution. So you can put all your political propaganda away for the moment.

[Random Precision]

Any good pieces that specifically reflect the Russian Revolution, WWI, etc

Try taking a look through his military writings. They're a gold mine of essays, speeches, orders etc. from the revolution and civil war period: Volume 1 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1918/military/index.htm), Volume 2 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1919/military/index.htm), Volume 3 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1920/military/index.htm), Volume 4 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1921/military/index.htm), Volume 5 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1922/military/index.htm).