LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 October Rare Books & Manuscripts #675  / 

30599

Leon Trotsky Typed Letter Signed 1939

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Leon Trotsky Typed Letter Signed 1939
<B>Leon Trotsky Typed Letter Signed</B></I> in full. One page, in French, 7.25" x 11", plain sheet, Coyoacan D.F. Mexico , January 14, 1939, to Gerard Rosenthal, his attorney in France regarding a lawsuit against his son's widow. He writes, in part, "<I>On December 25, Jeanne Molinier sent a letter in which she accuses Cannon to have 'shamefully deceived' her in Léon's letters affair that she transmitted through him… All of this is premeditated craziness. Cannon is our most devoted friend. It is to him that I gave full power concerning all the things in Paris that are mine and Natalia's… I cannot tolerate any control from Jeanne Molinier over things that do not concern her. I refuse to grant the least trust in her… I cannot allow the person who is capable of such treason to touch the documents that are mine… I can even less entrust this person with the education of my grandson and Léon's nephew… I beg of you dear friend to act with extreme vigor. I want such blackmail over with as soon as possible. I can picture Raymond Molinier's clique behind this… We must get it over with. The abscesses must burst. The worst splashes cannot stain Léon's memory but they will be deadly for a few ignoble schemers. The most revolting is that all these betrayals are accomplished under the cover of faithfulness to Léon's 'will'. Once more, act with implacable vigor.</B></I>"<BR><BR>This letter was written in exile while Trotsky was living in Mexico City, having been deported from Russia in 1929. His son, Léon Sedov, had died less than a year previously after an appendectomy in a Paris hospital (there were those believed he was assassinated by Stalin's agents). An obituary written at the time stated, "In Leon Lvovich Sedov , Trotsky has lost more than a son of his own blood - he has lost a son in spirit, an irreplaceable companion in struggle." Trotsky is showing here his willingness to fight to keep the name of his son unbesmirched . The Cannon mentioned in the letter is American Communist leader James P. Cannon, a close friend and associate. Raymond Molinier and his "clique" were ex-Trotsky allies and supporters in Paris. Jeanne Molinier (Léon's widow and Raymond's ex-wife), at this time, was holding Trotsky's archives "hostage" and caring for Trotsky's grandson (Léon's nephew) which Trotsky was trying to remedy. This letter to attorney Rosenthal has to do with his lawsuit against Jeanne. Just nineteen months after its writing, Trotsky was dead, the victim of a Stalin assassin. Letter in fine condition, English translation included.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Flat Material, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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