> In my opinion, Trotsky
> (not that I am overwhelmingly knowledgeable) was a good writer, obviously
an
> able military commander, and a rather mediocre political thinker.
Merely "able"? He virtually created the Red Army and I don't think there can be much doubt that if Trotsky had still been in charge the army would have responded better and quicker to the Nazi invasion. I mean, I doubt that he would have purged _35,000_ Red Army officers in 1937-38, as Stalin did.