page_title: Bloc of Soviet Oppositions
section_title: Formation and factions
hierarchical_section_title: Bloc of Soviet Oppositions / Formation and factions
caption_attribution_description: English: Trotsky's Left Oppostion, Moscow 1927. Bottom row, left to right: Istchenko, I. Smirnov, Trotsky, I. Smilga, Alsky. Standing directly behind Trotsky is B. Eltsin, last on right: Ter-Vaganian. Man Nevelson, the husband of Trotsky's daughter Nina, is second from the right (source: David King) or the left (sovlit.org). Deutsch: Linke Opposition um Trotzki. (Iwar Smilga sitzend, 2. v. r.) Русский: Левые оппозиционеры. Сидят: Александр Ищенко, Иван Смирнов, Лев Троцкий, Ивар Смилга, Аркадий Альский. Стоят: Борис Эльцин (за спиной Троцкого), Вагаршак Тер-Ваганян (крайний справа), Лев Невельсон (второй слева) — муж Нины, дочери Троцкого
context_page_description: The Bloc of Oppositions also known as Trotsky's bloc and called by the soviet press The bloc of rights and trotskyites was a political alliance created by oppositionists in the USSR and Leon Trotsky, by the end of 1932. Trotsky defined it as a conspiratorial bloc in order to fight Stalinist repression in the Soviet Union.
context_section_description: By the end of 1932, Leon Trotsky and his son Sedov were having contact with the underground opposition inside the USSR. Many non-trotskyist opposition groups were discontent with the regime and the party leadership at the time. This led to the formation of a "bloc" between them. It was by no means a fusion of ideologies, in fact, Trotsky feared that other fractions of the bloc would gain much power:
  The proposal for a bloc seems to me to be completely acceptable. I must make quite clear that we are dealing with a bloc and not a fusion. (...)
  My proposed declaration is evidently intended for our fraction of the Left Opposition in the strict sense of the term (and not for our new allies). The opinion of the allies, according to which we should wait for the rightwingers to involve themselves more deeply, does not have my agreement, as far as our fraction is concerned. One fights repression by means of anonymity and conspiracy, not by silence. Loss of time is impermissible: from the political point of view, that would amount to leaving the field to the right-wingers. (...)
  
  The bloc does not exclude mutual criticism. Any propaganda by the allies on behalf of the capitulators (Grünstein, etc.) will be inexorably, mercilessly resisted by us.
caption: Members of the Left Opposition in 1927. Ivan Smirnov (left of Trotsky) and some others would later participate in the Bloc.
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