Khristian Rakovsky, born in Bulgaria, 1873, was a physician, a political activist. He was a Trotsky ally from early on, who helped found Nashe Slovo, a journal edited by Menshevik leader, Julius Martov. He served as a diplomat during the Russian Civil War. He was chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars from 1919 to 1923. From 1923 he was with the Left Opposition. In 1929 Khristian Rakovsky was exiled for his participation in Trotsky’s faction. In 1934 Rakovsky “capitulated” and swore off future Trotskyite conspiracy. The Soviet leadership had evidence that he was lying. Despite this, Stalin permitted him to return to Moscow and gave him a responsible job.
At the 1936 and 1937 Moscow Trials Rakovsky went far beyond criticizing the defendants. He called for their executions before they had even testified!
Grover Furr is a historian of the Stalin period of USSR socialism 1917 -1991. He teaches Medieval English Literature at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Among his previous numerous books: Khrushchev Lied, Blood Lies, Trotsky’s Lies, Yezhov vs. Stalin, Stalin…Waiting for the Truth.
