The Idiom “Civil War” in the Political Rhetoric of Lev Trotsky, 1914–1918

* This material was produced BY REZNIK ALEKSANDR VALERIEVICH, a participant of the «Russian Socialist Movement» (RSD) included in the register of foreign agents. This article examines the ways in which Leon Trotsky conceptualized and employed the concept of “civil war” in the period between 1914 and 1918. The idiomatic features of using this concept are significant for under-standing the political context of the period of world wars and revolutions, as well as the role of individual leaders in shaping the authoritative language of political communication. By undertaking a comprehensive and continu-ous analysis of Trotsky's writings, it is possible to reconstruct the key stages through which the term “civil war” evolved in the context of ideological debates that took place between 1914 and 1916, and in the political con-flicts that unfolded between 1917 and 1918. Trotsky consistently upheld the Marxist notion of the “class” nature of “civil wars”. Like Lenin, he employed the term in its conventional sense, referencing internal strife and under-scoring its deleterious outcomes. He revised his initial negative stance on the “slogan” of civil war, underscoring the “fact” of the ongoing civil war. During periods of armed conflict, Trotsky significantly contributed to the sacralization of civil war as a “sacred” war. Trotsky's rhetoric regarding the representation of the “civil” war was characterized by imagery rather than conceptual innovation.