--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Terror, as the demonstration of the will…" description: "\"Terror, as the demonstration of the will and strength of the working class, is historically justified, precisely because the proletariat was able there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/leon-trotsky-2558_able_terror-as-the-demonstration-of-the-will_1832788.jpg" --- # Terror, as the demonstration of the will and strength of… ![“Terror, as the demonstration of the will and strength of the working class, is historically justified, precisely because the proletariat was able thereby to break the political will of the intelligentsia, pacify the professional man of various categories and work, and gradually subordinate them to…” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/leon-trotsky-2558_able_terror-as-the-demonstration-of-the-will_1832788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/leon-trotsky-2558_able_terror-as-the-demonstration-of-the-will_1832788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/leon-trotsky-2558_able_terror-as-the-demonstration-of-the-will_1832788.jpg) > “Terror, as the demonstration of the will and strength of the working class, is historically justified, precisely because the proletariat was able thereby to break the political will of the intelligentsia, pacify the professional man of various categories and work, and gradually subordinate them to its own aims within the field of their specialties.” [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Terror is seen as a tool for the working class to dismantle elite resistance and align professional groups with proletarian goals. **In simple terms:** Terror used to break elite power and unite workers. Key Takeaway Recognize how power dynamics shape political tactics. Themes politics class struggle revolution power violence Mood tense critical Type political historical When to use this quote - labor movements - political campaigns - authoritarian regimes - social upheavals Key Concepts Marxism state theory social control Questions to Reflect On - Is coercion ever justified for political change? - What alternatives exist to achieve class solidarity? A Different Perspective Violence can create backlash and undermine legitimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Demonstration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demonstration/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Historically Justified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historically-justified-2288304/) [Justified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justified/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-will/) [Precisely Proletariat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precisely-proletariat-2288302/) [Proletariat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proletariat/) [Proletariat Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proletariat-able-2288303/) [Specialty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specialty/) [Subordinates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subordinates/) [Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terror/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various/) [Working class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-class/) ## Related quotes > [Yet the proletariat has not only a vanguard, but also a rearguard, and besides the proletariat there are the peasantry and the bureaucracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/yet-the-proletariat-has-not-only-a-vanguard-but-also-a-rearguard-and/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [ Transcending class distinctions, the speaker \[Stalin\] portrays the relation between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat as a mere division of labor. 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