The Trotsky Trap
In the summer of 1936, Norway found itself at the center of an international scandal. Leon Trotsky, the exiled Bolshevik revolutionary, had been granted asylum in the country after being expelled from the Soviet Union. This did not sit well with Vidkun Quisling and his Norwegian Nazi party, the Nasjonal Samling (NS).
Quisling and his cohorts saw Trotsky’s presence as a threat, both ideologically and politically. They hatched a plan to gather “evidence” that Trotsky was breaching the terms of his asylum by engaging in political activities. A team of NS members broke into Trotsky’s house, stole documents, and had his phone tapped.
A Pyrrhic Victory
The Trotsky affair quickly became the sensation of the Norwegian summer. Quisling’s NS party submitted a report to the government, complete with the “incriminating” evidence they had gathered. To their delight, the government sided with them and placed Trotsky under 24-hour surveillance.
“NS victorious in Trotsky case. The government gives in to Stalin.” – Frit Folk, the NS newspaper
This seemed like a major win for the Nazis. They had proven their anti-communist credentials and demonstrated their ability to influence the government. However, the victory was short-lived and ultimately proved to be a pyrrhic one.
The Backlash
Despite the NS’s apparent triumph, the Trotsky affair ended up severely damaging their political standing. The government’s decision to side with the Nazis against Trotsky, a famous communist, was seen by many Norwegians as proof that the authorities were taking orders from Moscow.
“The government had proved that it took orders from Moscow, and had interned its own communist guest.”
This public perception was a devastating blow to the NS party’s credibility. In the subsequent 1936 election, the party suffered a catastrophic defeat, losing ground compared to their previous results.
A Lesson in Overreach
The Trotsky affair was a cautionary tale for Quisling and the Norwegian Nazis. Their attempt to use the communist revolutionary as a political weapon ultimately backfired, undermining their support among the Norwegian people.
This episode serves as a reminder that even the most seemingly successful political maneuvers can have unintended consequences. The NS’s pyrrhic victory over Trotsky showed that overreach and heavy-handed tactics can often do more harm than good, even for those with authoritarian ambitions.
As the Nazis continued their push for power in Norway, the Trotsky affair would loom large as a cautionary tale, a reminder that the road to political dominance is often paved with unforeseen pitfalls.
