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Ash heap of history
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The expression ash heap of history was coined by Leon Trotsky. It was used when the Mensheviks walked out in October 25, 1917 from the Second Congress of Soviets, where the Bolsheviks established their dominance. Trotsky said: "Go out where you belong--into the ash heap of history."[1]
It has since been used in both the direct and the ironic sense in political and nonpolitical contexts.
It was most notably used by Ronald Reagan in a speech to the British House of Commons on June 8th, 1982. This speech, later known simply as "The Evil Empire" is a lasting hallmark of the Reagan presidency. Reagan's speechwriter chose the expression deliberately because of its prior context. His exact phrase was freedom and democracy will leave Marxism and Leninism on the ash heap of history. [2]
Deutscher, Isaac (2003). The Prophet Armed: Trotsky 1879-1921. Verso; New Ed edition. ISBN 1859844413.
- ^ Salisbury, Harrison (30 June, 1985). A Reagan Antecedent In Revolution. letter to the editor, New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved on 13 February, 2007.
- ^ Pipes, Richard (June 3, 2002). Ash Heap of History: President Reagan’s Westminster Address 20 Years Later. Ronald Reagan: The Heritage Foundation Remembers. Retrieved on 13 February, 2007.