I thought Trotsky died from having an ice axe stuck in his head.
Could be. I remember something about his(Trotsky's) death being very violent.
Trotsky DID have an ice pick stuck in the back of his skull, courtesy Stalin. In 1940, Stalin sent a "reporter" to "interview" Leon in Mexico; Trotsky was sitting at his desk. The "reporter" worked his way around Trotsky while he talked, pulled out a mountain climber's pickax and buried it in the back of his skull.
Poor Leon lived for some days in terrible pain. Stalin enjoy every moment of it.
By the way, these are the people some in our political opposition lionize.