2 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁with ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁the ▁T rot sky ist ▁opposition . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁considered ▁the ▁leading ▁one ▁among ▁T rot sky ist ▁Soviet ▁histor ians ▁emer ging ▁after ▁Per estro ika . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁V ad im ▁Rog ov in ▁died ▁of ▁cancer , ▁surv ived ▁by ▁his ▁wife , ▁Gal ina ▁V ali uz hen ich . ▁ ▁Was ▁There ▁An ▁Altern ative ? ▁ ▁Introduction ▁In ▁the ▁introduction ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁volume ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁Was ▁There ▁An ▁Altern ative ? ▁series ▁Rog ov in ▁explains ▁his ▁position ▁and ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁this ▁work ▁as ▁follows . ▁In ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁a ▁cru cial ▁question ▁was ▁to ▁find ▁out ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁phenomen on ▁of ▁St alin ism . ▁Rog ov in ▁writes ▁there ▁are ▁basically ▁two ▁diam etr ically ▁opposed ▁approaches . ▁The ▁first ▁one ▁is ▁that ▁St alin ism ▁with ▁its ▁terror ▁was ▁a ▁logical , ▁un av oid able ▁evolution ▁of ▁Marx ism - Len in ism ▁within ▁B ols he v ism ▁from ▁the ▁Social ist ▁revolution . ▁Another ▁approach ▁is ▁to ▁consider ▁that ▁St alin ism ▁was ▁a ▁histor ically ▁accident al ▁development ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁alternative ▁ ▁movement ▁within ▁B ols he v ism ▁( T rot sky ism ), ▁and ▁the ▁major ▁function ▁of ▁St alin ist ▁terror ▁was ▁to ▁suppress ▁this ▁movement . ▁ ▁Rog ov in