The famous Russian revolutionary leader targeted for assassination due to his reforms was Leon Trotsky. As a key figure in the October Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent civil war, Trotsky was instrumental in the establishment of the Soviet state. However, his opposition to Joseph Stalin's policies and his advocacy for permanent revolution eventually led to his exile. In 1940, Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico City by one of Stalin's agents, marking a violent chapter in the power struggle within the Communist Party.