22 August 1940

22 August 1940 is given as the date of Trotsky’s assassination in Mexico, which the narrative associates with the early reputation of SMERSH. The account presents SMERSH’s responsibility as a belief, not a confirmed fact, and suggests that the killing may have established the organization’s name after earlier attempts by other Russian individuals and groups had failed.

The Assassination and Its Attribution

The passage links 22 August 1940 to Trotsky’s assassination in Mexico. It does not describe the operation or identify its perpetrators; instead, it says that SMERSH was thought responsible. That qualification makes the date part of an account of the organization’s reputation as much as a chronological marker.

Place in SMERSH’s History

The assassination is presented as a possible early success that helped SMERSH make its name. The narrative contrasts it with failed attempts by other Russian individuals and organizations, suggesting that the perceived success of this killing gave the organization a reputation for vengeance. This episode is mentioned before SMERSH’s subsequent expansion during the Soviet retreat in 1941, placing it within the account of the organization’s earlier history.