1.3b How did the use of the secret police change through 1917-85? Flashcards
What was the HQ of the Secret Police called in from 1917-53?
Labyenka
What tool were the secret police provided with from 1917-53?
Torture handbook
At what time of the day were arrests made from 1917-53 and why?
At night to disorientate the accused
From 1917-53, what happened in high profile cases of dissident activity?
Show trials, requiring a public confession
In which order were the main 3 leaders of the Secret Police?
Yagoda
Yezhov
Beria
What was the change of emphasis of terror under Yagoda?
Changed focus from ideology to economics
What reform did Yagoda introduce?
Rapidly expanding the Gulag system to use slave labour to industrialise
Under Yezhov, what happened to the number of people in Gulags?
Increased further
What did the focus of terror change to under Yezhov?
Meeting a quota
What increased under Yezhov to monitor citizen attitudes?
Surveillance
Why was Yezhov removed?
Stalin decided that his terror was too excessive
What happened to terror as Beria came into power?
It switched back to more conventional methods and levels
What change was made to show trials under Beria?
They were only held with evidence
What did Beria do to the Gulags to increase the productivity of slave labour?
Increased rations
What role were the secret police given during WW2?
control of deportation and departments rooting out traitors
After WW2, what did Stalin do?
A huge purge of party officials
After WW2, Stalin’s health began to decline, what happened as a result?
A power struggle whereby Beria gained a lot of political influence
By the mid 1970s, how many political prisoners was it estimated there were?
10,000
What did the ‘new criminal code’ of 1960 abolish?
Night time interrogations
What did article 70 of the ‘new criminal code’ say?
The secret police could deal with ‘anti soviet agitation and propaganda’
What did Andropov change the priority of government action to and from?
From: repression
To: prevention
Under Andropov, how many people received a letter from the KGB, warning them not to continue dissident activity?
70,000
The KGB estimated that how many dissident groups were stopped?
2000
How were the KGB made less corrupt?
Banned for officers to accept gifts and had to declare their financial assets