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
What happened to a KGB officers whose family broke the law?
They were sacked
What was the 1979 ‘Law and order campaign?’
A stricter policy in anticipation of increased dissident activity
What event made the 1979 ‘Law and order campaign’ necessary?
1980 Moscow Olympics
Why was it important for Russia to be seen acting ethically during the 1980 Moscow Olympics?
International media coverage
When was the Helsinki agreement?
1975
What did the 1975 Helsinki agreement agree to?
Human rights
Why did the 1975 Helsinki agreement offer an opportunity for dissidents?
They knew they could force the government to adhere to human rights and could leak breaches to try and force change
What were some high profile international dissidents allowed to do?
Emigrate from the USSR
How many high profile international dissidents emigrated from the USSR?
100,000
Where were less well known dissidents sent?
Psychiatric wards
Under which leader did dissidents start being sent to psychiatric wards and why?
Andropov
It was much more discreet
What was the government’s reason for using psychiatric wards?
Anti-Soviet action was a mental illness
How did Andropov try to personally monitor discontent?
Visited farms and factories to talk to workers
Why did Andropov personally visiting farms and factories not work?
People were too scared to be critical of the former head of the KGB
What did Andropov do with the media to monitor popular discontent?
Surrounded himself with journalists who were in touch with discontent
Name the 4 main groups of dissenters
Intellectuals
Political Dissidents
Nationalists
Religious Dissidents
How could intellectuals be potentially harmful to the government?
Meeting with foreign colleagues and exchanging ideas
How could political dissidents be potentially harmful to the government?
They tried to hold the government to their own laws
What specific religious dissident group were there?
The Refusniks (Soviet Jews)
What happened to the Refusniks?
They were denied immigration to Israel, despite having strong support from Congress
