Chapter 4: Growth Of A Police State and show trials Flashcards
When was the congress of victors?
February 1934
What happened in February 1934?
Congress of victors
What happened in the February 1934 Congress of victors?
Delegates from the USSR came together to celebrate Stalin’s industrial policy. 1/4 voted against the re-election in the central commitee but Stalin covered it up
What proportion voted against Stalin’s re-election in the Central Committee in the February 1934?
1/4 but Stalin covered it out
What was the name of the congress that had began the Great terror?
‘Congress of the Damned’
What happened within three years from the February 1934 Congress of Victors?
1000/12,000 delegates were executed
How did Stalin feel after the Congress of Victors in February 1934?
Unable to trust anyone
What was the impact of the fall of Zinoviev, Trotsky and Bukharin on Stalin?
Felt that he would fall victim to the same fate
Why was Stalin fearful of older communists?
Feared that they would know the truth of his rise
Who could Stalin blame as a result of the Great Terror?
Able to blame economic problems on political enemies
What did the purges provide?
Cheap labour
How many convictions were there in 1931?
180,696
In what year were there 180,696 convictions?
1931
How many executions were there in 1931?
10,651
In what year were there 10,651 executions?
1931
How many convictions were there in 1936
274,670
In what year were there 274,670 convictions?
1936
How many executions were there in 1936?
1,118
In what year were there 1,118 execution?
1936
Why were there less executions in 1936?
More convicts used for forced labour
What was the impact of terror economics?
Able to employ labour through convictions
Able to blame economic problems and weakness on political enemies (wreckers)
What was Nikolayev accused of?
Convicted of murder and accused as a member of the secret Trotsky-ite group
Who was convicted of murder and accused as a member of the secret Trotsky-ite group?
Nikolayev
How did Stalin use Nikolayev’s trial?
Rid him of all politcal opponents
Was Nikolayev a member of any secret group?
Not a member of any secret group and no evidence of an organised ploy to bring down Soviets and there was no evidence that Stalin was apart of this
What was the role of Chistka between 1932-3?
Oversaw their removal of 20% of the party, non violently, as part of a post collectivisation clearing out process
Who oversaw their removal of 20% of the party, non violently, as part of a post collectivisation clearing out process between 1932-3?
Chistka
When had Chistka removed 20% of the party, non violently, as part of a post collectivisation clearing out process?
1932-33
What happened in September 1936?
Yagoda was replaced with Yezhov People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs (Head of NKVD)
When had Yagoda was replaced with Yezhov as People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs (Head of NKVD)?
September 1936
Who replaced Yagoda in September 1936 as the People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs (Head of NKVD)?
Yezhov
How did Stalin regard Yagoda?
Never trusted him
Thought of him as incompetent (Trial of Sixteen not harsh enough)
What happened to the NKVD between 1936-7?
Radicalisation of the NKVD
When had Stalin began to question the loyalty of Yagoda?
From a 1928 secret report
What happened in March 1938?
Yagoda was executed
When was Yagoda executed?
March 1938
What change happened to the NKVD?
Purged
How did Stalin speed things up?
Set targets for arrests executions and exiles
NKVD itself was purged
New recruits were thugs or career administrators
When was the trial of Sixteen?
August 1936
What happened in August 1936?
Trial of Sixteen
What was the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen purging?
The left
Who was on trial in the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen?
Zinoviev, Kamenev and 14 other comrades
What trial included Zinoviev, Kamenev and 14 other comrades?
August 1936 Trial of Sixteen
What purged the prominent leader of the left?
August 1936 Trial of Sixteen
What were those on trial in the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen charged with?
Murder of Kirov
Conspiring with foreign powers
Plotting to disrupt the Five year power
In what trial were those on trial charged with:
Murder of Kirov
Conspiring with foreign powers
Plotting to disrupt the Five year power
August 1936 Trial of Sixteen
What was the result of the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen?
Zinoviev and Kamenev were both shot
What trial led to Zinoviev and Kamenev both being shot?
August 1936 Trial of Sixteen
How did Zinoviev attend his execution?
Weeping
What happened around the time of the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen?
43 other high ranking officials (former allies of those who were executed) also disappeared around this time without explanation
When had 43 other high ranking officials (former allies of those who were executed) disappeared without explanation?
Around the time of the August 1936 Trial of Sixteen
When was the trial of seventeen?
1937
What happened in 1937?
Trial of Seventeen
Who was targeted in the 1937 trial of seventeen?
Trotsky and his supporters were targeted
Who were those on trial charged with in the 1937 trial of seventeen?
Plotting with foreign powers
Terrorism
Sabotage
Contacting Trotsky
In what trial, were those convicted charged with: Plotting with foreign powers Terrorism Sabotage Contacting Trotsky
1937 trial of seventeen
What techniques did Yezhov use?
Interrogation
E.g. Conveyor belt interrogation, where torture, sleep deprivation and questions happened until there was a confession
In the 1937 Trial of Seventeen, how many were executed?
13/17
In what trial were 13/17 of those on trial executed?
1937 Trial of Seventeen
In the 1937 Trial of Seventeen, how many were sent to the gulags?
4 sent to the gulags to die
In what trial were 4 people sent to the gulags?
1937 Trial of Seventeen
What was an example of a forged confession?
More obvious (Confessing to murdering Kirov whilst they had been in custody)
How did Stalin persuade the party to allow the execution of Zinoviev and Kamenev?
He promised that Bukharin would not have the same fate
What was the impact of Stalin promising not to execute Bukharin?
Communist party accepted the execution of Zinoviev and Kamenev
What happened on the 10th of September 1937?
Pravda announced the investigation against Bukharin was closed
When had Pravda announced the investigation against Bukharin was closed?
10th September 1937
Why was there the ‘sharpening class struggle’?
This term meant the bourgeoisie were increasing in the want to hold onto capitalism and would therefore fight and this was used an excuse for the terror under Stalin
When was the doctrine of ‘sharpening class struggle’?
Feb-March Central Committee meeting of 1937
What was adopted in the Feb-March Central Committee meeting of 1937?
Doctrine of ‘sharpening class struggle’
What was the result of the Feb-March Central Committee meeting of 1937?
Despite the loyalty of those who attended, 70% would be executed in the next three months
When was the trial of twenty one?
March 1938
What happened in March 1938?
Trial of Twenty One
What did the March 1938 Trial of Twenty One purge?
Right
What trial purged the right side of the party?
March 1938: Trial of the Twenty One
Who was put on trial in the March 1938 Trial of Twenty One?
Bukharin, Rykov and their accomplices
In what trial were Bukharin, Rykov and their accomplices put on trial?
March 1938 Trial of Twenty One
What were the charges in the March 1938 Trial of Twenty One?
Attempting to overthrow socialism
Murdering Kirov
Bukharin was charged with the assassination of Lenin
In what trial were those charged with:
Attempting to overthrow socialism
Murdering Kirov
Bukharin was charged with the assassination of Lenin
March 1938 Trial of Twenty One
What was the result of the March 1938 Trial of Twenty One?
Bukharin confessed to political responsibility for the crimes but never confessed to anything that actually happened, after Stalin threatened his wife and newborn child
