Dictatorship and Stalinism Flashcards
the machinery of state terror; the NKVD; the early purges; Kirov's murder; the show trials; the Stalin constitution
How did Stalin use terror early on
to rise to his position e.g. expulsion of Trotsky
enforce collectivisation
expel those who criticised his policy
When was the menshevik and SR show trial
1931
what happened to some specialist and engineers
accuse of machine breaking and sabotage
sent to labour camps
why was opposition to policy emerging by the end of 1932
forced collectivisation had led to the famine
what was the Ryutin affair
March 1932 Ryutin wrote ‘Stalin and the crisis of the proletarian dictatorship’ calling for policy changes and spread it around the party
Ryutin executed
16 others were expelled for failure to report the document
What happened after the Ryutin affair
the Chistka
how many were expelled from the party in the Chistka
1/5 of the party by 1934
what changed in the NKVD after 1934
internal security became its responsibility
normal police put under its control
labour camps organised into national network (gulags) under its control
system of policing and repression all came under the NKVD
when was Kirov murdered
December 1934
what happened with Kirov at the 17th party congress
Kirov opposed Stalin on the pace of industrialisation
Kirov given a standing ovation after speaking out
Stalin’s title of General secretary was removed and Kirov, Stalin and others were given the title of Secretary of equal rank
what happened just days after Kirovs murder
decree gave Yagoda (head of NKVD) power to arrest or execute anyone accused of terrorist plotting
over 100 party members were shot and 1000s were arrested and sent to prison camps
when was the first show trial
August 1936
who was involved in the first trial and what were they accused of
Kamenev, Zinoviev and 14 others
accused of spying for foreign powers and being a part of a counter revolutionary bloc
when was the second show trial
January 1937
when was the third show trial
March 1938
Who was involved in the third show trial
Bukharin, Rykov, Yagoda and 18 others
What was the purpose of the show trials
create and atmosphere of intimidation, sense of danger and feeling that there were enemies, spies and wreckers around
got rid of opposition within the party
why did many of the accused in the show trials confess
tortured
April 1935 law meant that anyone over 12 could be subject to the same punishment as adults including the death penalty so the NKVD would suggest that false charges would be brought against the accused children to scare them into a confession
When was the Stalin constitution released
1936
what was the Stalin constitution
document drafted by Bukharin to mark progress towards socialism and celebrate triumphs of previous years
What did the Stalin constitution claim
that socialism had been achieved
how did the Stalin constitution change government
proclaimed the I
USSR to be a federation of 11 republics (previously 7)
ARCS replaced by a supreme soviet made up of a soviet of the union and soviet of nationalities
how did the Stalin constitution appear beneficial to republics
each republic had its own supreme soviet
promised local autonomy to ethnic groups and support for national cultures and languages
how did the Stalin constitution appear democratic
promised 4 yearly elections with the right to vote for all over 18 including former people
extensive statement of civil rights
citizens expected to work and guaranteed the right to work, education and social welfare
what might have been the intention behind the Stalin constitution
impress foreigners
in practice was largely ignored and central control of republics budgets ensured the primacy of union laws and little regional independence
