Essay topic 3 Flashcards
What percentage of the party was expelled in 1935 and alongside which 2 prominent figures
9%
Kamanev and Zinoviev
Which consequence of collectivisation led to further opposition in
Famine of 1932-33
Who led the call for political change and what was his former role in party
Ryutin (former Moscow Party Secretary)
What did Ryutin circulate among party members and when
March 1932
200-page document entitled ‘Stalin and the Crisis of the proletariat dictatorship’
Who overruled Stalin’s call for execution of the Ryutina platform (traitors)
Kirov
What was the consequence/ outcome for Ryutin platform
March 1932
Ryutin was imprisoned for 10 years
Kamanev, Zinoviev and 14 other expelled from party
Further 24 expulsions the next month
By 1934 what proportion of party had been expelled in a chistka and what were they branded
By 1934 1/5 of the party had been branded ‘Ryutinites’ and expelled
Term for a non-violent purge
chistka
When was the ‘Congress of Victors’ and what was its purpose
1934
To elect CC
Kirov v Stalin votes in ‘Congress of Victors’
Kirov- 1,225 votes
Stalin- 927 votes
Who tried to persuade Kirov to stand as General Secretary and how did he react
Group of Old Bols
He refused
What did the rise of Kirov and his support from Old Bols show Stalin
Had to purge the party as it could no longer be trusted
Causes of great terror
- Rise of and murder of Kirov
- Stalin’s paranoia
- Political opposition
- Economic motives
What caused Stalin’s paranoia
Felt unable to trust many within Comm party
What did Stalin believe, despite being unchallenged ruler of USSR
Despite being unchallenged ruler of USSR, believed he still had many enemies
Why did recent history of the party fuel Stalin’s paranoia and make him anxious
Trotsky, Zonoviev and Bukharin had all fallen from leading positions in party and Stalin feared same may happen to him
What did Stalin believe about the ideology of many party members
Believed many were not truly converted to his version of socialism and was worried Old Communists, who had been members before Civil War, would try to overthrow him as they knew truth about his rise to power and Lenin’s view that he did not deserve to be General Secretary
Which bodies did Stalin believe to have too much power and what dud this lead Stalin to fear
Red Army and secret police
Lack of control over such bodied led him to fear assasination attempts
What was the importance of the NKVD in the countryside
Compiled extensive reports on discontent with collectivisation in the countryside
When was the NKVD introduced/ given power
10 July 1934
When did Yegoda control NKVD and when was he shot
1934-36
Shot in 1938
When did Yezhov control NKVD and when was he shot
1937-38
Shot in 1940
When did Beria control NKVD and when was he shot
1938-45
Shot in 1956
Who did Stalin send to labour camps whilst pushing through FYPs and why
Specialists and engineers sent to gulgas for machine-breaking and sabotage
When was the Shakty Trial
1928
Who was purged in Shakty trials
1928: managers and technicians at Shakty coal mine who questioned pace of industrialisation were accused of ‘counter revolutionary espionage’
Forced to confess in public ‘show trial’
When was the ‘Industrial Party’ show trial and who was purged
Nov 1930
Random group of Industrialists, Mensheviks and SRs accused of sabotage
When was the Metro-Vickers trial and who were purged
1933
British specialists found gulity of wrecking activities
Why did Stalin aim to purge and expose ‘wreckers’
As an excuse for ongoing difficulties of FYPs.
Who did Stalin claim ‘wreckers’ and ‘sabetours’ were employed by and why
Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev to deliberately sabotage Russia’s economy
What did the purger provide for Russia’s economy
A huge resovouir of cheap labour.
Majority of those purged sent to gulags and used as slave labour and vital to projects commissioned by FYPs such as Magnitogorsk and Stalinsk
When was Kirov assasinated
Dec 1934
How did Stalin aim to opress Kirov after ‘Congress of Victors’
Attempted to exclude him from Politburo but insisted that he stayed in Leningrad to supervise local party
What title was abolished and what title did Stalin and Kirov take instead
Title of ‘General Secretary’ abolished in favour of ‘Secretary of Equal Rank’ for Stalin and Kirov
What is the importance of the title ‘Secretary of Equal Rank’
Meant, in theory, Stalin was no longer more important than other secretaries
Who did Stalin pin murder of Kirov on and what power did he give NKVD as a result
Quick to claim was Kirov’s murder was a Trotsyite plot to overthrow the party. A decree published day after assasination, giving Yagoda (head of NKVD) the power to arrest and execute anyone found gulity of ‘terrorits plotting’
How many party members shot and sent to labour camps following Kirov’s assasination
Over 100 shot and 1000s more arrested and sent to labour camps
Who were arrested in Jan 1935
Zinoviev, Kamanev and 17 other arrested and accused of instigating terrorism and sentenced to 5-10 years inprisonment.
Soon after, 12 NKVD members in Leningrad found guilty and imprisoned
When was the death penalty extended to anyone aware of subversive activity
June 1935
When was the ‘Decree against terrorist acts’ introduced and what was its significance
Immediately after Kirov’s assasination
3000 suspected conspirators rounded up and imprisoned or murdered
How did Stalin use vacant positions as a means of enhancing security (2 examples)
Filled vacant positions with Stalin supporters
Eg 1: Kirov’s role as Leningrad boss was filled by Andrei Zhdanov
Eg 2: Moscow post was filled by Nikita Kruschev
Who filled Moscow post and was a Stalin supporter
Kruschev
Who filled Kirov’s post as Leningrad boss and was a Stalin supporter
Zhdanov
How many of the delegates at the 1934 17th Party Congress were executed in the 3 years following
Of 1996 delegates, 1108 were executed
1996
1108
How many CC members were elected in 17th Party Congress and how many executed during purge
139
All but 41 executed
When was the Stalin enrolment
1931-34
Impact of Stalin enrolement
Meant many new members were not involved in Oct Rev and joined to advance their careers. Therefore, owed their privileges to Stalin’s patronage. Self-interest of these members meant they would stay loyal to him.
When was the Trial of 16
1936
Who was executed following Trial of 16
Zinvoiev, Kamanev and 14 of their supporters
What was the accusation for Trial of 16
Accused of Kirov’s murder and plotting to disrupt FYPs
What was 1st trialed in Trail of 17
Yezhov’s Conveyor belt system of pervasive torture and questioning
When was the Trial of 17
1937
Who was executed and imprisoned following Trial of 17
17 of Trotsky’s former allies (including Sokolnikov, Pyatakov, Radek and Ordzhonikidze)
Accusation of Trial of 17
Plotting with foreign powers, terrorism and contact with Trotsky
When was the Trial of 21
1938
Who was purged in Trial of 21
Bukharin, Rykov, Yagoda and Tomsky
Bukharin’s wife and new-born baby threatened with execution
Never gained a full confession from Bukarin but executed anyway
What were the charges if the Trial of 21
Bukharin: attempting to assasinate Lenin
Others: Tryint to overthrow socialism and the murder of Kirov
Who was targted in Military Purge
Tukachevsky 2 Marshals of the Soviet Union 11 War Commisars 50% of officer corps 34,000 soldiers purged from army
When was Military Purge
1937
When was Stalin Constitution drafted and by who
1936 (1st year of Show Trials)
Dragted by Bukhrain
Purpose of Stalin Constitution
Give the illsion of democracy by promising four-yearly elections with right to vote for all over age of 18 (raised to 23 in 1945) and stated civil rights, religious freedom and freedom of speech (none of which existed and was just a paper measure)
Main Purpose= Impress foreigners as seen via promise of local autonomy to ethnic groups and support for national cultures and languages
Yezhovshina date
1936-38
When was terror relaxed
1939
When was Trotsky assasinated and where
1940
Mexico (exile)
Who set targets like Gosplan had and FYPs
NKVD set targets for arrests
How many party members were convicted of being enemies of the people 1934-38
330,000
Who announced a ‘gigantic conspiracy’ in May 1937 and what was it and what was consequence
Vyshinsky
Conspiracy in Red Army
Tukhachevsky and 7 other generals arrested . Tukachevsky chatged for having spied for Germany and Japan
Who was purged/ removed from party under Yezhovshina
All 11 War Commisars
3 of the 5 marshals dismissed
80 men from Supreme Military Council executed
14/16 army commanders removed
35,000 commissioned officers imprisoned or shot
Purpose of NKVD Order No. 00447
Demanded removal of ‘anti-Soviet elements’ from Russian society
How many people were on NKVD list of people belived to be involved in anti-Sov activity and what percent to be shot and gulag
Over 250,000
28% were to be shot
Remaining given 8-10 years in gulag
How did Russians respond to NKVD Order No.00447
Many collaborated enthusiastically with state-sponsored persecution. Due to fear, but was also common for workers to denounce their bosses, hoping they’d be removed and they could therefore be promoted
What did Order 00447 set up and what did it do
Set up small NKVD committees at regional levels, which classified kulaks and other anti-Sov elements into 2 categories
1st= execution
2nd= gulags
What proportion of population was arrested under Yezhovshina
1/8
1 in every 8
How many were arrested within a month of arrest list.
How many of these sent to gulags and what professions
100,000 arrested
14,000 sent to gulags
Included artists, musicians, writers, managers and adminstrators
How many members of party were removed between 1936-38
850,000
How many party members recruited since 1920 survived the purges/terror
Less than 1/4
What was the impact on some rural areas
Some rural areas went untouched
Inmate numbers 1935 and 1938
1935: 800,000
1938: 5.5-9.5 million
How do mortality rates in gulags compare to rest of Russia
4-6x higher in gulags
Which nationalities were deported (3 examples)
1937: Korean mortalities depotred to Asia
1939: Poles and Germans deported
1941: Volga Germans deported to Siberia
Who were arrested (religion)
Many Rabbis and religious leaders
When was Yezhov arrested and when shot
April 1939
Feb 1940
Political impact of terror
Helped Stalin to maintain control and ensure conformity to Sov population.
Destroyed all leading opponents
Stalin= omly member of original 1917 CC alive by 1938
Who was the only member of the original 1917 CC alive by 1938
Stalin
Economic impact of terror
Coincided with economic slowdown of 1937
Led to shortage of industrial expertise and skilled labour as been accused of ‘wreckers’ or ‘sabetours’
In climate of fear, economic planning impossible, due to falsification of production figures by local Comm Party officials and factory managers fearful of failing to meet targets
When was economic slowdown
1937
People responsible for terror
Stalin= initiator and driving force
Local offcials= Stalinism not all-embracing as often thought. so local officials use own initiative in applying terror. Disruption caused by indust and collect meant many resorted to extreme measures.
