Internal opposition

Question 1

When was the only time the Tsars really had to deal with people defying them within the system itself?

Answer 1

In 1878 when Vera Zasulich was let off by a jury court (created by Alex II) and whisked away before they could have a retrial

Led to a crackdown on political cases, especially under Alexander III

Question 2

Occasionally, the Tsar would fire ministers who had either become too ____ or were not supported by the wider ____.

These include:

• The M____ ____
• W____
• S____ (who was ____ before Nicholas II could act)

Answer 2

Occasionally, the Tsar would fire ministers who had either become too radical or were not supported by the wider nobility.

These include:

• The Milyutin brothers
• Witte
• Stolypin (who was assassinated before Nicholas II could act)

Question 3

Until they lost the loyalty of the ____ and the ____ in 1917, the Tsars were not used to, nor were they really challenged, by ____ opposition.

Answer 3

Until they lost the loyalty of the nobility and the army in 1917, the Tsars were not used to, nor were they really challenged, by internal opposition.

Question 4

What was the Provisional Government mainly toppled by?

Any examples of internal opposition?

Answer 4

External political opposition.

Resignations within - Prince Lvov’s refusal to work with the Soviet, leading to Kerensky’s rise.

Question 5

Why was there no real external political opposition to the Bolsheviks?

So what did they mainly have to deal with?

Answer 5

Had crushed external political opposition during the Civil War.

Mainly had to deal with internal and social opposition.

Question 6

Who shot Lenin, badly wounding him, in 1918, and what did this do?

What did this demonstrate?

What did this foreshadow?

Answer 6

Kaplan, an SR - exacerbated the Red Terror

Demonstrated the threat of internal opposition.

Foreshadowed the divisions within the revolutionary movement that would be the main focus of opposition after 1921.

Question 7

Key divisions within the party:

• What did Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Rykov disagree with? (2)
• What did Trotsky disagree with?

Answer 7

• Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Rykov disagreed with the timing of the October revolution and the decision not to work with other socialists
• Trotsky disagreed with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Lenin had to threaten his resignation to get him to agree to it

Question 8

Where did Lenin’s main internal opposition come from?

Answer 8

His primary policies.

There were many who thought that War Communism was too harsh, and punished the workers who they were supposed to benefit.

Question 9

What was a turning point for Lenin’s view on internal opposition?

The result?

Answer 9

The Kronstadt Uprising March 1921

Realised the need for appeasement to keep his supporters on side - conceded with the NEP

Question 10

What did Lenin’s introduction of the NEP lead to?

Answer 10

A clear split between the ‘rightist’ supporters of the NEP to the more ‘revolutionary’ party members who thought it was a betrayal of Communism

Question 11

What was Lenin’s main strategy to dealing with the internal schism?

Answer 11

Ban on Factions 1921

Could debate and argue policy in the Central Committee, but once a decision was made they had to stick to it.

‘Factions’ expelled

Question 12

Positive impacts of the NEP?

Answer 12

Freed up the USSR economically and to a degree socially

Question 13

What did the NEP not stop?

Specific example?

Answer 13

Heavy repression of internal threats such as the SRs and the Mensheviks.

SR, Denikin, put on a ‘show trial’ for his supposed role in the assassination attempt on Lenin - eery foreshadowing

Question 14

Was the Ban on Factions successful?

Explain.

Answer 14

Not hugely, no.

After Lenin’s death, the debate on the future of the NEP was at the forefront of Stalin’s power struggle.

Question 15

How did Stalin use his bureaucratic powers to strengthen his position?

Also his ‘trick’ tactic?

Answer 15

Placed more loyal members of the party (to him) into positions of power through the Lenin Enrolment.

Told Trotsky the wrong day for Lenin’s funeral, so he missed it and looked bad.

Question 16

How did Stalin exploit Lenin’s legacy to gain power?

Answer 16

Used the ‘Ban on Factions’ to expell Trotsky, Zinoviev, and Kamenev for their ‘United Opposition’ demonstration in Red Square against his succession in 1927.

Trotsky exiled in 1929.

Also accused Bukhanin of factionalism in 1929 over his opposition to collectivisation.

Question 17

What did Stalin’s paranoia from his power struggle result in?

Answer 17

The Great Purges

Question 18

What was the first wave of the Great Purges?

Answer 18

1932-35 - Chistka

22% of party non-violently expelled

A clearing-out process following the difficult process of collectivisation

Question 19

What was the second wave of the Great Purges?

Answer 19

1935-37 - The ‘Show Trials’

Prominent old Bolsheviks tried and executed

Question 20

What was the third wave of the Great Purges?

Answer 20

1937-38 - Yezhvoshchina

Mass terror led by Yekhov, head of NKVD

Thousands killed

Question 21

How does Stalin’s use of terror compare to Lenin’s?

Answer 21

While Lenin condoned terror against external opposition, did not accept it within the party.

Stalin very much used it on the party.

Question 22

Describe what spurred the first ‘Chistka’ wave of the Great Purges

Answer 22

The Communist party was widely unpopular by 1933 because of the violent process of collectivisation and the huge pressures of the Five Year Plans.

Local party secretariats unwilling to follow demands and impose level of terror required - had to be ‘rooted out’

Question 23

What threats from the upper echelons of the party were there to Stalin’s rule in the early 1930s that ultimately led to the ‘Show Trials’?

(2)

Answer 23

1. 1932 - ‘Ryutin Platform’ published - criticising Stalin’s leadership and calling him an ‘evil genius’
2. 1934 - Seventeenth Party Congress - Kirov opposed Stalin’s push for further industrialisation - was ‘Secretary of Equal Rank’

Question 24

Just as Kirov became popular he was mysteriously ____ in 19__.

What did Stalin use this as an excuse for?

Answer 24

Just as Kirov became popular he was mysteriously killed in 1934.

Purged the Leningrad Party (where he came from, and often had a seat in power) and root out ‘opposition’ that wished to destroy the party (threatened his supreme power)

Question 25

Who was put on the first ‘Show Trial’?

Why?

When?

What were they ‘proven’ guilty of?

Answer 25

Zinoviev and Kamenev - for illegal communications with exiled Trotsky

Them and 14 others

1936

Spying for foreign powers and being part of the terrorist bloc that killed Kirov

Question 26

Why did most people believe those in the ‘Show Trials’ were guilty?

Answer 26

Use new modern media staging the events

Question 27

Who was purged in 1938?

Who else was eventually purged?

Answer 27

1938 - Bukharin and 20 others

Yagoda, head of the NKVD

Question 28

Name the 4 main individuals purged in the ‘Show Trials’

Answer 28

1. Zinoviev
2. Kamenev
3. Bukharin
4. Yagoda

Question 29

How did the NKVD get prisoners to ‘confess’ during the ‘Show Trials’

Answer 29

Torture

Question 30

How did Stalin widen the terror and ensure loyalty?

Answer 30

Encouraged denunciations from lower-level members of the party

Question 31

When were the first lists and quotas to remove ‘Anti-Soviet Elements’ drawn up?

How many and what roles in society?

Answer 31

July 1937

250,000 scientists, artists, musicians, writers, managers, and administrators - from all over Soviet life

Question 32

1937-38 purges

Allegations came in from across the country following a huge ____ ____ to root out hidden enemies.

The NKVD could arrive in the ____ without ____.

People with links to the ____ lived in constant fear of ____.

Answer 32

1937-38 purges

Allegations came in from across the country following a huge media campaign to root out hidden enemies.

The NKVD could arrive in the night without warning.

People with links to the accused lived in constant fear of exposure.

Question 33

1937-38 purges

What demonstrates Stalin’s fear of overthrown by the army?

Answer 33

Purged 40% of it - especially when he knew it was likely a war was coming as growing threat from Hitler

Question 34

What made Stalin begin to reign in the terror by 1939?

What was his response?

Answer 34

Administration in factories and offices began to break down.

Blamed Yezhov for the excesses, replaced him with Beria in 1938

Question 35

How many people do we think died overall during Stalin’s purges?

Answer 35

20 million

Question 36

What was Stalin’s policy on internal opposition after World War Two?

What evidence is there that Stalin was readying for another purge?

Answer 36

His paranoia returned - imprisoned ex-prisoners of war and many were deported

(Crimean Tartars deported to South Kazakhstan 1945)

Doctor’s Plot 1952-53 and Leningrad Affair 1948-50 - seeing enemies that weren’t there

Question 37

Judgement on Stalin’s purges - necessary or horrifically excessive?

Answer 37

1934 - threat from Kirov real, but his death put an end to that

After WWII Stalin was the unquestionable hero of Russia - Leningrad Affair was pure paranoia. No question of him being overthrown internally.

Question 38

What similare tactics did Khrushchev use in his rise to power?

(5)

Answer 38

1. Beria killed in 1953 - false accusations of spying
2. Malenkov removed from power in 1955 - attacked for being ‘too capitalist’ with the ‘Virgin Lands Scheme’ being more ideologically sound
3. Filled the Central Committee with his supporters between 1955-57
4. Dismissed ‘Anti-Party Group’ through Central Committee vote in 1957
5. Used wider support base to denounce Marshal Zhukov in 1957 who he had clashed with over army reductions

Question 39

Who was in the ‘Anti-Party Group’?

Who did Khrushchev replace them with?

Answer 39

Anti-Party Group:

Presidium members

• Bulganin
• Molotov
• Malenkov
• Kaganovich

Replaced by loyal:

• Brezhnev
• Kosygin

Question 40

What demonstrates the weakness of Khrushchev’s dealing with internal opposition?

Answer 40

• High level base never secure
• Lower base supporters disenchanted by failing policies
• Did not wield terror

Easiest Russian ruler to overthrow