Purges of the 1930s - 1950s

Question 1

Shakhty

Answer 1

• 1928
• Targeted specialist engineers in Shakhty region
• Aim to remove opponents of economic policy (control over coal mines)

Question 2

Chistka

Answer 2

• 1932
• Targeted local party members
• Aim to remove opponents of 5 year plan and collectivisation (economic policy)

Question 3

What were the three purges of the party?

Answer 3

Show trials 1936-38
- The Trial of the Sixteen 1936: Zinoviev and Kamenev confessed
- The Trial of the Seventeen 1937: purge of party officials e.g Radek
- The Trial of the Twenty One 1938: purge of the right

Question 4

What were the purges of the armed forces?

Answer 4

1937-38
- Armed forces critical of demoralising impact of collectivisation on peasants: army leaders’ power had to be cut down
- 3/5 marshals, 14/16 army commanders purged and 35,000 officers shot/imprisoned

Question 5

What were the purges of the Secret Police?

Answer 5

1937-38
- Purgers themselves were purged, 1936 Yagoda (head of NKVD) replaced by Yezhov
- Yezhov purged 3000 of his own personnel

Question 6

What were the purges of the people?

Answer 6

1937-39
- Quota system used, each party branch had its own target to reach
- Removed political opponents/anyone considered a threat to Stalin’s power

Question 7

What was the purge of the Jews?

Answer 7

1945-50
- 1945 12% senior managers Jewish, fell to 4% in 1951
- All Jews in sensitive areas (diplomacy, military) removed
- Purge against ‘cosmopolitan elements’

Question 8

What was the Leningrad Affair?

Answer 8

1949
- Over 1000 Leningrad party members sacked
- 200 of these arrested and charged with being traitors

Question 9

What was the Mingrelian Affair?

Answer 9

1951
- Ethnic group and language spoken in Georgie
- Beria (head of secret police from 1938) and supporters were Mingrelian
- Purge to undermine Beria who Stalin began to see as a threat

Question 10

What was the Doctors Plot?

Answer 10

• Stalin’s physician Vinovradov and 30 other top physicians arrested, charged with plotting to poison Stalin
• Stalin died before the purge could escalate, doctors were released

Question 11

What was the Stalin Constitution?

Answer 11

1936
- Claimed to protect: civil rights, freedom of expression/assembly/worship/vote/democracy
- Problems: fiction, not reality. Ignored the power of the party, not restricted