RUSSIA Secret Police Flashcards
When was the Cheka established?
1917
Who led the Cheka?
Felix Dzerzhinsky
What was the task of the Cheka?
To act against counter-revolution and sabotage
What powers were the Cheka given during the civil war?
Could act with minimal interference from other legal bodies
Why was the Cheka given special powers during the civil war?
So they could quickly deal with actual and perceived enemies
When did the Cheka intensify its attacks against the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks?
Red Terror of 1921-22
How many opponents did the Cheka execute during the Red Terror?
200,000
When was the Cheka replaced?
1922
What replaced the Cheka originally?
GPU
What did the GPU quickly become?
OGPU
When was the OGPU merged with an enlarged Interior Ministry?
1934
What replaced the OGPU?
NKVD
What was a significant change that came along with the introduction of the OGPU?
Growing independence of the secret police from interference of other state institutions
Why were arrests often undertaken by the secret police in the middle of the night?
To disorientate the accused
Where were the accused taken to after they had been arrested?
Headquarters of the secret police at the Lubyanka building in Moscow
Who became the head of the secret police in 1934?
Yagoda
What did Yagoda’s time as head of the secret police see?
Rapid expansion of the Gulag
When had the labour camps been expanded under the Gulag?
1930
What changed about the Gulag under Yagoda?
Emphasis changed from ideology to economic considerations
What was one of Yagoda’s greatest achievements?
Completion of the White Sea Canal
How long was the White Sea Canal?
141 miles
How many labourers from the Gulag were used on the White Sea Canal?
180,000
How long did it take to complete the White Sea Canal?
2 years
How many people were killed during the construction of the White Sea Canal?
10,000
How deep was the White Sea Canal?
12 feet
When did Yagoda’s influence increase?
Great Purge- 1936
What was Yagoda’s task during the Great Purge?
Arresting those members of the Party who were alleged to have links with a Trotskyite opposition
Why was Yagoda removed from his post?
Accused of incompetence in safeguarding Kirov and not pursuing the opposition with sufficient enthusiasm
When was Yagoda removed from his post?
1936
When was Yagoda shot under Stalin’s orders?
1938
Who replaced Yagoda?
Yezhov
What had brought Yezhov to Stalin’s attention?
Yezhov’s enthusiasm for personally torturing suspects