Show trials Flashcards
Why were the show trials introduced?
To legitimize the purges
Used to make people believe the country was full of anti communists
Some people were too famous just to disappear
What happened during the show trials?
Leading Bolsheviks were forced to confess to crimes they didn’t commit
The trials were made to look highly authentic
What were the effects of the show trials?
Out of the 24 members who made up the original Politurbo in 1917 all of them had been killed exiled or imprisoned
In 1937 Commander Chief Marshall Tukha Chevsky and 7 other generals were killed.
By 1941 almost 90% of all generals in power before Stalin had been removed.
How did Stalin gain control over Russia?
Stalin created the impression that he was a genius at everything.
Propaganda and censorship were reintroduced through education
Exams were set every year and there was strict discipline
