Stalin's Maintenance of Power

Question 1

Ryutin

Answer 1

○ A rightist who crticised Stalin
		○ Called for
			§ End of forced collectivsation
			§ Rhebailitate defeated oppositionists 
			§ Dismissal of Stalin
		○ Stalin wanted him executed
			§ Politburo refused.
			§ Indicated Stalin did not have full control.

Question 2

1933-1935 Purges

Answer 2

○ Personal qualities and behaviour of party members were vetted.
○ Members were removed on grounds of
§ Drunkenness
§ Political Inactivity
○ No violence was involved in this purge.
○ Members could rejoin if they changed.
○ 20% of party members were expelled.
§ 1 million members.
○ Despite the purge there was opposition to Stalin.
○ Smirnov was expelled for forming an anti-party group to remove Stalin.

Question 3

17 Party Congress Discussion

Answer 3

○ 17 Party congress had major implications
§ Kirov was asked to replace Stalin (Refused)
§ Congress abolished post of general secretary
□ In principle Stalin was no more important than other secretaries
§ Led to shared responsibility of economic crisis.
§ Not all communists approved of Stalin’s leadership.

Question 4

Kirov’s Role

Answer 4

○ Kirov had doubts about
§ Pace of industrialisation
§ Stalin’s methods of reforming party discipline.
○ Kirov was assassinated in December 1934.

Question 5

Kirov’s assasination aftermath

Answer 5

○ Stalin claimed it was part of a plot to overthrow him and the communist party.
§ Blamed it on Leningrad opposition centree
§ Blamed it on Trotsky.
○ Outlet for expanding powers of the NKVD
§ Arrest
§ Trial
§ Execution
○ In the next few weeks:
§ over 100 party members were shot
§ Thousands of Trotskyists and Zinovievists were arrested.
§ Including Zinoviev and Kamenev.
They were tried in court and imprisoned for 5-10 years.

Question 6

First Show Trial

Answer 6

§ Leading communists were accused to plotting against Stalin/USSR.
§ The NKVD claimed to have uncovered Trotskyist-Zinovievist counter-revolutionary plot.
□ Cooperation with White guards and Kulaks.
§ In the trial of 16 there were accused of this conspiracy.
□ Consisted of:
® Zinoviev
® Kamenev
® Smirnov
® Syrtsov
□ The NKVD used torture to force out confessions.
□ All 16 were found guilty and executed.

Question 7

Second Show Trial

Answer 7

○ Stalin put Erzhov as the head of the NKVD.
○ A second show trial The trial of 17 took place in 1937.
§ Accused of:
□ Plotting with Trotsky
□ Plotting Assassinations
□ Terrorist activates
□ Sabotage of industry
□ Spying
§ Erzhov took the cue and accused Bukharin of knowing Trotsky’s plans.
□ Bukharin refused to confess.
□ Immediately arrested.
□ Charged with links with Trotsky and his supporters.
○ The last show trialled of 21 focussed on Bukharin and the rightists.
§ Were executed.

Question 8

Erzhovschina- The Great Terror

Answer 8

§ Erzhovschina
			§ Increase in:
				□ Denunciations
				□ Expulsions
				□ Trials
				□ Imprisonments
				□ Executions
			§ Initally for party members
				□ Spread to administrators
				□ Many ended up in the gulag
			§ Spread to the Red Army as well.