Stalin's Purges 1932 - 1940

Question 1

What was the Ryutin Platform?

Answer 1

1932 - Ryutin, a former Moscow Part Secretary, circulated to the Central Committee a 200 page critique of Stalin. “Evil genius of the Russian Revolution”.

Question 2

What was Stalin’s response to the Ryutin Platform?

Answer 2

He wanted Ryutin executed, but the Politburo (including Kirov) opposed him.
Same thing happened with old Bolshevik A. P. Smirnov who was charged with forming an opposition group.

Question 3

What were the 3 phases of the purges of the 1930s?

Answer 3

1. Chistka 1932-1935 (non-violent)
2. Show trials and executions
3. Yezhovshchina 1937-1938

Question 4

What motivated the 1932-1934 chistka?

Answer 4

Concern among party leaders that local party members were unwilling to push forward with collectivisation and industrialisation.
Launched the chistka to root out passive elements and violators of party discipline in attempt to re-establish control and expel members of the party critical of Stalin’s methods.

Question 5

What was the outcome of the 1932-34 chistka?

Answer 5

By 1935, around 22% of members were expelled.

Question 6

What new title were Kirov and Stalin given, and when?

Answer 6

‘Secretary of Equal Rank’, at the 17th Party Congress in Jan 1934

Question 7

Who murdered Kirov, and when?

Answer 7

Leonid Nikolayev, in Dec 1934

Question 8

What happened after Kirov’s murder?

Answer 8

Stalin took the lead of the investigation.
There was an extensive purge of the Leningrad party (Kirov’s power base).
The murder was used as justification for the Great Purges over the next 4 years.

Question 9

When was the first show trial (of the Great Purges), and who were executed?

Answer 9

1936 - Zinoviev, Kamenev, and 14 others

Question 10

What show trials were held against ‘threats’ EXTERNAL to the party?

Answer 10

1928 - Shakhty show trial, coal mine staff forced to confess to subversive activities.
1930 - The Industrial Party show trial, professionals (mostly industrialists, Mensheviks, and SRs) accused of wrecking the Five-Year Plan.
1932 - Metro-Vickers trial, British specialists found guilty of sabotage.

Question 11

Why were the 1936 show trials so significant?

Answer 11

They were the first executions of people who has belonged to the Central Committee.

Question 12

Describe the second show trial.

Answer 12

1937 - Radek (a well-known Trotskyite) and Pyatakov (a deputy of the Commisariat of Heavy Industry), and 15 others.

Question 13

Describe the third show trial.

Answer 13

1938 - Bukharin, Rykov (old Bolshevik), Yagoda (former head of NKVD), and 18 others

Question 14

What happened just after the first great show trial?

Answer 14

1936 - Yagoda was criticised for not finding enemies of the state quickly enough and replaced with Yezhov.
This was a clear sign that Stalin wanted to advance his terror.

Question 15

How did the targets of the purges change after Yezhov’s appointment?

Answer 15

Lower-ranking members were encouraged to denounce those in higher positions.
Some did so to get their jobs or settle old scores, others to deflect criticism from themselves.
These ‘unmaskings’ led to a flood of accusations.

Question 16

What changed in July 1937?

Answer 16

The Politburo passed a resolution condemning ‘Anti-Soviet Elements’.
Yezhov drew up an arrest list of over 250,000 people, including historians, scientists, artists, writers, managers, etc.

Question 17

What was introduced in July 1937?

Answer 17

A quota system was applied to public bodies and geographical locations. In July, the proportion to be shot was fixed at 28%, with the rest hard labour.

Question 18

Describe the end of the terror.

Answer 18

In 1938 at the 18th Party Congress, Stalin called the ‘mass purges’ to a halt. Yezhov had been replaced by Beria and arrests slowed down.
The purges were destabilising society and the economy as key personnel was missing.
Stalin blamed Yezhov and the NKVD for the excesses of terror.

Question 19

When did Stalin’s wife commit suicide?

Answer 19

Nadezda Allilueva shot herself in Nov 1932.

Question 20

Which prominent military figure was executed in 1937?

Answer 20

Tukhachevsky was tried with seven other top Red Army commanders. The purge of the Red Army’s officer corps followed.

Question 21

Describe Stalin’s purge of the Red Army.

Answer 21

In June 1937 Stalin sanctioned an extensive purge of the Red Army that continued until Nov 1938.
Approx 35,000 army leaders were discharged from the ranks and tens of thousands of officers were arrested

Question 22

What started in 1940 under Beria?

Answer 22

A new purge of the Red Army that initially hit the People’s Commissariat of Ammunition, Aviation, and Armaments.

Question 23

Of the ____ delegates to the 17th Party Congress, __% were arrested.

Answer 23

Of the 1,966 delegates to the 17th Party Congress, 56% were arrested.