Stalins Consolidation To Power

Question 1

Show trials - Purge of the Bolsh party

Answer 1

• torture to the accused to extract forced confessions implying false evidence
• Kirov shot dead 2 hours after Stalin signed decree against terrorist acts which result in purges and justifies extreme actions
• Stalin trying to identify the murderer - identities kaminev and zemenev and 14 other Bolsh arrested and put on trial
• Bukharin accuser for spying for Nazis and later on evidence is pinned and he’s executed
• By 1937 2000 of delights at party Congress in 1934 half had been executed
• Only 41 of the 134 from central committee alive

Show trials justify why the men are executed by confessing and setting the stage for future purges - leaves only Stalinists

Stalin get rids if any key political threats who played big roles and could challenge him replacing with loyal supporters

Question 2

Show trials - purge of the armed forces

Answer 2

• targeted admirals, generals claiming evidence of conspiracy in red army linked with Japan Britain etc to overthrow russia
• Accused of treason
• 1937 8 generals arrested
• 14/16 army commanders shot and 6 admirals shot
• 91/101 members of supreme council executed
• officers sent to labour camps

Stalin removed anyone who was capable of organising a military coup consolidating his own position making sure he was safe and not vulnerable to attack

Question 3

Show trials - purges of the population

Answer 3

• Stalin introduces economic plans
• those who didn’t follow were sent to gulags/ labour camps
• industrial workers accused of not being bourgeoisie
• peasants/kulaks sent to gulag and anyone who didn’t speak Russian were also sent to gulags
• Anyone not following Stalin or his plans sent to gulag
• 1 in 8 of pop arrested

He scared them into obeying and accepting his economic plans as-well as him as leader and future decisions/plans he did.

Question 4

Cult of personality

Answer 4

• Stalin’s image dominated the SU physically and politically seeing him as an omnipotent leader whom people should love and follow
• believed to be a living god who was a savour and loving embodiment of the SU
• paternalist father of SU
• gave people solidarity and confidence - presented as the heir of Lenin acquiring god like status
• statues , paintings , poems , figurines of Stalin everywhere including houses, workplaces.
• they showed him as being the saviour of the civil war
• created modified photos showing him with Lenin
• used religious terminology to appeal to the religions nature of Russians
• forcing people to accepts him as he’d look after them as their saviour