The Great Terror. Flashcards
What were the three main possible causes of the Great Terror?
1) Stalin’s personality.
2) His paranoia.
3) Suicide of Stalin’s wife, Nadezda, in 1932 (this very possibly increased his paranoia).
By 1930s, the diplomatic situation had gotten even worse on the left. How?
Trotsky had founded the Fourth International as an alternative communist movmenet and this attracted lots of members.
When did Stalin’s wife commit suicide and what significant even was going on at this time?
She shot herself on 9th November 1932. The Ukranian famine started this year.
Why is Stalin’s relationship with his wife so important?
Some historians think that it may’ve had an impact on the terror, such as increasing Stalin’s paranoia.
What was Nadezda’s (Stalin’s wife) view on collectivisation?
She was very depressed and deeply affected by the damaging effects of collectivisation, believing that the terror in the countryside had gone too far.
What effect did her suicide have on Stalin?
Most historians agree that it caused Stalin to draw into himself. He became more paranoid an less trustful. His daughter from that marriage, Svetlana said in a novel ‘twenty letters ti a friend’ that “something had snapped inside my father”.
What does historian, Thurston, have to say about Nadezda’s suicide?
In ‘Life and Terror in Stalin’s Russia 1934-1941’ (1996), Thurston suggests that Nadezda’s death, occuring at the same time other groups such as the Ryutin platform were opposing Stalin, may have filled him with hatred, suspicion and a desire to project his guilt over heer death onto others.
Was the Great Terror entirely Stalin’s fault? Agree -
1) Personality. Stalin appointed Yezhov, under the belief that Yezhov would be even more ruthless than Yagoda. There was a fear of Yezhov’s NKVD, nicknamed the ‘black raven’ coming at night.
2) If Stalin was honestly worried about a war, why was he targeting the military and his most skilled generals? Surely this was down to his personality and paranoia.
3) Political: 850, 000 party members were expelled.
Was the Great Terror entirely Stalin’s fault? Disagree -
1) Yezhov and the NKVD were taking it upon themselves to up the quotas (order 00447).
2) They also wanted to impress Stalin - surely, Yezhov is personally responsible too.
3) Terror wasn’t anything new - it was a continuation and not a beginning. Under Tsarism, pogrom attacks were common against Jewish people and national minorities such as Ukranians were also discriminated against. There was a precedent for it under Lenin - the Chekka. So, Stalin escalated already existing terror.
Order 00447:
By 15th August 1937, 101,000 were arrested and 14,000 were convicted. By the end of 1938, the NKVD had executed 386,798 Soviet citizens to fulfill order 00447.
What did the Ryutin Platform (1932) want?
They created a 200 page document which criticised Stalin’s policy.
They wanted reduced capital investment, an end to forced collectivisation and rehabilitation of oppositionists and - shock horror - Stalin’s dismissal!
What was the result of the Ryutin platform?
Ryutin was expelled from the central committee with Zinoviev, Kamenev and 17 others (though these weren’t severe punishments).
In 1933, there was another purge of the party. How many members were expelled?
854,300 members were expelled.
Who advised Stalin to gain greater control of the local party organisation? What was the result?
Kaganovich! Stalin was quite unpopular with the party at this point.
When was Kirov murdered?
1st December 1934.
What position did Kirov hold? Why was this important?
He was the secretary of the Leningrad soviet. Leningrad was a big city, so he had a powerful position.
What happened at the 17th Party Congress in 1934?
There were outspoken delegates who opposed Stalin’s economic policies. Stalin felt challenged, while Kirov was very popular with a strong support base, having become leader of the party organisation in Leningrad in 1926.
What did Kirov talk about at the 17th Party Congress, 1934?
He spoke about relaxing policies - being kinder to peasants and workers. But of course, this was a complete contrast with Stalin’s view, who said that MORE need to be done URGENTLY. Though Kirov praised Stalin and expressed loyalty to him, he was a threat because he was so popular.
What was there a vote for at the 17th Party Congress 1934?
There was a SUCCESSFUL vote to abolish General Secretaries. This made Stalin equal to his colleagues, as he would no longer be a general secretary. It’s quite possible that many delegates asked Kirov to stand against Stalin for general secretaryship before it was abolished, but Kirov seems to have refused.
When it came to voting at the 17th Party Congress, how did Stalin and Kirov fare?
300 delegates voted against Stalin compared to 3 votes against Kirov. Kirov was suggesting an end to forced collectivisation and Stalin felt that his policies were being criticised.
Who shot Kirov?
A young Communist named Leonid Nikolayev.
What happened to Kirov’s murderer? Why is everything a bit suspicious?
Leonid Nikolayev was arrested and executed without a trial. BUT!! All those involved in his arrest were also executed. This meant nobody could tell if it was conspiracy/ordered hit or not. It all seems a bit convenient for Stalin, but we can’t say for sure that he DID kill Kirov, because we really don’t know.
How did Stalin use Kirov’s death to his own benefit?
He passed a decree against terrorist attacks. Essentially, he was saying “oh nooooo. if someone has killed Kirov, then we must protect everyone else!!!” this gave the NKVD power to deal with enemies, and there was a fresh purge of the party.
Which law gave the NKVD power to arrest party members?
‘Extraordinary law’. This removed the party immunity and gave the NKVD power to arrest party members without first seeking permission. Investigations were brief and swiftly followed by execution. This time, the status of the victims were very high! Zinoviev and Kamenev!
Kirov’s death triggered an intense wave of terror. What effect did this have on some Bolsheviks?
Anything that Zinoviev, Kamenev or Trotsky wrote was removed from libraries. They were blamed for the murder of Kirov and were labelled as ‘political enemies’.
What were the purges also known as?
The Show Trials!
In April 1935, a law was passed surrounding children. What was it?
It stated that children over twelve who were found guilty of crimes would be subject to the same punishments as adults (mental and physical torture, starvation etc). This meant that the NKVD could force confessions by suggesting that false charges would be brought against the accused’s children.
In 1938, Yagoda, head of the NKVD, was accused of allowing the OGPU to “lag behind by four years”. He wasn’t being efficient enough and had failed to deal with those facing show trials (Z, K). What could this be used for?
Evidence that Stalin was responsible for the Terror.
When were the first Show Trials that focused on left wing polictical figures?
1936.
Which key left wing political figures were effected in the First Show Trial?
Zinoviev and Kamenev.
When were the Second Show Trials that focused on Industrial Figures?
January, 1937.
What were industrial figures accused of in the Second Show Trial?
17 Bolsheviks were collectively denounced as the ‘Anti-Soviet Trotskyist Centre’ and were charged with spying for Japan and Nazi Germany, along with being accused of wrecking and planning assassinations.
In 1938, what key army figure was killed?
Marshal Tukhachevksy. He had been openly critical of Stalin’s military strategy, saying it should be more ambitious.
Prominent army figures were named in the 1st show trial and faced charges at…
the second!
In 1938, we had the Third Show Trials, where right wing political figures were killed. What month was this?
March, 1938.
When was Yagoda replaced with the little blackberry?
September 1936.
