The Great Terror 1932-1938 Flashcards
who were expelled from the party in 1927?
Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev
when was the trial of sixteen and who did it involve?
1936, Kamenev and Zinoviev
when was the trial of seventeen and who did it involve?
1937, Trotsky’s former allies, Pyatakov, Radek and, Sokolnikov
when was the trial of twenty-one and who did it involve?
1938, Bukharin, Rykov, Yagoda and, Tomsky
when was the military purge and who was purged?
1937, 11 war commissars and 50% of officer corps
what was the purpose of the purges in theory?
cleanse the party of careerists and those who were not committed to the ideals of communism
why was desire for rapid industrialisation a cause of the purge?
the central party was having trouble getting local party secretaries to implement policies
how was rapid industrialisation as a cause for the purge demonstrated?
by 1933, 22% of party members had lost their party cards
how was the Ryutin platform a cause of the purge?
showed growing opposition to Stalin’s leadership at high levels. Ryutin released 200 page document critical of Stalin to the central committee
how was the Ryutin platform as a cause of the purge demonstrated?
Stalin wanted Ryutin executed in 1932 but was opposed by members of the party, showing his power was not secure.
what was stalin unable to do in 1932 which showed his power was not secure?
he was unable to have Ryutin executed
what happened at the congress of victors?
congress voted to select the central committee, Kirov recieved more votes that Stalin, so they were both given title secretary of equal rank. Stalin was not secure in his power
what did terror economics allow stalin to do?
blame economic problems on political enemies (wreckers)
how did terror allow for reservoir of cheap labour?
majority of purged sent to gulags
what were the Shakhy trials?
trials of industrial specialists from middle class/ foreign backgrounds. they were accused of sabotage, spying or anti-socialism
how did stalin attempt to exclude Kirov from the politburo?
insisting he stay in Leningrad. in 1934 he was murdered
who was accused of murdering Kirov?
Nikolayev, who was said to be working with Trotskiete terror group
what was Stalin paranoid off?
- those in his party
- old communists (Lenin supporters and pre war members)
- feared ref army and secret police
how many were arrested in the great terror?
7 to 8 million
how many were executed in the great terror?
around 1.5 million
what was the population of labour camps in the 1930s?
7 to 8 million
how many died in camps?
7 million
how many died in the great famine?
7 million
what happened to wives of purged party officals?
arrested alongside their husbands
what happened to children of those purges?
- older children arrested
- expelled from university
- subject to ritual humiliation from teachers and peers
- expected to disown parents
which senior military officers were purged?
- Tukhachevsky, chief of the general staff and 7 other war heros
- 11 war commissars
- all admirals commanding fleets and their replacements
who in the NKVD purged?
- Yagdo arrested in 1937
2. 23,000 NKVD perished by end of 1930s
what were the economic impacts of the terror?
- removed wreckers and saboteurs
- people compelled to lie about economic facts so they met target and not get arrested, making 5 year plans impossible to plan effectivly
- purges within gosplan eliminated many of most experienced economic planners
what happened in Donbas, Ukraine?
- 1929, region accounted for 77% of coal production
- 1936-38, over a quater of management purged
- rate of coal production fell dramatically.
Why was the army purged after 1937?
in May a conspiricay was uncovered
Who was the Chief of general staff who was arrested and shot?
Tukhachevsky
who in the army was purged?
- Tukhachevsky
- all 11 war commissars
- 3/5 marshals
- 14 of the 16 army commanders
- 35,000 of the officer corp
What proportion of the population were arrested during the Yezhovschina?
1/8
who of the original central committee of 1917 remained in 1938?
only Stalin of the orginal 24
What happenned between 1937 and 1939 in Georgia?
- 2 state primeminsters removed
- 4/5 party secretaries removed
- 1000s of lesser officers lost their posts
what were the political impacts of the terror?
- show trails showed those who opposed stalin was corrupt
2. divert peoples attention from hardship
How were people’s attention diverted from hardship with populist terror?
little people holding their bosses accountable with local show trails
what proporation of the central committee elected at the 17th party congress were arrested or shot?
98 out of 139
what was under the control of the NKVD when Stalin centralised all law enforement agencies in 1934?
- The civillian police
- the secret police
- labour camp guards
- border guards
What act followed the murder of Kirov?
Decree against Terrorist Act
What happened as a result of the Decree against Terrorist Act?
Claimed murder of Kirov was organised by Trotskyites and hence their was a large scale round up of suspected conspirators
What was the purpose of the Stalin Constitution?
It was intended to impress western communist and soviet sympathisers
When was the Stalin Constitution?
1936
What was the role of the party as stated in the Stalin Constitution?
the role of the party was hardly mentioned, hence its powers were not defined and so not restricted
When was the Yezhovschina?
1938
What are the causes of the great terror?
- political opposition
- stalin’s paranoia
- economic reasons
- murder of Kirov
What happened with regards to the civil rights promised in the Stalin Constitution?
They were largely ignored
What was NKVD order No.0047?
an order demanding the removal of ‘anti-soviet elements’ from russian society
When was NKVD order No.0047 issued?
July 1937
When were set up due to NKVD order No.0047?
small NKVD committees were set up at regional levels as well as at republic level to search out ‘former kulaks, criminals, and other anti-Soviet elements’
What are the alternative explanations for the Terror besides Stalin being personally responsible? (5)
- terror was an intergal part of the communist system as established by Lenin in the civil war
- terror was necessary for economic change
- terror was the work of over zealous officals in provinces
- terror was a response to the real threat of a military coup involving the Germans
- terror was self escalating, used by people to settle old scores
