The Purges Flashcards
what were the purges? what did Getty say?
October 1936 witnessed one of the greatest tragedies to strike Russia. Getty stated, “The Great Terror of the 1930s in the Soviet Union was one of the most horrible cases of political violence in modern history.” The Purges saw political and military officials as well as ordinary people brutally murdered, with Stalin orchestrating events under the guise of justice. Anyone who remotely opposed Stalin and his party were targeted and sent to gulags after unfair trials.
what were the reasons for the purges?
officially, the death or Kirov, a beloved politician was the reason why they happened but that doesn’t explain why over 20 million people were killed. other, more plausible theory’s have been given such as Stalin’s paranoia, his desire to control the party and even NKVD involvement.
why was there tensions within the party before the purges?
There were many tensions within the Communist Party prior to the Purges as many were opposed to Stalin’s ideas and he resented the party’s power to out-vote him. One such opponent was Ryutin.
what did ryutin do?
In 1932, the former Moscow party secretary circulated a 200 page document (which became widely known as the Ryutin Platform) that criticised Stalin and his leadership. He stated that Stalin is the “evil genius of the Russian Revolution” highlighting his “personal dictatorship”, and called for Stalin’s removal.
how did he react? how did that turn out for him?
Outraged, Stalin demanded the death penalty for such an insult however, the Politburo disagreed and outvoted him, allowing Ryutin to continue his slander of Stalin. This was a massive blow to Stalin’s ego and made him realise he was still subject to democracy and did not have the power he wanted within the party to execute any order he wished.
what else did Ryutin say?
. Within his document, Ryutin called out Stalin’s tendency towards being power hungry stating “Stalin and his clique will not and cannot voluntarily give up their positions, so they must be removed by force.” This highlights that Stalin would never step down from his position and therefore force would be necessary to remove him.
what does this show if it’s true?
Furthermore, if this is true, it is evident that Stalin would do anything to maintain control, even if that involved eliminating those that could pose a threat to him
why is the desire to gain control over the Party the most important factor?
The potential to gain control over the Party through the purges is clearly the most important factor as it can be used to explain all of Stalin’s actions. He had always been hungry for complete control and any threat had to be eliminated and made an example of.
how did Stalin control the party?
Stalin used fear and terror to his political gain, not only to make himself sole leader of the Communist Party, but also to make sure no one dared question him lest they face imprisonment or execution and that worked; he remained in office right up until his death in 1953.
why do a select few believe the Purges weren’t completely Stalin’s fault? who believe this?
While there are many differing opinions on the origin of the Purges, most agree on one thing; Stalin was responsible for orchestrating them. However, a select few such as Nove and Fiehn believe the purges were not entirely Stalin’s fault
what does Nove say?
Nove believes that although the purges were Stalin’s decision, it was over-zealous hands wanting to fulfil numbers that meant the numbers arrested went up. This suggests that Stalin did not plan the purges as they actually unfolded, it implies Stalin’s authority was so imposing that, in an attempt to please him and protect themselves from arrest, young Bolsheviks arrested more people than necessary.
why would it be in their best interests to conduct the purges with vigour?
Stalin had direct responsibility over the NKVD within Russia and it was therefore in their best interest to conduct the Purges with extreme vigour to ensure Stalin would protect their authority. There were calls for the limitation of the NKVD’s powers from old Bolsheviks like Smirnov who, if given the right platform, could have reduced their powers.
what would this have led them to do?
This fear may have led the NKVD to target those capable of restricting their power by purging more people than originally intended thus ensuring no one could limit their abilities apart from Stalin, who at that point posed no threat to the NKVD.
how is it still Stalin’s fault?
however, Stalin was in charge of the NKVD and their actions were his responsibility, he should have known what was happening and put a stop to it. While this does not absolve the NKVD of blame, they were following orders and were well aware of the horrific consequences should they disobey - Stalin’s responsibility for the Purges cannot be ignored.
what could be the origins of Stalin’s paranoia?
The origins of Stalin’s paranoia may be traced back to his relationship with Lenin towards the end of his life. After a series of strokes, Lenin focused his attention on issues within the party and his legacy, noting Stalin’s growing power, Lenin became increasingly aware of the threat he posed. Lenin began to doubt the information he received from Stalin (how much he knew of this is unclear) but Lenin’s sudden interest worried him as he also learned from his wife that Lenin was working closely with Trotsky.
