The Role of Yezhov

Question 1

When was Yezhov appointed as head of the secret police?

Answer 1

1936

Question 2

What was Yezhov called?

Why?

Answer 2

“bloody dwarf”

1.5m!!

Question 3

Why did Stalin notice Yezhov?

Answer 3

Enthusiasm for personally torturing suspects

Question 4

Under what leader of the NKVD was it most excessive?

Answer 4

Yezhov

Question 5

What was Yezhov skilled at?

Answer 5

Framing purges in ideological terms

Those arrested — anti communist/ opponents

Question 6

What did Yezhov speed up?

How?

Answer 6

The process of arrest —> trial —> imprisonment

Courts (troikas) of 3 people, one being a regional NKVD boss

Question 7

Yezhov — court

Answer 7

Troika

Question 8

TROIKAS

In what month of what year

Did what troika

Process how many prisoners each day

Answer 8

September 1937

Karelian Troika

231

Question 9

Yezhov considered the gulag to be ________,

so the number of inmates (and camp deaths) ___________

Answer 9

Underused

Rose

Question 10

When were quotas for camp executions introduced?

Answer 10

7/1937

Question 11

Under Yezhov, what did NKVD officers who executed get?

And then what often happened to them a month or two after?

Answer 11

Medals

Killed too for quotas

Question 12

Under Yezhov, surveillance of the general public increased/decreased?

Answer 12

Increased

Question 13

What were used by Yezhov to help increase the surveillance of the general public?

Answer 13

PLAIN-CLOTHED police

INFORMERS to collect info on individuals

Question 14

What was used (under Yezhov) to condemn people for ‘anti soviet’ activity?

Answer 14

Soviet Criminal code

Question 15

Under Yezhov, what happened to the number of detectives?

Answer 15

It quadrupled

Question 16

Under Yezhov, extra staff were employed for what task?

Answer 16

To torture suspects.

Question 17

Under Yezhov, what was opponent criteria WIDENED to include?

Answer 17

Those not showing sufficient commitment to the Revolution’s cause.

Message is clear: stepping out of line = threat to freedom

Question 18

What key organisation were purged under Yezhov to show that EVEN THEY are under threat?

Answer 18

The NKVD

Question 19

Example of Yezhov being a bit of a crazy psycho?

Answer 19

Delighted in personally torturing suspects:

Once turned up to a politburo meeting with blood on his cuffs from torturing “enemies of the revolution”

Question 20

By what year was Stalin concerned that terror was DEMORALISING THE POPULATION at time of looming WAR?

Answer 20

1938

Question 21

Why did Yezhov’s health begin to suffer?

Answer 21

Frenetic work

Heavy drinking

Question 22

When was Yezhov dismissed?

Why?

Answer 22

1938

Accused of being responsible for Purge excesses

Question 23

When Yezhov was dismissed in 1938, he was accused of being responsible for the purges excesses.

1) any truth?
2) why might this be a useful claim to make?

Answer 23

1) some

2) scapegoat would be useful at this time— Stalin beginning to reduce terror