The Third Moscow Trial (Trial of the Twenty-One) Flashcards
1
Q
When was the trial held?
A
March 1938.
2
Q
Why was it known as the Trial of the 21?
A
Because 21 people were tried.
3
Q
What was the fate of those tried?
A
All but 3 of them were found guilty. Three more were exiled, the rest were shot.
4
Q
How many defendants refused to admit their guilt?
A
Only one, Nikolai Krestinsky, who then changed his plea a day later
5
Q
What were some of the charges?
A
Charges included murder of party members, attempted and planned assassinations, conspiring to destroy the economy, spying and forming allegiances with other countries
6
Q
Why was the trial delayed?
A
Party members were reluctant to denounce their comrades
7
Q
What was the reaction to the trial?
A
Even sympathiser’s of Stalin struggled to justify the charges and some broke off from communism
