“To what extent did the show trials and ‘the Terror’ shape the Communist Party and Soviet Society in the period 1934-1941?” Flashcards
Intro
Thesis: To a significant extent, Stalin’s Great Purge, his Show Trials and subsequently the ‘Terror’ that swept through the USSR during the period 1934-1941 distinctly shaped the Communist Party and Soviet society in the early years of Stalinist rule.
BP1 - start of purge and effects of judicial system
The first key element of Russia’s political transformation under Stalin was his abuse of the judicial and secret police system in order to carry out the Show Trials and subsequently, the ‘Great Purge’.
Purging of party was common prior to 1930 with however Kirov murder -> began the great purge due to Stalin paranoia cause of 5 year plans failure
A series of high-profile show trials such as Moscow trials, saw persecution of bolsheviks no matter their innocence. American Sociologist Theda Skocpol explains this with: “Stalin’s drive to establish and maintain his own personal dictatorship […] provides the most straightforward explanation’ for these arrests and murders of thousands of party and non-party leaders.”
NKVD (secret police) held second most power to Stalin -> Great purge estimated killed 1.2 million people
BP2 - Removal of leadership Bolshevik and military
Directly attributed to the Terror and the Show Trials was a complete and rapid transformation of the Communist party and the Soviet armed forces over little more than 5 years.
NKVD focused on Bolshevik ‘old guard’ & leaders of the military -> anyone who was a threat to Stalinlist rule. 75% of ‘old guard’ (1918 - 1928) were eliminated ->Purges created a youthful party, all owing allegiance to Stalin through system of patronage
Purges removal of factionalism due to intense paranoia. All personal views were strongly withheld.
All 8 admirals, 60 of 67 corps commandants and 75 out of 80 members of the Supreme Military Council, demonstrating the grand extent of Stalin’s purge of the military. -> No army leadership = no coup.
BP3 - Social effects of show trials and fear
Finally, the terror and show trials also had severe social implications, shaping Soviet society not only in the period from 1934-1941 but for the foreseeable future during the Stalinist period.
Regular citizens caught in crossfire -> mass hysteria due to government messages of ‘denounce the neighbor’ or inform NKVD of “enemies of the people”.
People lied to NKVD to show loyalty -> masses sent to Gulags or executed -> complete atomisation of Soviet society. Historian d’Encausse explains how this helped advance Stalin’s power with: “The mutual distrust, the fear of being compromised had isolated every individual. This social atomisation was a decisive help to Stalin’s power which was able from then on to grow unhindered.”
Publication of show trials -> enhancement of personality cult.
State sanctioned violence -> ensured the persistence of paranoia which linked to Stalin political campaigns.
Conclusion
To conclude, evident in the rise of the secret police and corruption of the Soviet judicial system, transformation of the communist party and Red Army and through social atomisation; the Show trials and ‘the Terror’ redefined the communist party and Soviet society to a significant extent from 1934-41.
