Topic 3: Purges, Show Trials, and Cult of Personality Flashcards
1
Q
How did Stalin consolidate his power over the USSR?
A
Authoritarian control through terror.
Secret police.
Labour camps.
Cult of the leader.
Education is controlled by the state.
Propaganda and censorship.
State control of arts and sciences.
Only one political party.
2
Q
When were the Great Purges launched?
A
1930s
3
Q
Who did the purges include?
A
Anyone declared an enemy of the state
4
Q
When did the first purge of the Communist Party happen?
A
1918
5
Q
What is it called when the party took in members during a crisis and then shed them when it was done?
A
Chistka
6
Q
What were the reasons for the purges?
A
History of purges
Opposition to Stalin
Stalin’s personality
Economic need
Stalin needed control of the Communist Party
Stalin did not have control over the people
Threat of war
Murder of Kirov
7
Q
Stalin’s wife did what after she argued with him about the situation in Ukraine?
A
Committed suicide
8
Q
What did Ryutin give to the Central Committee?
A
A 200 page document denouncing Stalin
9
Q
What did the Ryutin Platform contain?
A
It called Stalin an ‘evil genius’ and called for his removal
10
Q
What did Stalin want to happen to Ryutin?
A
He wanted him executed but Kirov and Ordzhonikidze opposed him
11
Q
How did Stalin’s personality contribute to the reasons for the purges?
A
He saw plots and threats everywhere
He held grudges
After his wife’s death, he became more isolated
12
Q
Which projects relied on slave labour?
A
The White Sea Canal
The Moscow Metro
13
Q
Why were kulaks used as slave labour?
A
They were seen as enemies of the state and did not want collectivisation?
14
Q
What did local party organisations do to the instructions sent out by Moscow?
A
Ignored
15
Q
Why was dekulakisation not as effective before the purges?
A
Officers were unwilling to arrst kulaks
16
Q
How many people moved from the countryside to towns?
A
19 million
17
Q
What were new towns like?
A
Dangerous, unruly places
Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions
18
Q
Why was the threat of war increasingly likely in the 1930s?
A
Hitler became Chancellor in 1933
His expansionist aims made Stalin nervous
19
Q
Why did the threat of war lead to the purges?
A
Stalin needed total loyalty as he needed to increase military production
20
Q
Who spoke of ending grain seizures and increasing workers’ rations?
A
Kirov
21
Q
What were Stalin and Kirov given?
A
The title: Secretary of Equal Rank
22
Q
Kirov refused what request from Stalin?
A
To leave Leningrad and join him in Moscow
23
Q
Explain what happened during the murder of Kirov
A
On the 1st December 1934, Leonid Nikolayev shot Kirov on the back of the neck.
He died instantly.
24
Q
What was Stalin’s response to Kirov’s murder?
A
Stalin claimed the assassination had been a plot to overthrow his government.
Stalin came to the conclusion that he could prove that Zinoviev and Kamenev had ‘shed the blood of Kirov’
Stalin argued for strong measures against those accused and the purges began.
25
Who did Stalin blame for Kirov's murder?
Zinoviev and Kamenev
26
What evidence is there that Stalin ordered the murder of Kirov?
Historians have found no evidence of a plot
Kirov had opposed Stalin
The NKVD responsible for investigating the murder were arrested and shot.
Nikolayev was executed without trial.
27
What evidence is there that Nikolayev acted alone in the murder of Kirov?
He had twice been arrested outside Kirov’s office.
The second time he was carrying a gun.
28
Who shot Kirov?
Leonid Nikolayev
29
Who led the NKVD from 1937?
Nikolai Yezhov
30
What was the elimination of Stalin's enemies in the Great Purge known as?
Yezhovshchina
31
In 1934, the Cheka became the ____
NKVD
32
What did Stalin use the secret police for?
Hunt down and destroy opponents.
Terrorise ordinary people into obedience.
Obtain false confessions through torture.
33
Yezhov was arrested in 1939, what did he do in his confession?
Implicated dozens of family members and personal friends for counter revolutionary activites
34
What did the NKVD censor?
The arts, music, and culture
35
Who were children encouraged to inform on?
Their parents
36
In 1938, which group did Stalin purge?
The NKVD
37
Who were labour camps for?
Common criminals.
Five Year Plan wreckers.
Communist Party officials guilty of plotting against the government.
Foreign Communists accused of spying.
Artists, lecturers, writers whose loyalty was questioned.
Leaders of ethnic groups.
Red Army officers.
38
What were the conditions in labour camps?
Random violence from guards was common.
Criminals received slightly better treatment than political prisoners.
Food was given according to how much work they did.
Prisoners that did not meet their daily work quotas had rations cut and many starved to death.
39
Where were Labour camps set up?
Siberia primarily
40
How many people died in labour camps?
12 million
41
Were many of the prisoners actually guilty?
No
42
How many prisoners were made to build the Belomor Canal to link the White Sea to the Baltic?
250,000
43
What were the Kolmya camps for?
Gold mining
44
What were conditions like in the Kolmya camps?
They were regarded as the toughest to survive
The journey there took 3 months.
Prisoners said Kolyma was 12 months winter and the rest summer.
Temperatures fell as low as -45℃
45
What trials were the Moscow Show Trials made up of?
Trial of the Sixteen
Trial of the Seventeen
Trial of the Twenty-One
46
Trial of Sixteen
This was based around Zinoviev and Kamenev.
They were charged with organising Kirov’s murder.
The chief prosecutor, Vyshinsky demanded they ‘shoot the mad dogs’
Sentences were carried out the next day.
Kamenev met his death with dignity but Zinoviev begged for his life.
For his amusement, Stalin got his security chief to reenact Zinoviev’s last moments.
47
Who was the Trial of Sixteen based around?
Zinoviev and Kamenev
48
When was the Trial of Sixteen?
1936
49
What were Zinoviev and Kamenev charged with during the Trial of Sixteen?
Organising Kirov's murder
50
Who was the chief prosecutor during the Moscow Show Trials?
Vyshinsky
51
What did Vyshinsky say about Zinoviev and Kamenev?
'Shoot the mad dogs'
52
How did Kamenev and Zinoviev deal with their executions?
Kamenev met his with dignity
Zinoviev begged for his life
53
What did Stalin get his security to re-enact for his entertainment?
Zinoviev's last moments
54
Trial of the Seventeen
This focused on Trotsky’s former allies.
Charges included:
- Plotting to kill Kirov.
- Overthrow the government.
- Disrupt the Five Year Plans.
- Maintaining contact with Trotsky.
All pleaded guilty.
Thirteen were executed and four were sent to gulags where they later died.
55
When was the Trial of Seventeen?
1937
56
Who did the Trial of Seventeen focus on?
Trotsky's former allies
57
What were those on trial accused of in the Trial of Seventeen?
Plotting to kill Kirov
Overthrow the government
Disrupt the Five Year Plans
Maintaining contact with Trotsky
58
What happened to those in the Trial of Seventeen?
Thirteen were executed
Four were sent to gulags and later died there.
59
The Trial of the Twenty-One
This focused on Bukharin.
He was charged with attempting to overthrow the government, murder Kirov, and attempting to assassinate Lenin.
Bukharin did his best to highlight the ridiculous nature of the charges but pled guilty in the end.
He was sentenced to death.
Vyshinsky accused him of being ‘a foul smelling heap of human garbage.’
Bukharin died cursing Stalin.
60
Who did the Trial of the Twenty-One focus on?
Bukharin and his followers
61
What was Bukharin charged with in the Trial of the Twenty-One?
Attempting to overthrow the government
Murder of Kirov
Attempting to assassinate Lenin
62
What did Bukharin do at the Trial of the Twenty-One?
Tried to highlight the ridiculous nature of the charges
63
What was Bukharin sentenced to?
Death
64
What did Vyshinsky call Bukarhin?
'A foul smelling heap of human garbage'
65
How did Bukharin die?
Cursing Stalin
66
Why did the Old Bolsheviks confess?
- Stalin promised Kamenev and Zinoviev a full pardon - he lied.
- Bukharin agreed to confess in order to save his wife and young child
67
What label was punishable by imprisonment and death?
Trotskyite
68
When was Trotsky killed?
21st August 1940
69
How was Trotsky killed?
With an ice pick wielded by an NKVD officer
70
By 1934, what percentage of the Central Committee were executed or imprisoned?
70%
71
Of the 1,996 that attended the 17th Party Conference, how many were purged?
1,108
72
How many members of the wider Communist Party were purged overall?
1 million
73
What did Stalin fear about the armed forces?
That they were becoming too independent and had access to weapons to remove Stalin
74
Who made up the majority of the army?
Peasants
75
Why did Stalin kill Commander-in-Chief Tukhachevsky and 7 other generals?
For allegedly plotting with Germany and Japan
76
By 1939, how many of the admirals of the navy were shot?
All of them
77
How many army marshals were killed in the purge of the armed forces?
3 of 5
78
How many army commanders were shot in the purge of the armed forces?
14 of 16
79
How many senior commanders of the Soviet air force were shot?
All but one
80
How many Red Army officers had been executed?
25,000
81
What did Stalin call for in July 1937?
The removal of 'all anti-Soviet elements' from society.
82
Which operational order did Yezhov make?
Operational Order 00447
83
How many people were identified as enemies of the state and were to be arrested as part of Operational Order 00447?
250,000
84
When did the purges reach their peak?
1936-38
85
What groups of people were targeted in the purge of the people?
University lecturers
Teachers
Miners
Engineers
Factory managers
Ordinary workers
86
One estimate suggests that ___ were transported to labour camps
18 million
87
How many of the estimated 18 million sent to labour camps are to estimated to have died?
13 million
88
Estimated
How many arrests were made during the purges?
7-8 million
89
Estimated
How many people were executed during the purges?
1-1.5 million
90
Estimated
How many people were sent to the gulags?
7-8 million
91
Estimated
How many deaths were there in the gulags?
3 million
92
Who was most at risk during the purges?
Men aged 30-45 in management or professional occupations
93
What percentage of purge arrests were women?
5%
94
During the 1930s, what did the people call Stalin?
Dictator of the People
95
When did the Cult of Personality start?
As early as December 1929
96
Which newspaper called the people to unite around 'Lenin's most faithful and dedicated pupil and associate'?
Pravda
97
Stalin was known as what?
The Father of the Nation
98
How did the media refer to Stalin?
Universal Genius
Shining Sun of Humanity
99
Why did Stalin rewrite history?
To imply he had been the second most important during the Revolution after Lenin
100
How does the Cult of Personality portray Stalin?
God-like
101
Why did Stalin want to appear God-like?
Increased Stalin’s power over the Communist Party.
It gave the people reassurance during upheaval.
Showing him as Lenin’s successor gave him legitimacy.
It allowed people to complain about everyday difficulties without blaming Stalin - blame was placed on lower-level officials.
102
Where were parades held to show off Stalin's power?
Red Square
103
What did Stalin promote himself to after WWII?
Generalissimo
104
What was Socialist Realism?
Work which glorified the achievements of Socialists workers and peasants
105
How were the arts used to promote Stalin and the Communism?
- Writers were censored
- Writers had to show the positives of Communism
- Had to be members of the Union of Soviet Writers
106
What union did all writers have to be part of?
Union of Soviet Writers
107
What happened to books that did not follow the Soviet line?
Rewritten or destroyed
108
What was the typical Socialist Realism plot?
A worker or peasant that was guided to greatness thanks to the Communist Party
109
What were two popular novels in the USSR?
How the Steel was Tempered by Nikolai Ostrovsky (1936)
Cement by Fyodor Gladkov (1925)
110
How were photographs used to promote Stalin?
Photographs were altered to fit in with Stalin's ideas
111
Which type of song was preferred?
Happy and positive
Folk songs
112
Which type of music was dismissed as immoral?
Jazz
113
Which dance style could not be performed?
Experimental dance
114
Which style of dance was encouraged?
Traditional ballet
115
What kind of stories did Soviet cinema show?
Epic events in Soviet history
116
Which two films were popular in the USSR?
Chapaev
Alexander Nevsky
117
What was censored?
Anything that criticised the government
118
In 1936, how many films and plays were taken out of print?
30 films
10 plays
119
Give an example of one of the plays taken out of print and why
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Shostakovich for being too bourgeois.
120
How was the poet, Madelstam, censored?
He performed a poem about Stalin called The Kremlin Mountaineer
He was arrested and died in a gulag
121
What was set up under the 1936 Constitution?
Two-chamber assembly called the Supreme Soviet
122
What did the new constitution promise?
Meant to guarantee freedom of speech, a job for all, paid holidays, health care, the right to vote at 18, housing, education, freedom of religion, freedom of the press
123
What two posts did Stalin hold that effectively meant he had control over the Communist Party?
Chairman of the Politburo
General Secretary of the Communist Party
124
What were children taught about Stalin?
He was a great leader
125
What happened to literacy rates by 1939?
The majority of people could read
126
What were the youth groups children joined?
8-10 - Octobrists
10-16 - Pioneers
16-23 - Komsomol
127
Where did the state send school leavers?
Wherever workers were needed
128
What happened to stories of Old Communists under the revision of history?
They were purged and removed from textbooks
129
What did Stalin emphasise in the revision of history?
He gave himself a more important role in the Revolution than he had had.
130
In 1938, which two history books did Stalin order to be written?
The Short Course of the History of the All Union Communist Party.
The Short Biography of Stalin.
