Unit 9: Purges Flashcards
murder of Old Bolsheviks
Stalin’s desire to eliminate his opposition can be seen through the murder of old senior Bolsheviks Kamenev and Zinoviev. Despite no direct evidence being able to be linked to their crimes, they were still arrested as part of the Show Trials and eventually shot.
NKVD
The NKVD didn’t want to appear less indispensable following the rigours of the first Five Year Plans. The terror would raise their profile and allow them to become the leading institution as they exceeded their quotas.
Yezhozchina
It was in their best interests for the survival of their institution to fulfil their targets, and the Great Terror has also been called the Yezhovshchina as their leader Yezhov was later blamed for having constructed the terror to that extent.
Gulags and economics
However, the purging of class enemies to Gulags could also be for more economic reasons. At the start of the 1930s the Soviet economy was failing to keep pace with the Five Year Plans due to lack of skilled workers and the arbitrary nature of the plans. Sending people to the Gulags provided free slave labour for the factories to help support the economy. Despite the dissatisfaction among the people, the terror also pushed people to work harder.
Purging for war scares
During the 1930s, Stalin also became increasingly convinced that the USSR would be invaded. Hitler was rising in power, and Japan showed eagerness for expansion. This contributed as a reason to the Purges as Stalin wanted to remove any potential spies in the army and carried out army purges. In memoirs by Molotov, he speaks of the need to eliminate rebellion within Russia in case war to break out.
Social issues for the purges
There were also social issues that contributed to the mass terror. The population were able to accuse each other of crimes, and since no real evidence was required they were able to use this to their advantage. Colleagues denounced each other in attempts to gain better work positions, or people could easily act upon rivalries. This irrationality of the crowds fuelled the extent of the Purges as more and more people were accused.
Death of 2nd wife
Stalin’s own personality also played a role in the Purges. It was said that he became increasingly paranoid after the suicide of his second wife. He saw it as a betrayal, which led to him fearing the betrayal of more of those around him. This fuelled his fear of there being enemies everywhere, which pushed him to carry out the Great Terror to a greater extent to prevent those from acting out against him.
Manning Purges historiography
Historian R Manning especially highlights the importance of the economic problems, and states, “the economic problems of 1936-41 and the Great Purges appear to be inexorably linked.” She claims that if not for the economic problems, then the Purges would not have escalated to the extent that they did.
Fitzpatrick on the purges
Historian Sheila Fitzpatrick emphasises how the role of the population was important in the extent of the Purges, and how without the popular support it would not have been as great as it was. She describes it as more “from below” and says, “The Great Purges could not have snowballed as they did without popular participation”.
Service on the Purges
Robert Service credits Stalin’s personality to being the main driver of the Purges. He says, “The Great Terror would not have taken place but for Stalin’s personality and ideas” and claims that his role was vitally important in the nature of the Purges. This agrees with the totalitarian view that Stalin was an architect to the Terror and he used it to establish his control.
revisionist historians
These ideas are countered by the revisionist historians who instead argue Stalin did not exercise the personal control of the process and he himself had little knowledge of what was going on in some areas. They instead claim that even though Stalin had some responsibility, he was not solely responsible and other factors such as the economic state was also important.
