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STALIN’S POLITICAL POLICIES

STALIN’S POLITICAL POLICIES. PURGES AND SHOW TRIALS 1934-1938. 1932 - signs of opposition 1932-34 – 22% party expelled (low level) 1934 – 17 th Party Congress NKVD replaces OGPU Kirov murdered 1935-36 – purges: 500,000 members expelled. 1936 – 1 st show trial Yezhov heads NKVD

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STALIN’S POLITICAL POLICIES

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  1. STALIN’S POLITICAL POLICIES PURGES AND SHOW TRIALS 1934-1938

  2. 1932- signs of opposition 1932-34 – 22% party expelled (low level) 1934 – 17th Party Congress NKVD replaces OGPU Kirov murdered 1935-36 – purges: 500,000 members expelled 1936 – 1st show trial Yezhov heads NKVD New Constitution! 1937 – 2nd Show Trial Purge of Red Army 1938 – 3rd Show Trial Beria heads NKVD 1939 – 18th Party Congress: purges over TIMELINE OF THE PURGES

  3. WHY DID HE CARRY OUT THE PURGES? • After an economic transformation of the Soviet Union, he now sought to transform the Communist Party • Purges were common: • During Lenin’s time • 1929 116,000 expelled for passivity • 1933 800,000 expelled • Shakhty Trial 1928 during FYP (engineers in coal mining town accused of sabotaging Soviet economy) • THEREFORE: the “Great Purge” was an extreme example BUT there were precedents.

  4. POSSIBLE MOTIVES • To rid party of “Trotskyites” “Zinovievites” am “Bukharinites” as agents of international capitalism (Official Party line) • Scapegoats for domestic problems (does NOT explain scale) • Growth of opposition with in the party to Stalin’s policies – protect own security and supremacy (Khrushchev)

  5. SERGEI KIROV • Head of Leningrad Communist Party • 17th Party Congress – emerges as a rival in power to Stalin • Opposed Stalin’s pace of industrialization, terror of the peasantry • Murdered Dec 1, 1934: shot in the neck in the corridor of his office • Murderer (Nikolayev) was caught, but many still debate Stalin’s role in the murder

  6. THE STAGES The Beginning 1934 • December 1934 assassination of Sergei Kirov (did Stalin order it?) Officially blamed on capitalists, rightists and Trotskyites (Deutscher claims Stalin was surprised) • Senior ranks mainly untouched, but thousands arrested • 14 men executed for the murder (minor figures) • New political org: Zhdanov replaces Kirov, Khrushchev head of Party in Moscow

  7. 1936-1937Trials of the 16 and 17 • August 1936: arrest and execution of Kamenev and Zinoviev and 14 others for plotting terrorist activities • January 1937: second trial of 17 communist leaders • Many Confessed (why??) • Tortured • Evidence faked • Confessed to protect family • Service to the Communist Party?

  8. 1937-1938: Yezhovshchina • September 1936: Greatest wave, triggered by acquittal of Bukharin and Ryokov • Trial of the 21 1938 (with Bukharin) • The “Great Terror” • Yagoda had been replaced by Yezhov as head of NKVD for not being active enough • Yezhov widened the terror: arrest list of 250,000 including musicians, writers, scientists, administrators, army, etc • As each were arrested, they would confess, implicating others, who would then be arrested.

  9. STRENGTHEN OR WEAKEN STALIN’S REGIME? • Stalin’s political position beyond challenge: no more venue of opposition • Soviet Communist Party was transformed – destroyed the revolutionary generation of Russian communists • 139 Central Committee members - 90 shot • 1,961 delegates – 1,108 arrested

  10. “a generation of officials replaced a generation of revolutionaries”

  11. Beyond the Party • Red Army purged • 3 out of 5 marshals died • 13 out of 15 commanders died • All 8 admirals executed • 90% generals, 80% colonels, 30,000 officers lost their posts (and often, lives) • Foreign relations: viewed as either a state full of treason, or a state led by a madman • Led to a siege mentality in Soviet society

  12. VICTIM #S • ARRESTS 7-8million • EXECUTIONS 1-1.5 million • CAMP POP. 7-8 million • DIED IN CAMPS 2 million • FAMINE (1932-33) 7 million • DEATHS (total 1929-1953) 20 million • Robert Conquest

  13. HISTORIANS DISAGREE • TOTALITARIAN VIEW (Top Down & intended): • Stalin as architect • Weapon to control party • Control populace • Stalin’s personality • Rid of old Bolsheviks • NKVD carried out orders • REVISIONIST VIEW: • Personality alone not enough (scale) • Stalin not have personal control • Soviet state was in chaos • Stalin did not have a masterplan • Not well organized • NKVD divided, some acted on own

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