Reasons for Yezhovschina Flashcards
How is Stalin’s role in the terror seen in the show trials?
Stalin had the interrogators report to him every day regarding the progress they made with their investigations. This reflects his personal interest in the events of the terror.
How did the personality of Stalin contribute to the terror?
Stalin was seen as a suspicious and paranoid person who held grudges. This combination led to the purging of many potentially dangerous elements and former members of the party who had previously not supported him.
What excuse did Stalin use to remove challengers?
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat was required and this was not be to challenged.
Who were the initial targets of the Yezhovshchina? What might this suggest about the role of Stalin?
High up members of the armed forces. This suggests that Stalin was concerned with control and power as the Generals posed the greatest threat to him as they wielded the command of the forces.
When did Stalin find out about communications between Trotsky and oppositionist groups within the party?
1936
What plan did Stalin approve in 1937?
A plan to summarily shoot tens of thousands “anti-Soviet elements” and to establish target figures for the shootings.
The deaths of how many people did Stalin sign in a day in 1938?
3167
The murder of which leading Bolshevik figure may have prompted Stalin’s paranoia?
Kirov
How did the Stakhanovite campaign contribute to the purge and the denunciations in it?
Following the Stakhanovite campaign, managers were pressured into providing the necessary equipment and materials to workers to exceed their production targets. If they didn’t, they needed to be punished/purged. Workers would be keen to denounce their managers for not letting them achieve the status of Stakhanovite/shock worker.
What was the influence of urbanisation on the terror?
Urbanisation lead to increasing social tensions from cramped cities which the terror helped to alleviate.
How did the purges help deal with the hostility to poor working conditions?
Purges acted as a deterrent to those who did oppose or complain about their conditions and work.
Why were national sweeps carried out in the Soviet border land areas in 1937/38?
Since there was an anxiety about the security threat posed by ethnic minorities.
Why were many managers and administrators denounced?
Since the workers were content to denounce those who made them work in such difficult conditions and gave them such high targets to fulfill
How did social difficulties contribute to the growing momentum of the purges?
Social difficulties lead to denunciations which in turn provoked fear of being denounced so more people denounced one another. The social difficulties provided lots of people with the grounds to oppose the state so the great purges exposed that
Why did the prospect of war appear increasingly likely?
Since Hitler had risen to power and undertaken a mass armament and industrial drive
