Stalin’s Purges Flashcards
Stats About Stalin’s Purges (17 cards)
What was the role of the OGPU under Stalin?
Enforce conformity and root out dissent
The OGPU was the secret police expanded by Stalin for these purposes.
By 1930, how many oppositionists were expelled, arrested, or exiled?
Over 5,000
This was a significant measure taken before the Great Purge.
What methods were used to silence or re-educate opponents?
Internal exile and forced labor camps (gulags)
These methods aimed to suppress dissent against the regime.
What were Political Show Trials?
Trials that reflected Stalin’s complete control over the Communist Party
These trials were significant in the mid to late 1930s.
How many arrests occurred during the Great Purge between 1936 and 1938?
Over 1 million
This figure illustrates the scale of repression during that period.
How many executions were recorded in the NKVD archives during the Great Purge?
681,692
This statistic highlights the severity of the purges.
What percentage of Central Committee members were arrested and shot by 1934?
Around 70%
This was a significant purge within the party ranks.
What happened to the leaders of national republics during the purges?
Charged with treason and lost positions
This affected four out of five regional Party secretaries.
What was the fate of senior generals in the armed forces during Stalin’s purges?
Eight senior generals and three out of five marshals were shot
This led to a significant loss of military leadership.
What happened to the NKVD by 1938?
Stalin turned against them, blaming them for excessive arrests
He executed the head of the NKVD and many officers.
What group represented around 50% of all arrests and executions during the purges?
Kulaks
This indicates the scale of repression against peasants.
What triggered the Great Terror (Yezhovshina)?
Kirov’s assassination
This event marked the beginning of intensified purges.
When do most historians believe the Great Terror ended?
In 1938
Some argue it did not officially end until Trotsky’s assassination.
Who assassinated Trotsky and how?
Ramón Mercader with an ice pick
Trotsky was living in Mexico at the time.
What was the impact of the purges on the USSR during World War II?
Significant defeats in the early months of Operation Barbarossa
This was due to the loss of military leadership.
Fill in the blank: After the Great Terror, Stalin sent ______ people into the GULAG system.
three million
This indicates the ongoing repression after the terror.
How many people were murdered during the purges after the Great Terror?
Roughly 750,000
This figure underscores the ongoing violence of Stalin’s regime.
