terror Flashcards
(55 cards)
dictatorship
one party state
dictatorship by 1929
although Marx used the phrase dictatorship of the proletariat to describe the political rule under a socialist workers’ state, he did not mean a harsh and repressive regime
although Marx used the phrase dictatorship of the proletariat to describe the political rule under a socialist workers’ state, he did not mean a harsh and repressive regime
shared this aim w the anarchists who believed state meant people can’t govern themselves
Although the Party Congress (and to some extent the Party Conference) was the supreme decision-making body, it was the Central Committee that ran the party between congresses
David Lane stalinst state
point out that the Stalinist state contained many features of Russia’s tsarist and peasant past: tsarist-style autocracy and the belief in the need for an all-powerful leader; an official orthodox ideology (with ‘communism’ replacing religion); and the belief in a ‘national community’ that was transformed into the nationalist belief that the Russian people could achieve ‘socialism in one country’ without the need for outside help.
was stalin’s state totalitarian?
Historians divide broadly into two schools of thought – the pluralist (or social) group and the totalitarian group. The pluralist group argue that the Stalinist state acted as a referee for different competing interest groups (such as managers, technical experts and the military).
sheila fitzpatrick state and society
Fitzpatrick, for example, sees state and society under Stalinism as more dynamic than allowed by totalitarian theories, with different hierarchies and opposing interests. She sees ‘revolution from below’ as well as ‘revolution from above’.
graeme gill and leonard schapiro totalitarian
Historians such as Graeme Gill and Leonard Schapiro put forward the totalitarian group’s arguments, claiming that Stalin and the state had almost total control.
tucker both elements
Tucker, have tried to develop an approach that combines both elements – the ‘reconstruction–consolidation’ (or ‘reccon’) approach. This sees the state as being very important but also takes account of sectional and social resistance to official policy. Many historians thus see the label of ‘totalitarian’ as having limited value in understanding the nature of Stalinist Russia.
purges phases
1) 1932-1935 chistka > 20% expelled non violently, required to exchange their party cards for new ones or to verify their party documents. In this process, people were refused new cards: they were expelled but not usually arrested
2) show trials > prominent old bolsheviks publicly tried and executed
3) yezhovshchina named after yezhov head of NKVD 1937-1938
when thousands of party members, state officials, members of the armed forces, industrial directors, professionals and other sections of society were denounced, arrested and imprisoned. many were executed; many more died in Soviet labour camp
ryutin platform
200 page doc circulated to central committee
called Stalin ‘the evil genius of the Russian revolution’. Referring to his ‘personal dictatorship’, he urged Stalin’s removal
stalin wanted death penalty for ryutin
other members of the politburo
including Kirov and his friend Ordzhonikidze, opposed him. Ryutin was not executed. This was a blow to Stalin and a reminder that he was still subject to the majority of the Politburo. Ryutin was not alone. The old Bolshevik A. P. Smirnov (a party member since 1896) was charged with forming an opposition group with several others looking to moderate the pace of industrialisation, make trade unions more independent and bring OGPU (the secret police) under party control.
what event did stalin use justify the great terror
kirov’s murder in 1934
used as evidence of widespread conspiracy
what happened after kirov’s murder
Purge of the Leningrad party (Kirov’s power base) and accusations of a “Leningrad centre” plotting terrorism
who were the first major old bolsheviks arrested and tried
kamenev and zinoviev arrested 1935 and senteced w no evidence
what triggered the escalation of the terror in 1936
Stalin’s discovery of contacts between Trotsky and opposition groups, leading to a Central Committee circular warning about “masked” enemies
what were show trials, and why were they used
Elaborate public trials to intimidate, create fear, and expose supposed enemies, often with forced confessions and executions.
what was the significance of the 1936 show trial?
Zinoviev, Kamenev, and others were publicly tried and executed, marking the first executions of Central Committee members.
who were the main figures in the second show trial (January 1937)?
Karl Radek and Pyatakov; both confessed and were found guilty.
what happened in the third major show trial (March 1938)?
Bukharin, Rykov, Yagoda, and others confessed and were executed, with Bukharin and Rykov cursing Stalin as they died.
Why did the Bolsheviks confess in the show trials?
Worn down by torture, interrogation, and often promised their families would be spared (though this rarely happened).
What were some absurd charges in the show trials?
plotting to assassinate Kirov, Stalin, Lenin, Gorky; espionage for foreign powers; restoring capitalism; conspiring with opposition groups.
Who replaced Yagoda as head of the NKVD in 1936?
Nicolai Yezhov.
What was the period of terror under Yezhov called?
The Yezhovshchina (1937–1938).
How did Stalin encourage party purges?
By urging lower-ranking members to denounce superiors and pushing top officials to root out “hidden enemies.”
What was NKVD Order 00447?
A 1937 order listing over 250,000 “anti-Soviet elements” (scientists, artists, managers) for arrest.
What was the fixed execution quota under Order 00447?
28% were to be shot; the rest sentenced to up to 10 years hard labor.
How did mass terror spread beyond the party?
Media campaigns encouraged people to denounce officials, coworkers, and even family; anyone could be arrested.
