Terror In The 1930s Flashcards
(34 cards)
What was the context for Stalin’s use of terror in the 1930s?
The Bolsheviks had a long tradition of using violence to eliminate opposition — the purges were an escalation of this.
How did Stalin change the use of purges?
He expanded the scale dramatically and purged both real and imagined enemies, even within the Party and the army.
What happened in 1933?
Ex-Mensheviks were shot as “wreckers” — people blamed for economic sabotage.
What happened in 1934?
Sergei Kirov was assassinated
Stalin claimed a conspiracy by Trotsky was behind it
18% of Party members were expelled as “unsuitable or disloyal”
Start of the purges across Soviet society
What happened in 1936?
First show trials held
16 senior Party members including Zinoviev and Kamenev were executed
What happened in 1937?
Show trial of 17 senior Party members — all found guilty
Mass arrests spread to Party and government officials
NKVD launched widespread terror under Yezhov
What happened in 1938?
Show trial of Bukharin
Purge spreads to the NKVD itself — Stalin began purging those who carried out the purges
What economic factors caused the purges?
Accidents and poor performance were blamed on “wreckers”
Stalin needed a scapegoat for his failing industrial/farming policies
What was the role of Kirov’s assassination?
He was seen as popular and a potential rival
His murder allowed Stalin to justify eliminating enemies
Some believe Stalin ordered it
What were Stalin’s personal motives?
Paranoia about potential rivals
Desire for total control
Wanted to remove opposition inside the Party
Who carried out the purges?
The NKVD, Stalin’s secret police.
Who led the NKVD during the height of terror?
Yezhov, 1937–1938 — known for extreme brutality.
What methods did the NKVD use?
Had arrest targets to fill
Used beatings and torture to force confessions
Many victims didn’t even know their crime
What was the Gulag system?
A network of state-run labour camps used to imprison millions of purged victims.
How many people were imprisoned by 1941?
About 8 million in Gulags
1 million more in prisons
What happened to Stalin’s control after the purges?
He became undisputed leader
People were too afraid to challenge or question him
What happened to the ‘Old Leninists’?
They were eliminated — many original Bolsheviks were dead, removing rivals
What impact did the purges have on Soviet government and industry?
Widespread chaos
Loss of experienced managers and specialists
How did the purges affect the army?
Loss of military leadership and experience
Red Army was seriously weakened, which harmed the USSR in 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded
Who carried out Stalin’s terror in the 1930s?
The NKVD (secret police), who were given quotas of people to arrest and handled interrogation, trial, execution, or imprisonment.
What were Stalin’s three main tools of terror?
The NKVD (secret police)
The Gulag system (labour camps)
Show trials of high-profile Party members
What were the NKVD’s main roles under Stalin?
Intimidation
Arresting suspects
Forcing confessions using torture and the ‘conveyor system’
Running prisons and executions
What was the ‘conveyor system’ of interrogation?
A method of constant, repeated questioning, sleep deprivation, and psychological pressure to force confessions.
What legal process replaced courts from 1935?
A panel of three NKVD officers decided guilt — there were no lawyers, defence, or appeal.
