Stalin: Great Purges

Opposition to Stalin

In 1933, the Communist party was extremely unpopular. Within the party, there was also domestic turmoil. Many were horrified by terror methods used to collectivize agriculture and waging of virtual war against peasants. This was not the road envisaged. As such, nobody could agree on anything due to political disharmony and in 1932 and 1935, the party was weeded of not loyal elements and people. Ryutin criticized Stalin and Stalin wanted him to be executed, but was reminded that the Politburo still controlled Stalin.

At a party congress, there were people who wanted to stop and reflect on industrialization. However, Stalin wanted to keep going and there were many who opposed this. As well, in the Politburo, only 2 people favored him and it was a warning as Stalin could be removed.

Purges

When Kirov was killed, Stalin ordered those in the NKVD that did not protect Kirov to be sent to labour camps and then shot.

Stalin could use Kirov's murder as an excuse to begin purging. He decided to start with 'unmasking' old Bolsheviks. He started by pulling Zinoviev and Kamenev out of prison and in August 1936, put in front of a trial in full glare of public. This trial was a show trial and it was staged. It created an atmosphere of intimidation, sense of danger and feeling that enemies, spies and wreckers were around. They had to confess to a crime they did not do as the evidence was fabricated. They were also tired of torture and investigation and their families would be spared.

Stalin began encouraging lower ranking party members to accuse higher ranking parties of being part of Bukharin right or authorizing concessions to peasants in 1925.

Stalin then accused army of plotting to overthrow him and wiped out the best commander.

Arrests were made for random reasons from criticizing Stalin to even being as small as making a joke or being a friend of someone who was arrested. Confessions were important because it legitimized arrests and proved state was right. Many of prisoners were sent to Gulags.

Stalin eventually stopped purging towards end of 1938 when Yezhov replaced Beria as leader of NKVD. Arrests slowed down, but Central Committee members and army officers were purged well into 1939. These purges were destabilizing Russian society and key personnel were missing to run administrative systems. It had a negative impact on industrial production. Stalin blamed Yezhov and NKVD for terror and Stalin sent a hitman to kill Trotsky in 1940.