How Stalin Gained Control of the Party and USSRThe Great Purges 1934-1938

What does it mean to ‘purge’ something?

To remove an undesirable group of people (from an organisation or place) in an abrupt or

violent way

Why did Stalin feel he needed to purge the

Party?In the 1930’s discontent with the way in which the policies of collectivisation and industrialisation was increasing

Many of the older Bolsheviks were horrified at the treatment of the peasants

There were rumours of replacing Stalin with another member of the party

Kirov was a popular alternative

Some Party members were calling for Trotsky to be reinstated

Stalin was becoming ever more paranoid and believed that a conspiracy to murder him was developing

He also believed that he was the only one who could modernise the USSR

Kirov’s murderAt the Seventeenth Party Congress (1934), Kirov received more applause than Stalin

He had spoken in favour of the peasants and suggested that the modernisation of the USSR should be slowed down

A few days after the Congress, Kirov was murdered outside of his office in Leningrad

Stalin used Kirov’s murder to launch a campaign against, what he believed to be, a conspiracy to murder him and bring down the party

No-one knows the real circumstances surrounding Kirov’s murder

Who did Stalin Purge?

Members of the Party, who had actively involved in the November Revolution

Bukharin, Zinoviev, Rykov, Kamenev and Trotsky (assassinated in 1940, whilst he was living in Mexico)

The NKVD (Secret Police)

The Armed ForcesEspecially the ‘Heroes of the Civil War’

Why, in hindsight, was this a foolish idea?

Anyone else who opposed his rule

Timeline

1924: Lenin Died

1929: Stalin becomes undisputed leader

1930: Collectivisation

1928: First Five-Year Plan

1934: Murder of Kirov

1934: Beginning of the Purges

1936: First Show Trial

1937: Second Show Trial

1938: Third Show Trial

1937: Purge of the Army

1938: End of the Purges

1941: Entry into WWII

The Show TrialsDuring the Purges, there were three show trials

These were trials which were broadcasted over radio and it was often leading members of the Party on trial, accused of treason against the state and plotting to kill Stalin

All those on trial confessed to the crimes

The first to go on trial were Kamenev and Zinoviev, accused of Kirov’s murder and conspiring to remove Stalin

Stalin had previously allied himself with them to remove Trotsky from the leadership contest

The second involved senior party members who were accused of trying to sabotage industrialisation

The third was the final, great show trial

Bukharin, Rykov and Yagoda (head of the secret police) were placed on trial

Stalin believed that it was too dangerous to have Bukharin around because he had been with the party throughout the revolutionary days and therefore he knew the truth

Human cost and consequences

Families were torn apart as they were encouraged to denounce each other

One boy, aged 14, turned his father over to the NKVD

The rest of his family stabbed him to death later

Ordinary people lived in constant fearSome had bags packed just in case the NKVD came to pick them up at night

None of the original Bolsheviks who participated in the Revolution were alive by 1938

Save Stalin

The Russian Army was devastated90% of the generals had been purged

Stalin now had complete control of the Party and the State

He was the undisputed leader

Soviet historians estimate that 20 million Russians were transported to labour camps by 1939

This figure includes those deported as a result of collectivisation

Visit the USSR’s Pyramids