Purges under Stalin
STAGES
Purges had been taking place before Stalin's rise to power, but there were not as violent as the ones in the 1930's.
They were used to expel those who were deemed unsuitable, usually juged on drunkeness or political inactivity. In 1929
1918-1932
Stalin had defeated most of his opposition, but he still wasn't completly dominant party. At the in June 1930, 16th Party
Congress, Bukharin was re-elected to the Central Committee, showing signs of oposition to Stalin.
More Opposition ----> Martemyan Ryutin, a rightist, wrote a document: end of collectvisation, rehabilitation of opposition
and dismissal of Stalin. -----> Document was signed by many important communists (Ryutin, Zinoviev, Kamenev) -----> 20
Ryutin Affair, 1932
people were expelled from the committee // politurbo refused the execution of Ryutin. -----> (2 years) ≈ 1million
people were expelled from the party as "Ryutinites".
January 1933 -----> (expelled for party) Smirnov who fromed a "‘anti-party group" to remove Stalin. February 1934, 17th
party congress -----> Local officials asked Kirov (a Politburo member and the party boss of Leningrad) to replace Stalin.
-----> No more secretary (Kirov was more voted, with 1225 votes compared to 300 less Stalin had) -- doubts about the
pace of industrialisation and Stalin’s methods of disciplining the party. -------> Kirov misteiously assesinated on
1932-1934
December 1934 -----> Stalin claimed it was a plot by the "Leningrad Opposition Center" / Trosky's left opposition and
United opposition -----> NKVD (leadered by Genrihk Yagoda) arrest, trial and execution under a special terrorist
decree ------> +100 party members shot, thousands of Trotskyists and Zinovievists arrested ------> Zinoviev,
Kamenev and 17 more were imprisoned for 5-10 years
Great Purge: Began in 1936 with the first show trail. It began with the Trial of the Sixteen where the NKVD claimed
that Zinoveiv, Kamenev and 14 others were accoused of attempting to murder Stalin, they were all found guilty and
executed. In January 1937 the Trial of the Seventeen took place were 17 communist leaders were accused of
1935-1937
conspyring with Trotsky to carry out assasinations. The main evidence were "confessions" produced by the NKVD,
and 13 were executed. After the second show trial the Central Committe met were Ezhov accused Bukharinof having
known Trovsky's "plans", leading him to be expelled from the party and arrested.
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