HIS3039

12/10/2015

Terror & the Soviet State - permanent purge

Mechanisms of the Great Terror

There has been some debate surrounding the nature of the Great Terror
(GT) but it is now established ( by looking at official state archives) that it
was planned

Terms of GT set by leadership (Stalin)

initially planned centralised terror (August 1937- November 1938) to deal with
factions within the party (power struggles) but soon spread to the population
at large

Quotas set for arrests and executions: regional quotas, set timeframes;
quotas also related to categories of population (e.g. a typical order might be:
must execute 5000 kulaks ) Often, there were not enough Kulaks to meet
these targets so more had to be invented i.e. many innocent people were
labelled Kulaks to meet these quotas

Victims of Terror

In an 18 month period: 1,584,366 arrests; 681,692 executions (which equates

to 1 execution every 45 seconds for 2 years!)

Targets of these purges included: Kulaks, Tsarist officers, suspect nationalities

(esp. in border areas) e.g. Germans, Poles etc. - this shows that the
Bolsheviks were aware that a new European war was on the horizon and they
wanted to eliminate the fifth column or enemy within

Some party members were also purged (potential waivers) - small percentage
of total number

Creation of New Elite

Consolidation of power (by Stalin)

43% of nomenklatura (Soviet ruling class) in 1934 were promoted to party in

1937 -38.

New leadership were largely new to party - no experience

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These new cadres devoted to Stalin

Show trials: past mistakes were blamed on executed leaders

XVII Party Congress of Victors (1934) - out of 1966 delegates 1108 were
arrested, 848 were shot (most of the old elites were therefore eliminated

It was the Great Terror that transformed Stalin from leader of the party to
dictator

Result of the GT

suspicious/ unreliable elements were removed from society

war/ conflict was a key factor in the Bolsheviks success

Important element of Soviet system was fear: children were often encouraged
to report on parents if they criticised the Party- this led to parents being
arrested or killed. This had a huge impact on new generation as many parents
were too scared to present alternative views to their kids so children were only
exposed to Soviet propaganda

This totalitarian school (terror) was a central feature of the regime

GT in Perspective
Stalins rule (1930-53)

vs.

Tsar Alexander III (1882-1894)

3,778,000 arrested for political crimes

4000 detained for political offences

786,000 executed

44 executions for pol. crimes

By 1953, 2,526,000 pol. Prisoners &

3,815,000 in special settlements
NB: Even by Russian standards the level of violence in Stalins USSR was
unprecedented
1937 Purges:
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Problems resolved through coercion:

o Social stability
o Industrial production
o Stalins personal power
Fears of impending European War led to elimination of unreliable people
(Germans, Poles, Tsarists etc.)
New elite were promoted who were very loyal to Stalin
Revisonism

Legacy of 1937 Purges:

For many Russians today 1937 is a symbol of Soviet history it remains a

powerful reference to the unprecedented campaign of Soviet terror
Has left deep scars on Russian psyche:
o It has helped to foster extreme intolerance (xenophobia)
o State distrust and alternative camp culture permeated society

Conclusion: Function of Coercion:

To maintain a grip on society

Dissidents supressed
Increase the personal power of Stalin
Economic stimuli replaced with forced labour