Analyzing the Origins of the Great Terror: Understanding the Causes
TITLE
Evaluate the causes of the Great Terror.
ESSAY
The Great Terror, which unfolded in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s, was a period characterized by widespread political repression, mass arrests, show trials, and executions. The causes of this brutal and deadly campaign are complex and multifaceted. While the murder of Kirov in 1934 is often viewed as a catalyst for the Great Terror, there were underlying factors that contributed to the escalation of violence and suppression under Stalin's regime.
One key factor leading to the Great Terror was Stalin's increasing paranoia and desire to consolidate power. The murder of Kirov, a prominent Bolshevik leader, sparked fear among Stalin and his inner circle, leading them to view any potential threats to their authority with suspicion. Stalin felt threatened at the 17th party Congress due to growing dissent and questioning of his economic policies, prompting him to take drastic measures to eliminate any opposition.
The show trials of the 1930s, such as the infamous Moscow Trials of 1936-1938, were orchestrated to remove former Bolshevik leaders and rivals who were perceived as potential threats to Stalin's rule. Figures like Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin, Rykov, and Tomsky were accused of conspiracy and betrayal, leading to their arrest, show trial, and execution. These trials were carefully staged by the state to demonstrate Stalin's absolute power and instill fear in the population.
The mass terror campaigns orchestrated by figures like Yezhov and later Beria were aimed at crushing dissent, subduing the population, and maintaining control over Soviet society. The indiscriminate nature of these purges, which targeted not only high-ranking officials but also ordinary citizens, instilled a climate of fear and suspicion throughout the country.
Furthermore, the establishment of the Gulag system under Beria highlighted the economic motivations behind the Great Terror. The forced labor of political prisoners in the Gulags served to provide cheap labor for Stalin's ambitious Five-Year Plans, further demonstrating the regime's ruthless pursuit of economic and industrial goals at the expense of human rights and freedoms.
Additionally, the character of Stalin himself played a significant role in driving the Great Terror. His authoritarian tendencies, ruthless pursuit of power, and willingness to resort to extreme measures to crush dissent all contributed to the atmosphere of fear and oppression that defined this dark period in Soviet history.
In conclusion, the causes of the Great Terror were rooted in Stalin's paranoia, desire for absolute control, economic motivations, and the brutal nature of the Soviet regime. The combination of political, ideological, and personal factors ultimately culminated in a period of unprecedented repression and violence that left a traumatic legacy in the history of the Soviet Union.
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HISTORY
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A LEVEL
NOTES
Evaluate the causes of the Great Terror.
The murder of Kirov in 1934 is usually seen as a starting point of the Great Terror and the fact that Stalin felt threatened at the 17th party Congress and there was pen questioning of his economic policies. This lead on to the removal of former Bolsheviks and rivals in the show trials of the 16, 17 and 21. These were state managed with pre-determined outcomes and held in public to demonstrate Stalin’s power.
Rivals such as Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky were all removed. The Yezhovschina starting in 1936 was a mass and indiscriminate use of terror orchestrated by Yezhov, who had in turn replaced Yagoda, who was later executed. These purges involved wholesale murder and involved the general population and were designed to subdue the population.
In 1938 Yezhov was replaced by Beria, who continued terror and made the Gulags part of the economic system of the Soviet Union. Yezhov was executed to show that no one was safe and indeed, he was publicly blamed for the excesses of the Yezhovschina.
During the Great Terror, there was also the purge of the military. Motives might include removing rivals, subduing the population, providing cheap labour for the Five-Year Plans, but also the character of Stalin and the nature of the Soviet State. This also leads on the degree of centralised control or local excess by the NKVD and local party bosses.