stalin

the leadership struggle-zinoviev background

the leadership struggle-zinoviev background

• was an old bolshevik member as early as 1903

• worked closely with lenin before the revolution

• opposed armed uprising in october and fell out with lenin about the construction of the new government

• not given a major post in the sovnarkom

• 1919 made chairman of the comintern

• full member of the politburo 1921

the leadership struggle- zinoviev strengths and weaknesses

• a good orator

• not an intellectual

• ‘an impression of flabbiness… irresolution’

• not popular, seen as vain, incompetent and cowardly

the leadership struggle- stalin background

born in gori, georgia 1878-9

genuine working class and peasant background, very religious mother and his father was a shoe-maker, beaten often but did well at school

used the revolutionary pseudonym koba

1902-13 arrested frequently and exiled to siberia where he escaped 5 times

first wife died 1907 which made him tough

1912 invited to bolshevik party because they were short of WC members

in february revolution was one of the first in petrograd

editor of pravda

after oct rev was made commissar for nationalities like had lenin’s trust at this point

the leadership struggle- stalin strengths and weaknesses

• didnt play a key role 1917

• followed lenin 1917

• not very popular, not liked by organisers

• gained lenins trust as commissar for nationalities

• frequently disobeyed orders as he wanted to do things his way

• familiar with the work of different departments

• stalin’s appointment to key positions showed lenin’s trust in him

leadership struggle- kamenev background

• active bolshevik and full time revolutionary from 1905

• close collaborator with lenin 1907-17

• contributed t the party’s doctrine

• 1917 opposed lenin’s april thesis on ideological grounds

• wanted a socialist coalition gov

• secretary in moscow

• commissar for foreign trade meant he was part of the pollitburo

leadership struggle- kamenev strengths and weaknesses

• moderate and wel-liked

• too soft to become a real leader

• E.H Carr describes him as intellectually superior to Stalin and Lenin

leadership struggle- bukharin background

• part of the younger generation of bolsheviks, born 1888

  • nearly a decade younger than stalin

• joined boshevik party 1906. arrested 1912 and escaped to germany

• major figure in the party before 1917 argue with lenin about political strategy

• leading role in pravda 1917

• pushed for best-litovsk

• not a full member of the politburo until 1922

leadership struggle- bukharin strengths and weaknesses

• intellectually inquisitive

• very popular- opponents found it hard to dislike him

• ‘the golden boy’ of the bolshevik party

• good at arguing

• didnt have the political cunning of stalin

leadership struggle- trotsky background

• only member who could rival lenin in intellect

• had planed the oct revolution

• organisation of the red army contributed to victory in the cW

  • commissar for war

leadership struggle- trotsky strengths and weaknesses

• a good orator, able to persuade crowds

• popular with the young, radical members of the party

• contribution in years 1917-24 second to lenin

• strong base in the army

• arrogant and aloof, dismissive of other leading bosheviks

• lack of respect, short and brusque

• uncompromising views that could lead to divisions

• older members regarded him as an outsider because he joined in 1917

• too loyal, accepted decisions he didnt agree with to avoid damage to the party

• ddint like political in-fighting, preferred debates as he was convinced of his superiority

• 1923-26 suffered attacks from a fever that drained him which meant he was absent for crucial votes

stalin’s support base

• party secretary- gave him control of the politburo to an extent, could draw up an agenda and decide what was discussed

• ogburo and secretariat- control of appointments to positions, can put supporters in key ones

• control of party organisation- influence selection of delegates and who went to the annual party congress, contributed to trotskys hostile reception

• control of party membership- oversaw lenin’s enrolement

trotsky’s support base

the radical elements of the party

red army

younger members like students

bukharin’s support base

support in moscow after kamenev’s defeat

popular with youth

very popular overall

kamenev and zinoviev’s support base

zioviev had local support base in leningrad and kamenev in moscow

zinoviev believed that his firm organisational base in leningrad made him too strong for stalin

chronolgy of LS lenin’s testament

• lenin became concerned about the power that stalin had gathered particularly about how he manipulated the ocmmunists in gerogia

• mounted an investigation into the georgian affair and the issue of soviet republics

• dec 1922 wrote his testament ‘letter to the party congress’

• warned that stalin wa too powerful

  • stalin insulted lenin’s wife using abusive language

chronolgy of LS lenin’s funeral

• widespread displays of public grief

• theatres and shops closed for a week and portraits of lenin were displayed in windows

• in 3 days 3.5m people queued to pass his body

• trotsky was ill and went to the south and stalin said he woudn’t be back in time- made trotsky look like he couldn’t be bothered, damaged his reputation

• stalin was one of the pall bearers and made a speech ‘we vow to thee comrade lenin’

  • 26 january at second congress of soviets made an oath of allegiance to lenin

chronology of LS development of the lenin cult under stalin

• lenin cult had began after teh attempt on his life 1918

• lenin’s name could be invoked like a deity

• lenin made it clear before he died that he did not want this kind of adultation

• under pressure from stalin his tomb was turned into a shrine

• brain cut into segments to discover teh secrets of his genius

• lenin memorabilia posters and matchboxes showed u

  • petrograd renamed leningrad

chronology of LS- failure to reveal lenin’s testament

• krupshaya gave lenin’s secret testament to teh central committee may 1924

• could have ruined stain’s career

• kamenev and zinoviev said it should not be public knowledge

  • not flattering of them

  • didnt consider stalin as a threat

  • testament might have helped trotsky

chronology of teh LS- divisions within the left

kamenev, zinoviev and stalin teamed up against trotsky, easily done due to stain’s supporters

trotsky retaliated with lessons of october in which he criticized their unwillingness to back lenin in 1917

stalin stayed n the background building his power base

chronology of LS- the 14th party congress

• 1925 stalin’s socialism in 1 country proved popular and atttracted the RW as it agreed with NEP

• new alliance of stalin and bukharin supporting the NEP

• K and Z attacked stalin calling for a vote of no confidence in him- they lost every vote due to stalin’s control of the delegates

• 1926 united opposition formed k and z unite with trotsky to make direct appeals to the party masses and workers to organise demonstrations in moscow

  • could now be accused of factionalism and lost their positions of power 1927 expelled from party

chronology of LS- defeat of bukharin and teh right

• 1928 stalin turned against the NEP and attacked the right

• now advocated rapid industrialisation and use of a force to make peasants co operate

• congress of 1929 found himself outvoted by stalin’s supporters who were joined by the left

  • bukhari =n and other RW leaders Ryhov and Thomsky were removed from the politburo and other party bodies

chronology of the LS- what happened to trotsky and the other contenders

• january 1925 lost his position as commissar for war

• dec- lost his politburo seat

• zinoviev sacked as leningrad soviet chairman 1926

• kamenev lost politburo sear and was removed as leader of the comintern

• 1927 all 3 expelled from the party

• k and z remitted june 1928

• 1928 trotsky moved to france but not welcome

• aug 1940 trotsky was murdered by a hitman

• right removed from party- accused of ‘right deviation’

• bukharin executed ate 1930s

what was the great turn

announced at 15th party ocngress dec 1927

shifting to command economy

great turn- forced collectivisation of agriculture

peasants socialised into ‘factory style collective farms’

small private plots merged into huge famrs

aim to increase grain production to feed proletariat and be exported abroad to fund industry

the great turn- rapid industrialisation

money made from exporting grain could fund industry and buy capital goods (machinery)

increase production

soviet union could become self-sufficient

why did stalin make the great turn

• move towards socialist society- needed to be a fully industrialised state

• increase military srength- aware of international hostiity, feared a war

• self-sufficiency- less dependent on the west for imports in case of war

• increase grain supplies- modernise to fund industry

• improev standards of living- wanted people to support communism and make it look good

  • establish own credentials- prove himself as the new leader

what was collectivisation

bringing a number of small private farm plots together to form bigger farms

1929 3% of peasants were in a collective

jan 1930 announced that 25% of grain producing areas should be collectivised

features of collectivisation- what are the two types

kolkhoz

sovkhov

key features of collectivisation- sovkhov

directly owned and ran by the state

paid a regular wage like a factory

features of collectivisations- kolkhoz

co operatives ran by an lected committe

made of 50-100 households

each household allowed to keep a small plot to themselves to supplement their own diet and were allowed to sell extra produce

no wages, credited with ‘work days’ profits divided at the end of the year based on days done

most popular type of collective farm 1930s

features of collectivisation- relationship with towns

priority was to deliver quotas to the state who then sold it to the town

one quotas were met they could sell the surplus at the local market

features of collectivisation- creche and school facilities

wanted as many peasants working as possible

babies were looked after in creches to enable mothers to work

features of collectivisation- machine and tractor stations

experts were used to introduce modern methods

could hire machinery to mechanise farming

2 500 in the soviet union

had a political department who rooted out anti-social elements

aims of collectivisation- modernise agriculture

• exports were 3m tons a year compared to 12m in 1913

• food to feed workers

• methods were backwards

• wanted more workers in factories to fully modernise the soviet union

  • easier to collect grain from fewer collection points

aims of collectivisation- overcome peasant inertia

after 1917 plots were smaller and less organised

most peasants were content with producing enough for themselves

lack of consumer goods a

aims of collectivisation0 destroy class enemies

eradicate the kulaks who had become richer under the NEP

seen as enemies of communism

aims of collectivisation- socialism in the countryside

wanted to get rid of the NEP

socialise the peasantry- fits with communist ideals of collective ownership

aims of collectivisation- control of the countryside

russia’s population was predominantly rural

wanted to keep them under control

why did stalin embark on collectivisation- 1927

gov forced peasants to pay a money tax so they had to sell their grain to pay it

peasants soon wisened ti it and either hoarded grain or fed it to their animals to fatten them up as meat prices were higher

grain produces at the end of 1927 was ¾ that of 1926

why did stalin embark on collectivisation- 1928

sent officials backed by police to seize grain

january- went to urals and western siberia on a requisitioning campaign

‘urals siberian method’ developed- encouraged poor and MC peasants to denounce kulaks whose grain would then be seixed before they were arrested

grain quotas increased but still failed

why did stalin embark on forced collectivisation - 1929

peasants were resisting policies and not marketing their food

meat and bread were being rationed

blamed kulaks for hoarding grain- many were deported which led to forced collectivisation

november- finally passed

attacks on kulaks

december 1929 announced ‘liquidation of the kulaks as a class’ aim was to frighten the mP and poor peasants into joining kolkhozes

villagers were unwilling to identify kulaks as they were considered part of the village community

in some villages poor peasants wrote letters to support kuaks

richer peasants sold animals to slip into the ranks of middle peasants

local party officials supported kulaks

twenty-five thousanders

an army of 25 000 urban party activists to help revolutionise the countryside

sent out in brigades to oversee collectivisation with support of police, the OGPU and the military

each region was given a number of kulaks to find, they would ten be split into 3 groups ( counter revolutionaries who were to be shot, opponents of collectivisation who were deported to siberia and then those who were expelled form their cmaps)

deportation and gulag labour camps

1st february 1930 gave local party oganisations the power to use ‘necessary measures’ against the kulaks

whole famillies or villages were rounded up and deported- head of the family would be shot

others were sent to gulag labour camps or to work in punishment brigades building canals, roads or new industrial centres

up to 10m people had been deported to siberia or labour camps by the end of the collectivisation process

propaganda and encouragement of denunciation

wanted to extol the advantages of collective farms and inflame class hatred

many poorer peasants did denounce their neighbours as kulaks sometimes as revenge for past grievances

children were encouraged to inform on neighbours and parents

one 13yr old girl denounced her mother for stealing grain

peasant resistance to collectivisation

• riots and armed resistance - one lasted for 5 days and armoured cars were needed to restore order

• troops often brought in

• peasants burnt crops, tools and houses to avoid handing them to the state

• raids mounted to recapture animals

• action by women proved to be the most effective- their protests were carefully organised with specific goals like stopping grain requisitioning anf retrieving horses

  • a main tactic was to eat or sell animals to avoid them going to the state ‘they killled, they ate until they could eat no more’- Sholokov

stalin’s backtrack and restart 1930-31

it was an agricultural disaster 25-30% of all cattle, pigs and sheep had been slaughtered

stalin had to backtrack due to peasant resistance

wrote an article for pravda march 1930 saying that officials had moved too fast ‘dizzy with success’

central gov seemed to have little direct control over what was happening in the provinces

stalin called for a return to the voluntary principle

restarted the campaign after the harvest had been collected

took in over ½ peasant households

1932-4 famine

ebd of 1931 the state had requisitioned 22.8m tons of grain

drought 1931

by the end of spring 1932 there was famine in ukraine

32-34 killed millions of peasants

soviet regime didnt acknowledge the scale of the famien as they didn’t want to admit the failure of collectivisation

in ukraine

• set especiallly high targets

• thousands of extra officials were drafted to root out hidden stocks in brutal gangs condemming hundreds of thousands to starvation

• conquest claims that requisitioned grain was left rotting in huge dumps

in some areas there were attacks on the dumps they were then short or deported

continued to export grain to other countries- 1,73 tons 1932

internal passports to stop peasants from fleeing

law of the seventh-eighths

august 1932

prescribed a 10 yr sentance for stealing ‘sociaised property’

later changed to a death sentence

collectivisation after 1934

end of 1934 it was announced that 70% of peasant households were in collectives- 90% in 1936

individual peasant landholdings eventually squeezed out

grain and meat production began to recover

lack of incentive- peasants had nothing to work for due to the laack of profits

forms of passive resistance- apathy, neglect and insubordination

private plots were very important and they were the only way a peasnat could earn something for themselves by selling it at the local maret

• proved 50% veggies and fruit

• 70% meat and milk

‘second serfdom’

sims of the five year plans

to modernise industry

move towards autarky (self sufficiency)

strengthen ussr military

develop an industrial, urban, proletarian, socialist society

show communism to be superior

dates of the five year plans

1 oct 1928- dec 1932

2 jan 1933- dec 1937

3 jan 1938- june 1941

how well planned were the five year plans?

very little planning came from the top, operated at a local level

said what needed to be achieved, not how to do it

assumed quotas would be met

‘optimal plan’ completely unrealistic

successes of the first five year plan

main aim

coal iron and electric increased in huge proportions

propaganda to promote and support the five year plan

aimed to convince the soviet people that they were personally engaged in a vast industrial enterprise

pushed idealism and coercio. - John Scott an american was impressed

branded resistance as ‘the sabotage’

appealed to patriotism and self-sacrifice

failures of the first five year plan

production of steels and chemicals less impressive

output of finished textiles declined

no effort on improving material lives of the soviet people

living conditions worsened

evidence of popular support for the five year plans

among the young there was enthusiasm and commitment

believed they were genuinely building a new and better world

‘there is no fortress that we bolsheviks cannot storm’

how was terror used to implement the plans

series of public trials of industrial ‘wreckers’ including a number of foreign workers were staged to impress with the futility of protesting against the programme

1928 stalin claimed to have discovered an anti-soviet conspiracy among miners in Shakhty their public trial was intended to frighten

used OGPU and cadres

shock brigades

how did the use of terror hinder industrial develpment

he knew untrained peasants wouldn’t turn into skilled workers immediately

stressed quantity over quality , led to whole enterprises being ruined

soviet statistics became unreliable

led to corruption and bribery

illegal deals made by managers desperate to hit targets

what was the Stakhanovite movement

1935

claimed that Alexi Stakhanov had single-handedly cut over 100 tons of coal in a 5hr shift (14x required quota)

everyone was urged to match his dedication

some Stakhanovite groups produced more output than regular but it was due to privileged access to tools and supplies

• led to a loss of overall production

  party could control newspaper, cinema and radio to show a favourable view of this

what were the great showpiece ‘gigantomania’ projects of the fie year plans

• moscow metro

• Dhieprostroi Hydro-electric Dam

• Moscow-Volga Canal

  • Magnitogorsh 1928-32 1/4m people came

what impact did the five year plans have on living standards

for workers to demands improved standards at this time was considered betraying the nation

food remained scarce and expensive

common for 4-5 families to share a lavatory and kitchen

money spent on defence

1/3 gov spending in 1940 was on arms

what happened to worker rights during the period of the five year plans

strikes prohibited and demands for better pay regarded as selfish at a time of national crisis

code of ‘labour discipline’ set up, demanding maximun effort and output

could lose wages or be sent to forced labour camps

overall strengths of the ofe year plans

increase in production

• coal x5

• steel x6

• oil x2

allowed russia to survive 4 years of german occupation and to win may 1945

overall weaknesses of the five year plans

economy remained unbalanced

old wasteful techniques continued

focused too much on showing off

failed to increase agricultural productivity or raise living standards

hardship on workers

successes and achievements of the first five year plan economic

electricity trebled

coal and iron production doubled

steel production increased by 1/3

engineering developed- tools and turbines

new industrial complexes eg Magnitogorsk- first time the Urals were being economically exploited

big projects began- Dniepostroi Dam and Moscow Metro

1500 new enterprises

new tractor works to mechanise agriculture

unemployment fell

economic failures and weaknesses first fyp

decline in customer industries like food and textiles

small workshops squeezed out as food and fuel were diverted to heavy industry

wool and cotton production fell

chemical targets unfulfilled

grain exxports didnt pay for the machinery as west was suffering from depression adn couldnt buy as much

poor quality goods produced eg. pig iron and steel

lack of skilled workers - 7% of the workforcce

attacks on burgeois specialists led to loss of skilled personnel who would have helped

how well planned was the first five year plan

rushed

targets unrealistic - rivalry between GOSPLAN and VESENKHA

shock brigades had to be brought in to help achieve targets

party gave broad direction for plans but left regional and local party officials to work out the detail

underestimation of amount of resources necessary meanr money had to be diverted

massive wastage of resources caused by overproduction

poor planning of transport and communications led to bottle necks and hoarding of resources in case their next delivery didn’t come

other effects of first five year plan economic

illegal deals and even hijacking’s if scarce resources was done in a desperate attempt to meet targets and avoid being sacked, deported or put on trial

intense competition in local areas

high staff turnover- constantly training staff

absenteeism

local party officials falsified figures out of fearing being accused of sabotage

massive bureaucracy and paperwork so mistakes were burried

second five year plan successes economic

expansion of electric

new industrial plants which increased production eg hydro electric dam

4500 new enterprises

growth of chemical industry

growth of metallurgy, copper tin and zinc

more investment in transport- railway tracks and rolling stock to enable movement of resources

new training schemes for workers to be more skilled ‘red specialists’

food rationing ended

more disposal income for families

limited recovery of consumer foods

by 1937 almost self sufficient in metals and machine tools so now less dependent on foreign imports

failures and weaknesses of second five year plan economic

consumer goods lagged behind

oil production didn’t reach targets

shortages

continued waste

over and under production

sun standard goods eg tyres

machines poorly maintained and some weren’t able to repair them

economy deprived of key personnel and specialists as purges reached peak 1936-7

how well planned was the second five year plan

improved planning, learning from mistakes of the first plan

targets scaled back

greater details in plans for regions and localities in terms of costs, input and labour needed

later years of the plan- chaos due to change of planners as a result of purges

the stakhanovite movement 2nd plan

1935 Alexi Stakhanov mined 102 tonnes of coal in 5 hours in ideal conditions

hailed as a hero, received bonus, new apartment, holidays, cinema passes

became a propaganda campaign to produce more, competitions set up

recodmania followed 2 volumes of record books by december 1935

put managers under pressure in terms of resources, would then be labelled ‘saboteurs’ and imprisoned

third five year plan successes and achievements economic

growth of heavy industry

growth of defence and armaments

strong industrial base for a powerful military- contributed to victor WW2

failures and weaknesses third plan economic

uneven development of heavy industry- growth of uron and steel

oil production continued to be a problem

consumer industries neglected

factories ran out of materials due to them being diverted to the military

shortages of qualified personnel due to purges ho

w well planned was the third FYP

chaos as they had to plan for the military and general industry

shortages, waste, bottlenecks ect

how did women benefit from the FYP

women able to get jobs like pilots

10m women entered the workforce helped by childcare and schools

domination of women in medicine and teaching

how did skilled workers benefit from thr FYP

training opportunities- technical education to be ‘red specialists’. could advance to senior supervisory or management

200 000 in higher education, over 1m where in secondary technical schools

better wages

bonuses eg. better housing, food rations and clothing during first FYP

individual achievements publicly celebrated in local newspapers and work noticeboards

they were in demand and could easily move between jobs to get higher wages

how did women suffer from the FYP

paid less than men

less opportunities for advancement

had to look after home and work

even in female dominated jobs they were underrepresented at higher levels eg. textiles only 17/328 bosses were women

how did ordinary workers suffer from the FYP

long hours, hard labour, coercion, fear

low pay, food shortages, high prices and lack of consumer goods

bombarded with propaganda- pressure to conform/ compete/ meet quotas

poor living standards- barracks, overcrowding, unsanitary, water shortages, lack of privacy

crime and violence in urban areas

harsh discipline- 1940 absenteeism a crime with a prison sentence- code of labour discipline

internal passports

introduction of worker' ‘labour books’ containing qualifications, history, records of misdemeanors

how did the FYP make managers and specialists suffer

pre 1917 managers who survived NEP were accused of sabotage/ wrecking/ being enemies of the state

show trials and imprisonment as a message to other managers eg. Shakty trial

forced labour in the FYPs

sent to gulags and forced to work in inhospitable conditions eg. forests in frozen north and doing hard labour eg. building white sea canal project

long hours, appalling living conditions and spread of disease

how did FYP cause suffering to everyone

lack of consumer good

lack of basic commodities

long queues for foods and other goods-some companies set up own shops and bought in food from the pesants’ private plots

constant fear

other social effects of the FYPs

genuine sense of unity and purpose among young workers felt a part of the ‘cultural revolution

constant propaganda in the workplace ‘new soviet man’

values of loyalty, self sacrifice were valued

volunteer brigades went off to work on ong projects - wanted their children to live in a socialist utopia

peasants struggled to catch up with the pace of the urban areas

what was the cult of personality

promoted a positive image to reduce opposition and socialise russia

1920-40s

stalin was seen as an omnipotent leader and heir of lenin

‘he is everywhere, he sees everything’ John Steinbeck 1947

timeline of the cult of personality

1924-9 set up as the heir of lenin ‘stalin is the lenin of today’ tsaritsyn names stalingrad

1929-33 in 1929 it was his 5th birthday had 350 greetings, 1931 portraits of engels, lenin and stalin appeared

1933-9 paintings, poems and sculptures promoted the cult and history of the all-union communist party was written

post 1945 images of stalin everywhere, childhood home turned into a shrine, 70th birthday there was elaborate celebrations and was organised by 75 leading figures of the party

why did stalin need the cult of personality

support in the leadership struggle

to keep support during the radical time of change

so that the blame for collectivisation owuldn’t fall on him

paintings and posters

on workshops, factories and schools, put stalin at the ‘helm of the ship’ and promoted the FYPs

children, stressed his lives with the people, in the feild with peasants, marching alongside workers or in nurseries ‘thank you stalin for my happy childhood’

operas and films

1920s due to economic changes

glorified the role of stalin in the revolution and the communist party

exhibitions

sergei einstein ‘great soviet exhibition’

‘stalin and teh soviet people’

contained things of his childhood

provincial meeting

standing ovation

no one dared to sit down because if you did you were arrested the next day

newspapers

pravda and izvestiya

promoted fyps

mostly aimed at party members so there ws not a wide audience

the arts

represented the role of the worker, traditional vales. community and power

murals of collective farms

large buildings

jazz banned

youth groups

Komosol (ages 14-28)

worked on fyp projects and were encouraged to inform

flag wavers and cheerleaders involved at mayday

route to full membership and swore an oath of allegiance

how was censorship used

by 1932 ll literary groups were shut down and had to join the union of soviet writers

1st congress of UOSW in 1934 declared that people had to produce material under ‘socialist realism’ and be approved by the communist party

Boris Pasternak changed his beliefs to fit with the party

those who refused were arrested, exiled, executed or sent to labour camps

radio broadcasts distorted

the re-writing of history

• THE SHORT COURSE- history of the communist party published in 1938, was te main history text for institutions and sold millions of copies, put stalin as a disciple of lenin

• AMENDMENT OF PHOTOS- added photos of himself yo photos of lenin and airbrushed trotsky out

  • lenin’s arrival at ifnland station- edited stalin in

  • lenin addressing troops in 1920- painted trotsky and kamenev out

cult of personality WAS successful

recieved lots of adulation

stakhanovites and soldiers were grateful because they got power and status

seen as the main reason for successful modernisation

‘our beloved teacher and friend of the whole soviet country’

when he died in 1953 many wept

cult of personality WAS NOT successful

intellectuals, experienced members and workers were aware of the absurdities of the cult

active criticism

mid 1930s cynical workers who objected it, this became private due to fear of the purges

OGPU

in 1924 stalin renamed the GPU, United State Police Administration

would take unsuspecting people from the tsreets for no obvious reason

would call on people at odd times especially in the early hours of the morning and arrest and interrogate them

confessions of guilt extracted even though they may have been innocent

NKVD

the peoples commissariat for internal affairs

formed 1934 to combat opposition to Stalin’s personal dictatorship

a permanent strutcyre of terror what gathered evidence against high ranking communists eg. Bukharin, Trotsky and Zinoviev

a;lso arrested and terrorised normal people

arbitrary arrests followed by violent interrogation

confessions legitamised the use of terror

many soviet citizens died in prison- shot or died from torture

vans marked ‘meat’ cme in with dead naked bodies and dumped them in mass graves

stalin was suspicious of them and a number were purged and executed purged itself of 20 000 members