Great Purge

Quick Facts: Who was Great Purge?

Subject:

Great Purge

Known for:

A period of political terror in the USSR (1936–1939) orchestrated by Joseph Stalin.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Great Purge or Great Terror (Russian: Большой террор, romanized: Bol'shoy terror), also known as the Year of '37 (37-й год, Tridtsat' sed'moy god) and the Yezhovshchina (ежовщина [(j)ɪˈʐofɕːɪnə], lit. 'period of Yezhov'), was a political purge in the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1939. After the assassination of Sergei Kirov by Leonid Nikolaev in 1934, Joseph Stalin launched a series of show trials known as the Moscow trials to remove suspected dissenters from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (especially those aligned with the Bolshevik party). The purges were largely conducted by the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs), which functioned as the interior ministry and secret police of the USSR. In 1936, the NKVD under Genrikh Yagoda began the removal of the central party leadership, Old Bolsheviks, government officials, and regional party bosses.

Career & Major Achievements

Soviet politicians who opposed or criticized Stalin were removed from office and imprisoned, or executed, by the NKVD, including Nikolai Bukharin, Lev Kamenev, and Grigory Zinoviev. The purges were eventually expanded to the Red Army high command, which had a disastrous effect on the military, including Marshal of the Soviet Union Mikhail Tukhachevsky. The campaigns also affected many other segments of society: the intelligentsia, wealthy peasants—especially those lending money or other wealth (kulaks)—and professionals sometimes in the form of specialist-baiting. As the scope of the purge widened, the omnipresent suspicion of saboteurs and counter-revolutionaries (known collectively as wreckers) began affecting civilian life. The purge reached its peak between September 1936 and August 1938, when the NKVD was under chief Nikolai Yezhov (hence the name Yezhovshchina).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The campaigns were carried out according to the general line of the party, often by direct orders by the Politburo headed by Stalin. Hundreds of thousands of people were accused of political crimes, including espionage, wrecking, sabotage, anti-Soviet agitation, and conspiracies to prepare uprisings and coups. They were executed by shooting, or sent to Gulag labor camps. The NKVD targeted certain ethnic minorities with particular force (such as Volga Germans or Soviet citizens of Polish origin), who were subjected to forced deportation and extreme repression. Throughout the purge, the NKVD sought to strengthen control over civilians through fear and frequently used imprisonment, torture, violent interrogation, and executions during its mass operations.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1934: 1934 Milestone — After the assassination of Sergei Kirov by Leonid Nikolaev in 1934, Joseph Stalin launched a series of show trials known as the Moscow trials to remove suspected dissenters from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (especially those aligned with the Bolshevik party).
2. 1936: 1936 Milestone — 'period of Yezhov'), was a political purge in the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1939.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Great Purge

True or False: “The Great Purge was solely a reaction to the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While Kirov's assassination catalyzed the visible purges, the underlying tensions and Stalin's consolidation of power were building throughout the early 1930s.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. E. Housman — Historical peer (Died in 1936) (1936): English classicist and poet, renowned for his scholarship and melancholic verse.
• A. S. Byatt — Historical peer (Born in 1936) (1936): Acclaimed English novelist, poet, and critic known for complex literary works.
• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.
• Abdullah Ibrahim — Historical peer (Born in 1934) (1934): Pianist and composer, considered the leading figure in the subgenre of Cape jazz.
• Abimael Guzmán — Historical peer (Born in 1934) (1934): Peruvian Maoist revolutionary leader, founder of the Shining Path.
• Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Somaliland politician, served as President from 2010 to 2017.
• Ahn Chang Ho — Historical peer (Died in 1938) (1938): Pioneering Korean independence activist and leader of the Korean-American community.

Frequently Asked Questions about Great Purge