Origins & Early Life

Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (29 March [O.S. 17 March] 1899 – 23 December 1953) was a Soviet politician and one of the longest-serving and most influential of Joseph Stalin's secret police chiefs, serving as head of the NKVD from 1938 to 1945 during the country's involvement in the Second World War. An ethnic Georgian, Beria enlisted in the Cheka in 1920, and quickly rose through its ranks. He transferred to Communist Party work in the Caucasus in the 1930s, and in 1938 was appointed head of the NKVD by Stalin.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Described by Stalin as his "own Himmler", his ascent marked the end of Stalin's Great Purge carried out by Nikolai Yezhov, whom Beria purged. After the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Beria organized the Katyn massacre of 22,000 Polish officers and intelligentsia, and after the occupation of the Baltic states and parts of Romania in 1940, he oversaw the deportations of hundreds of thousands of Poles, Balts, and Romanians to remote areas or Gulag camps. In 1940, Beria began a new purge of the Red Army. After Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, he was appointed to the State Defense Committee, overseeing security. Beria expanded the system of...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Capone — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alfred Hitchcock — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Master of Suspense, influential English filmmaker known for psychological thrillers.
• Bertil Ohlin — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Influential Swedish economist, Nobel Laureate, and politician.
• Ahmad Shah Massoud — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Afghan military leader, known as the "Lion of Panjshir", fought against foreign occupations.
• Alex Gibney — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Acclaimed American documentary filmmaker known for investigative works on power and belief.
• Andrew Wiles — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): English mathematician renowned for proving Fermat's Last Theorem.
• Chaleo Yoovidhya — Shared historical date (03-17 · Died) (2012): Pioneering Thai entrepreneur, originator of Krating Daeng and Red Bull.
• Daniel Bernoulli — Shared historical date (03-17 · Died) (1782): Swiss mathematician and physicist, known for fluid mechanics and probability.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Shared historical date (12-23 · Died) (1972): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• Akihito — Shared historical date (12-23 · Born) (1933): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• 1899 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1899
• March 17 (03-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 17
• 1953 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1953
• December 23 (12-23) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 23