The Reliance of Stalin’s Security in Power on Terror

The Reliance of Stalin’s Security in Power on Terror

Stalin often held public trials of leading enemies of the state,

called Show Trials. Former leaders of the regime were accused of

crimes against the government, and in nearly all these cases, they

were executed. The proceedings would’ve been filmed, so they could be

used for propaganda, and publicity for these events was maximised

using the press. Stalin used the Show Trials also to attack Trotsky.

He however, was one of the few who escaped without the death penalty,

but Stalin began to regret simply expelling him from Russia, as he was

still alive, and therefore still a threat. This shows us that the show

trials were important as they allowed Stalin to remove opponents who

posed threats to his power, and they also helped him to warn the

public as to what could happen to them if they dared to condemn or

criticise Stalin.

Sergel Kirov was a leading Communist party politician, until he was

assassinated in 1934. When collectivisation was proving unpopular, it

was suggested that a conciliatory approach may be more appropriate,

and it is possible that it was Kirov that put forward these ideas. He

therefore posed a threat to Stalin’s economic policies, and therefore

could provide a reason for ordinary Russians to question his policies.

As a result, Kirov was endangering Stalin’s popularity as a leader. It

has been suggested, that because of this, Stalin ordered Kirov’s

assassination. It has not been proven that Stalin did order the murder

of Kirov, but if he did, this is an example of Stalin using terror to

secure his status as a popular leader. However, the show trials would

probab...

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...d a higher wage. However, these benefits did not apply to

many people, and certainly did not affect the majority of Russia in

the way that the Great Terror did.

Despite the presence of numerous other ways in which Stalin tried to

control his power, such as censorship, I believe the most effective,

and the most relied upon, was terror. The purges I believe were the

most effective way of securing power, as they struck fear into

ordinary Russians. Too scared to say anything for fear of death, meant

that although many people may have opposed Stalin, nobody dared start

a public rebellion.

Bibliography

Stalinist Russia : Steve Phillips

The Kirov Murder - Part 1 : Nick Bendel

Part 2 : Nick Bendel

Stalin’s Brutal Faith: Paul G. Humber

Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks: Kees Boeterbloem