The following were equally important reasons why Stalin was able to hold on to power in the Soviet Union, The purges and show trials, The secret police, Propaganda and the cult of personality, Stalin's economic policies - discuss.

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Peter Chesworth

History Coursework

The following were equally important reasons why Stalin was able to hold on to power in the Soviet Union:

  • The purges and show trials
  • The secret police
  • Propaganda and the cult of personality
  • Stalin’s economic policies

Explain how far you agree with this statement.

     After Lenin’s death, the leaders of the Communist Party strongly disagreed with each other on several issues. By the late 1920s Stalin had got rid of Trotsky and his other rivals, but he was still suspicious of potentially disloyal members of the party.

     Since the Communist Party came to power, it periodically “purged” its membership, getting rid of disloyal members. Now Stalin began to plan a purge of the top levels of the party, to deal with his rivals. He started with technical experts who were blamed for the failure of the first five year plan. He expelled and imprisoned many members and sent some into exile. Millions of Russian citizens were executed. The purges lasted from 1934 to 1938 and at least 7 million people disappeared, including Bolshevik leaders, writers, poets and anyone who Stalin disliked. Managers of industry, scientists and engineers were also purged for not meeting their targets.

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     Stalin wanted to show the rest of Russia that he was being fair with his executions by using show trials. These included party members admitting to a variety of imaginary crimes against the state, like sabotage and treason, those who would not confess were persuaded by torture and threats against their families. The results of the trials were announced to the world, 36 Bolsheviks were executed in 1936-8

     Stalin used the secret police to crush any potential opposition. Thousands of people were arrested and shot, the official Soviet records show that nearly 700,000 people were executed ...

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