In 1935 and 36, huge numbs of the Left Opposition were arrested. A series of show trials resulted in the advice to be vigilant against “enemies of the people”. The trials include Zinoviev and Kamenev, who were accused of working as agents for Trotsky. Under pressure from the NKVD people confessed to crimes that they could not have possibly committed. Stalin would’ve had these people executed as a means of striking fear into ordinary people. However, in 1937, the Show Trials focused more on party leaders, as they were accused of wrecking and acts of sabotage within the party. Officials such as Pyatakov were accused of working for Trotsky, though it was likely his real crime was the condemnation and criticisms of mistakes made in the Five Year Plans. As people may have been influenced by Pyatakov’s criticisms of Economic Policies, Stalin successfully used his murder, and the murder of others, such as Radek, to ensure ordinary Bolsheviks themselves did not become critical of the policies. He used their murders to ensure he was still popular among ordinary Russians, and so these purges were very important, and played a large part in ensuring his popularity, and security in power. In 1938, former leaders of the Right opposition, or the party members who criticised Stalin’s plans, and those who wished to keep the NEP, came under attack. Though the right had expressed opposition to much of the Five Year Plan, there was no strong evidence supporting the Troskyite-Rightst Bloc to which members such as Rykov and Bukharin confessed. Bukharin wrote an article entitled “Notes of an Economist”, in which he criticised the Five Year Plan, and made it clear that he opposed the economic policies. He was therefore viewed as a threat to Stalin, as his views could affect those of others. This meant Stalin had to have him executed in order to retain security in power. However, it was not only party officials that posed a threat to Stalin’s security. The army’s criticisms of collectivisation, meant they posed a threat to Stalin, and so in 1937 and 38, thousands of the Red Army were executed. There was a downside for Stalin to the purges also. With the growth of the purges, the role of the secret police also grew, and as a result, their influence on people increased. To ensure they posed no threat, the purgers themselves, were in turn, purged.
The purges then extended beyond the party, as ordinary Russians were arrested. The whole population was living in terror, as anyone criticising Stalin was denounced. As a result, people became scared to be critical of Stalin, and so did not pass judgment on him or his policies. This gave him security in power. However, people were being arrested and killed at random. As Bolsheviks realised there was little they could do to avoid a fate of death, they focused more on things they could control. The threat of arrest was not their prime concern, and so Stalin was not as secure, and as free from condemnation as he may have thought.
However, Stalin had other means of securing his status in power, other than terror. The power Stalin had over the media meant he could control what ordinary Bolsheviks saw, and what the read, and so he could influence their opinions. Stalin was publicised to be the main focus of the party, in order to achieve the totalitarian leadership he desired. He had certain information censored, which played a huge role in his popularity. If many Russians had seen the extent of his reign of terror, it is likely he would not have been so popular.
Collectivisation of all the farms occurred as a result of the Five Year Plans. Peasants farmed collectively, rather than individually, and although the Kulaks lost out, and as a result Collectivisation was not widely approved, it did help Stalin to secure power. It meant Stalin had control over all the farming in Russia.
Stalin also possessed similar family ideal to Hitler. Both wanted to increase the birth rate, and they made it hard to divorce a spouse. In both Nazi Germany, and Russia at the time of Stalin, abortions were made illegal, and Stalin wanted to introduce a free health service. By encouraging these ideal, Stalin secured popularity, and Bolsheviks became eager to conform to his policies. This however, was not as important as the role of, for example the purges, in my opinion. Stalin also tried to control education. Uniforms were compulsory, and Stalin wanted everyone to be literate. Making education stricter was Stalin’s method of controlling another aspect of people’s lives, and also influencing their beliefs. If, from a young age, children were taught why Stalin’s policies were right, he could brainwash them in a sense into supporting his party and their ideals. This was important, as it meant his legacy could b continued through these younger people, but I don’t feel it had the effect on the population as a whole, like the purgers and Show Trials.
Stalin also discouraged religious worship. Increased working hours, and the threat of sacking if work was missed made it hard to attend church, and committees were even set up to weaken religious influence. This was important, as with the decrease of influence from religion, came the increase in influence from Stalin and his policies. The lack of religious influence, and Stalin’s control of the media, meant that Russians were only hearing Stalin’s ideals, and so would turn more towards his way of thinking, and so in turn, helping to secure his place in power. This I believe is more important than Stalin’s alteration of family values, and of his education policies, but still was less effective than the purges.
Under Stalin, there were also benefits for some people, and these benefits could be another explanation for his security in power; that many people actually approved of what he was doing. In contrast to Stalin’s collectivised farms, his state farm workers received social benefits, and 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
