Purges, Terror and Show Trials

1.What is the significance of Kirov's murder? (This is what I went over in class.)
The significance of Kirov's murder is that it was not fully understood. There were so many opinions about the murder and nobody really knew what had happened. It was said that Nikolayev was the one who killed Kirov alone because of his journal and nobody questioned Stalin. But, there were many opinions said that Stalin had arranged the murder and the NKVD had followed through. The NKVD had asked Nikolayev to kill Kirov (in addition Kirov was having an affair with Nikolayev's wife) and so he followed through.

2. According to Stalin, who had Nikolayev been working for when he assassinated Kirov? Why is this significant?
Stalin claimed that Kirov's murder was part of a conspiracy against himself and the communist party. He claimed that Nikolayev had acted on orders from a "leningrad Opposition Centre" which had connections with the old Left Opposition, especially Trotsky who, by now, was living in exile in Norway. As a result, Zinoview, Kamenev and seventeen others were arrested and given long prison sentences. The NKVS then went on to arrest other members of the old left opposition.

3. What is a Trotskyite?
Wrecking industry and to helping foreign spies.

4. There are three major "show trials." List them and a brief description of their significance.
Trial of the Sixteen- began in 1936 and involved Zinoviev, Kamenev, and fourteen others. They were accused of involvement in a conspiracy organized by Trosky to overthrow the government.
Trial of the Seventeen- the victims were accused of having links with Trotsky, of setting up terrorist groups, and of wrecking industry. All guilty and thirteen shot.
Trial of the twenty-one- accused confessed to being members of Trotskyist-rightists blow, to wrecking ndustry and to helping foregin spies.

5. During the Great Terror, there were three stages to the purges, staring with members of the Communist party. What were the next two stages and what type of people were purged?
Marchal Tuchachevsk, Russia's most famous general, and several other red armygenerals were arrested and shot. They were accused of sprying for Germany and Japan. The purges quickly came to affect the ordinary citizens of the USSR. Anyone overheard criticizing Stalin was likely to be denounced to the NKVD as a Trotskyite. Neighbours found they could settle old quarrels for good by denouncing eachother. Children were encouraged to denounce their parents. Nobody knew to whom it was safe to talk.