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The Role Of Terror In Joseph Stalin's Blood Purges

656 Words3 Pages

Joseph Stalin, 1878-1953, established totalitarianism in Russia, and forever changed the nation. He used police force to gain power, and instilled fear in all of his followers. This reign of terror was known as the Blood Purges or the Great Terror. During the Blood Purges, Stalin blamed Russian citizens for crimes he committed, and imposed the worst of punishments on them. Death or being sent to a labor camp, such as Gulag, was the fate of most. From 1936 to 1938, people were being killed over paranoia and no actual evidence. The purges were aimed to efface the threat of political retaliation.

The Blood Purges were a time of paranoia, brutality and terror. Russian citizens were forced to admit to crimes they may or may not have committed. No one was safe from Stalin's police force, and innocent people were murdered, or thrown into labor camps if they spoke out against him. More than 750,000 people were killed and millions were accused of conspiring against Stalin ( Joseph Stalin: National hero 17). Stalin wanted power, and would do anything to keep it. Stalin once said, “ Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problems ”(Joseph Stalin Quotes 2 ). He believed that getting rid of anyone who contradicted him or his beliefs would help him maintain power.

Segrei Kirov, one of the Leningrad party leaders, was murdered on …show more content…

Survivors of these tragic times are forced to remember the pain and suffering caused by one man’s paranoia. Along with that, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and many families will never be the same again. Also, the purges caused skepticism about the government’s actions among Russian citizens. This will have a negative effect, because the citizens can not trust the government, and have fear towards it. These series of unfortunate events, will forever be remembered as a tragic time in Russian

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