Stalin's Purges

Stalin utilised deceitful and often brutal techniques to overthrow and eliminate his potential political and economic opposition

The twentieth century has not yet seen the light of such brutality and repression on a scale Joseph Stalin enforced upon Russia during his reign of terror. Throughout the 1930’s, Stalin unleashed brutal purges against all his opposing political entities. This was achieved through false alliances formed within his own party, building up his power as he went along. Stalin eliminated his opponents, once he was in a considerable position of power, with arrests, show trials, assassinations and executions, including members of his own party. However, Stalin’s purges were in no way restricted to his political opposition.
Five year economic plans were introduced and the forced collectivisation of privately owned farms and agricultural industries resulting in widespread famine and great humanitarian loss throughout the Soviet Union. In the years of these purg...