the secret police

• the secret police under lenin

  • the cheka under lenin prosecuted 'counter revolutionaries' : supporters of the former tsar , deserters of the red army and political opposition
  • before 1921 , the chekas activities included : requisitioning grain , closing down opposition newspapers , torturing + executing opponents and executing deserters
  • during NEP : 'class enemies' were women who wore western clothes , and young people dancing to western music
• the role of yagoda

  • became head of NKVD in 1934
  • police under him tended to treat party officials with respect , so purge was slow
  • stalin criticised this
• role of yezhov

  • responsible for large increase in terror ( 1936 - 38)
  • deported 653 thousand people
  • had 1.5 million arrested
  • had 680 thousand executed
• role of beria

  • mass execution of ethnic groups
  • mass deportations + executions
  • in charge of nuclear efforts during the cold war
• show trials

  • trial of the 16 ( 1936 ) - headed by yagoda , execution of zinoviev and allies
  • trial of the 17 ( 1937 ) - headed by yezhov , execution of Trotsky's main supporters
  • trial of the 27 ( 1938 ) - headed by beria , execution of bukharin and main allies , including yagoda
• stalin's aims

  • used against the party
  • create fear to keep control
  • sent millions to forced labour camps
• Andropov's suppression of dissidents

  • suspicious of Khrushchev's liberalisation
  • rejected use of terror + show trials
  • target specific individuals
• andropovs strategies

  • sent opponents to psychiatric hospitals to receive 'treatment'
  • invested in surveillance
  • intimidation tactics ( eg. bulldozer exhibition)
  • demotion / sacking of dissidents
• dealing with discontent :

  • Andropov launched anti corruption campaign, Minister of Interior investigated
  • Launched anti alchohol campaign, workers sacked for drunkenness
  • Operation trawl, KGB visited parks and restaurants and arrested those who were absent from work or drunk
  • however andropov fell ill and was unable to sustain the campaigns
• andropovs failures :

  • failed to stamp out opposition
  • homemade self published magazine (samizdat) contained counter revolutionary material
  • pressure from western governments meant some dissidents remained free
• popular discontent

  • reports suggests that soviet citizens were : anxious about living standards , dissatisfied with availability of consumer goods and resentful of corruption of party members
  • according to KGB reports , a loss of faith in the system led to social malaise , including an increase in : alcoholism , poor labour discipline , black market trade and demand for western goods