The purges, show trials and cult of Stalin in the USSR

• Stalin used terror as a means of control over society
• The Great Terror was an attempt to eliminate all opposition to Stalin's rule
• Trotsky was seen as a threat by Stalin because he had been his rival within the Bolshevik party since Lenin's time
• Trotsky was seen as a threat because he had been Lenin's right-hand man and was popular with many Bolsheviks
• Trotsky was seen as a threat because he had been Lenin's right-hand man and was popular with workers
• Trotsky continued to criticise Stalin's policies and called on workers to rise up against him
• Trotsky formed the Left Opposition which argued that the Soviet Union needed to industrialise faster than it was doing so at the time
• Trotsky continued his campaign against Stalin from abroad
• In 1927 Trotsky was expelled from the Soviet Union and sent into exile
• In 1927 Trotsky was expelled from the party but continued his campaign against Stalin
• In 1927 Trotsky was expelled from the party and sent into exile
• Trotsky was seen as a threat because he had been Lenin's right-hand man and was popular with peasants
• Trotsky was also seen as a threat because he advocated international revolution rather than just focusing on Russia
• In 1936, Trotsky was murdered by one of Stalin's agents who broke into his house in Mexico City
• In 1927 Trotsky formed the Left Opposition which called for greater democracy within the Party and criticised Stalin's policies
• By 1928, all opposition groups were banned and many leaders were arrested or forced into exile
• Stalin used Kirov's death to launch a massive crackdown on opposition within the party
• Stalin responded to the Left Opposition by using propaganda to discredit them and arresting their members
• Stalin used the Left Opposition as an excuse to crack down on opposition within the party
• Kirov was killed by Leonid Nikolayev, an unemployed worker who was angry about being arrested during collectivisation
• The Left Opposition argued that the NEP was too conservative and did not go far enough to support workers
• The Left Opposition believed that Stalin's policies would lead to the collapse of socialism
• Stalin used the idea of socialism in one country to justify his policies
• Stalin used the idea of socialism in one country as an excuse to crush opposition within the party
• Stalin used these confessions to justify further repression and arrests
• Stalin saw the Right Opposition as a threat to his power and used them to justify further repression
• The Great Purge began in 1934 when Kirov was assassinated
• They confessed under torture and implicated other people including Bukharin
• Bukharin wanted to extend the New Economic Policy (NEP) which allowed some private enterprise
• Bukharin wanted to reduce the power of the trade unions and give more power back to the government
• Zinoviev and Kamenev were accused of plotting to assassinate Stalin and overthrow the government
• Bukharin wanted to allow private enterprise to develop alongside state industry
• Zinoviev and Kamenev confessed to their crimes under torture and implicated others who then also confessed
• The Left Opposition were made up of former Bolsheviks who opposed Stalin's policies
• After Trotsky's death, Stalin used this event to justify further repression of political opponents
• The Right Opposition were led by Bukharin who believed that the NEP should be extended further
• Trotsky was seen as a threat because he had been Lenin's right-hand man and was popular with intellectuals
• The Right Opposition were led by Bukharin who believed that the NEP had gone too far and that the state should take control of industry again
• The first major trial took place in August 1936 when Zinoviev and Kamenev were tried along with other members of the 'Left Opposition'. They were accused of plotting to overthrow the government and assassinate Stalin.
• The Right Opposition were led by Bukharin who believed that the Soviet economy could not be developed quickly enough through state control alone