JWST 303 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Isaac Babel, Nikolai Yezhov, Grigory Zinoviev

• School: McGill University
• Department: Jewish Studies
• Course: JWST 303
• Professor: Daniel Heller

Document Summary

Stalin had already defeated united opposition group in soviet party. These 3 leaders insisted that ussr export rev abroad. Show trials, where if accused confess, their lives r spared. Those not willing to break law for stalin purged. Stalin orders to use torture to ensure confessions. Falls most strongly on civil war veterans. Stalin killed more soviet generals than hitler. Ny sets quota for how many ppl to be arrested, and eventually executed. Those arrested supposed to confess their guilt and name associates. Already in operation at start of collectivization. Not built for extermination, but still horrific. By 1939, 60% of party members from 1933 gone. Of 134 members of central comm in 1934, 98 killed. 10-11 mil lives disrupted in this period. Those who are arrested, not singled out as jews. Rather, bc they are leader of natl minority group. By 1930s, stalin is arguing that natl minorities have too much power, esp those who have nation states elsewhere.