By the summer of 1938, Stalin and his circle realized that the purges had gone too far; Yezhov was relieved

from his post as head of the NKVD and shot. Lavrenty Beria, a fellow

Georgian and Stalin confidant, succeeded him as head of the NKVD

WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THE PURGES ON THE SOVIET UNION?

Declassified archives indicate about 1.5 m were arrested of which 680,000 were shot. The historian Michael

Ellman claims that between 915,000 and 1.2m were killed 1937-8

375,000 Kulaks were shot. 10,000’s of Orthodox clergy were arrested – many died in Gulags.

A couple of thousand writers, artists and intellectuals were purge eg the poet Mandelstam

Military weakened by destruction of 7% of officers. Of the top 20 Red Army officers, 16 were shot. This would seriously impact on the USSR in 1941 when Germany invaded.

Stalin also purged the NKVD, which had become very powerful, to ensure it was firmly under his control. egNKVD chief Yagoda was shot.

Stalin’s real political enemies were got rid of eg Trotsky

Possible rivals had been removed eg the Old Bolsheviks like Kirov,Kamenev and Zinoviev.

Stalin filled vacant positions with his own men eg Andrei Zhdanov was put in charge of the CPSUin Leningrad.

Scapegoats had been found for the failures of the 5 Year Plans

People terrified and under firm control. Stalin:”You only have to show a whip to a beaten dog”.

Stalin seen as a “god-like” figure who had saved the USSR from spies and traitors