The+Secret+Police

The NKVD



Stalin’s Secret Police Russia’s Secret Police


 * Called the Cheka, GPU, NKVD, MVD, KGB(1)
 * Formed as Checka in 1917(1)
 * NKVD translates to “People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs”(1)
 * Responsible for all internal and state affairs (1)[[image:http://galeria.index.hu/kulfold/2011/12/23/a_szovjetunio_tortenete/2582484_89ab30f9027ba61dfd024aaf0b23c775_l.jpg width="400" height="266"]]

NKVD Commanders


 * G. Yagoda, 1934-1936(2)
 * N. Yehznov, 1936-1938(2)
 * L. Beria, 1938-1953(2)[[image:http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSberia2.JPG align="right"]]
 * All were executed by Stalin(3)

NKVD Operations
 * Arrested anyone who opposed Stalin(1)
 * Prisoners were either interrogated, tried and executed or sent to the GULAG (Russian labor camps)(1)
 * Major Political Executions:
 * o 1934: L. Kamenev, G. Zinoveiv, I. Smirnov(2)
 * o 1936: N. Bukharin, A. Rhykov, N. Krestinsky, C. Rakovsky(2)
 * o 1940: L. Trotsky(2)

Involvement in WWII


 * Managed deployment of troops, enforced discipline, kill army deserters(1)
 * Execute or deport prisoners(1)
 * Used spies to gather enemy intelligence (1)

Parallels in Animal Farm


 * Nine sturdy puppies to the nine leaders invited by Lenin
 * The dogs being used to murder "dangerous" animals is similar to the purges of Russia. (4)
 * The dogs chasing Snowball out of the farm represents Trotsky being exiled and then assassinated by the NKVD(4)
 * The dogs make sure Napoleon's orders are carried out when the hens rebel against having their eggs taken away shows that the NKVD only took orders from Stalin(4)
 * When the dogs surround Squealer after he falls off the ladder, the dogs surround him, showing that the NKVD had a lot of influence on domestic affairs(4)

References:

(1) Stalin’s Spies and Secret Police. (n.d.) PBS. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/behindcloseddoors/in-depth/stalins-spies.html

(2) Vartivarian, M. (2000). The NKVD. Retrieved from: http://nkvd.org/en/description.html

(3) Communist Secret Police: NKVD. (n.d.) Spartacus Educational Retrieved from: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSnkvd.htm

(4) Orwell, G. (1997). Animal farm. (pp. 24-75). United States of America: McDougal Littel.

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