The+Great+Purge

The Great Purge refers to a period of time under Joseph Stalin's rule when all opposition to his rule was removed by executing anyone who spoke out against him in the military, government and his own secret police. (2)


 * Clearing The Government **
 * 1934- Many government officials speak about forgiving the people imprisoned for resisting collectivizing of farms and industrialization.(4)
 * 1st December, 1934- Sergey Kirov is assassinated by another party member. Blame given to conspiracy to overthrow Stalin. Several other important political figures are arrested and executed. Considered to be the beginning of the"Great Purge".(1)
 * January 1937- 17 leaders of Communist Party put on trial, 13 sentenced to death.(4)
 * March 1938- 21 more leaders of the Communist Party put on trial for treason, support of Leon Trotsky, and conspiring against Joseph Stalin.(4)
 * Most politicians who were found guilty were forced into confessing due to torture and threats.(5)

> //**ANIMAL FARM **// Pg.54 "Every night, it was said, he came creeping in under cover of darkness and performed all kinds of mischief".(6) -Snowball is blamed for all problems on the farm. In Russia during the Great Purge Trotsky is the blame for murders and "corruption" of NKVD.(4)
 * Decimating The Army **
 * June 1937-Mikhail Tukhachevsky and seven other Red Army military leaders are charged with working with Germany. All are executed.(4)
 * 30,000 total members of the army are executed, including 50% of officers.(3)
 * Ordinary People **
 * In addition to the military and government leaders almost twenty million anti-communist citizens including anyone who opposed Stalin are sent to Russian prison camps (the Gulag)(3)
 * Almost half of those sent to camps die.(3)
 * Cleaning the Cleaners **
 * Stalin announces that "fascist elements" had taken over the NKVD and killed many innocent people.(5)
 * Appoints a new head of secret police who investigates and finds the head leadership of NKVD responsible.(4)
 * They are all executed(4)

Pg.58 "Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion, that they had collaborates with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr.Fredericks".(6) -All convicted and executed Russians were accused of collusion with Trotsky.(5)

Pg.59 "And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones".(6) -Estimates of those killed during the Great Ppurge are between one half and two million people not including the close to ten million who die in labor camps.(3)

Pg.58 "The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napolean's orders. They, too, were slaughtered."(6) -After seeing the pigs killed the hens are scared into confessing crimes of working with Snowball. Most signed confessions of treason were due to torture and fear.(5)

Pg.60 "Instead-she did not know why- they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes. There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind."(6) - Stalin's Great Purge was considered a "program of terror"(5) to keep the population under control. Napoleon's murders served the same purpose in Animal Farm.

Additional Information: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSpurge.htm http://www.gendercide.org/case_stalin.html

References 1. Bidlack, R. H. (2012). //Saint PetersBurg.// In World Book Online. Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com 2. Marrin, A. (2012). //"Stalin, Joseph".// In World Book Online. Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com 3. Millar, J. R. (2012). //Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.).// In from World Book Online. Retireved from http://www.worldbookonline.com 4. Simkin, J. (2011, October 20). //The Great Purge.// In Spartacus Educational. Retrieved from http://spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk 5. Vonts, T. S. (2012). //Communism.// In World Book Online. Retrieved from [|http://www.worldbookonline.com] 6.Orwell, G. (1997). //Animal Farm.// McDougal Littell.

Images: Retrieved from: [] "Animal Farm". Retrieved from: []