Stalin purged the Communist Party of real or perceived threats, often with the secret police. Which term describes this campaign?

Stalin purged the Communist Party of real or perceived threats, often with the secret police. Which term describes this campaign?

• A. Five-Year Plans
• B. The Great Purge
• C. Collectivization
• D. New Economic Policy

Answer: (B)

Political repression and consolidation of power under Stalin relied on terror and the secret police to eliminate rivals and stifle dissent. This systematic campaign to remove real or imagined enemies within the Communist Party and the wider state is known as the Great Purge. During the purge, thousands were arrested by the NKVD, subjected to show trials, executed, or sent to the Gulag labor camps. It wasn't just about removing individuals; it sent a message that opposition to Stalin's rule would be crushed, allowing him to reshape leadership and enforce obedience across the party and society. The Great Purge captures this specific use of state terror to tighten control. In contrast, the other terms describe economic or policy initiatives rather than political repression: Five-Year Plans focused on rapid industrialization and targets; Collectivization reorganized agriculture into collective farms; the New Economic Policy allowed some private trade and small businesses. Those are not about a campaign of purges carried out with the secret police.

Political repression and consolidation of power under Stalin relied on terror and the secret police to eliminate rivals and stifle dissent. This systematic campaign to remove real or imagined enemies within the Communist Party and the wider state is known as the Great Purge. During the purge, thousands were arrested by the NKVD, subjected to show trials, executed, or sent to the Gulag labor camps. It wasn't just about removing individuals; it sent a message that opposition to Stalin's rule would be crushed, allowing him to reshape leadership and enforce obedience across the party and society. The Great Purge captures this specific use of state terror to tighten control.

In contrast, the other terms describe economic or policy initiatives rather than political repression: Five-Year Plans focused on rapid industrialization and targets; Collectivization reorganized agriculture into collective farms; the New Economic Policy allowed some private trade and small businesses. Those are not about a campaign of purges carried out with the secret police.