Question

During the late 1930s, Joseph Stalin eliminated his opposition and enemies. Why did this communist leader, who used fear and terror to get his way, insist on show trials for those he believed committed treason?

Show trials were a way to keep the vast majority of the people believing that the government had their interests at heart.

As a new government, Stalin knew the eyes of the world were on his every move and wanted to put a good foot forward.

Joseph Stalin may have been a stern dictator but he believed in the fairness of a trial by a body of one’s peers.

The people accused of treason and other crimes against the state publicly demanded a fair and honest trial.

Answer 1

Correct answer: Show trials were a way to keep the vast majority of the people believing that the government had their interests at heart.

Explanation: Stalin used highly publicized, scripted trials with forced confessions to create a narrative that the regime was exposing and eliminating traitors and protecting the nation. The theatrics legitimized the purges, justified harsh measures, mobilized public support or acquiescence, and intimidated potential dissenters. The other options are inaccurate: Stalin wasn’t primarily concerned with foreign opinion in staging them, he did not believe in fair peer trials, and defendants were coerced into confessing rather than demanding honest proceedings.