What is the purge during the Russian revolution

Answer 1

The "purge" during the Russian Revolution refers to a series of widespread political repression, imprisonment, and executions carried out by the Bolshevik government under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin and later Joseph Stalin. It aimed to consolidate the power of the Communist Party and eliminate political opponents and perceived threats to the regime.

The purges began in the early years of the revolution and reached their peak during the 1930s with the Great Purge, also known as the "Terror." The Communist Party established various instruments to carry out the purge, including the secret police (Cheka, later reorganized as the NKVD) and show trials where opponents were accused of counter-revolutionary activities.

The targets of the purge were diverse, including political dissidents, socialists, liberals, former members of the ruling class, military leaders, and even high-ranking members of the Communist Party. Party members were purged based on alleged disloyalty or opposition to the party line. The purges often relied on forced confessions, torture, and fabricated evidence to secure convictions. Many innocent people were executed or sentenced to forced labor in labor camps, such as the infamous Gulag system.

Overall, the purge during the Russian Revolution and its aftermath resulted in the deaths of millions of people and the widespread repression of political dissent, laying the foundation for Stalin's totalitarian regime.