The Roles of Yagoda, Yezhov & Beria

Yagoda and Yezhov

Stalin changed the way the secret police operated after securing the leadership of the country. He broadened the definition of 'enemies of the people' to include those within the party.

Stalin's appraoch

Genrikh Yagoda and Nikolai Yezhov were crucial players in Stalin's use of terror, as leaders of the secret police.
- This approach included sending enemies to gulags.

Yagoda

Genrikh Yagoda became the leader of the secret police force in 1934.
Yagoda worked to use the secret police against certain members of the Party.
In practice, few members of the Party were purged under Yagoda.
This led Stalin to look for a replacement for Yagoda.

Yezhov

Nikolai Yezhov increased the role of terror in the Soviet Union.
He appointed officers who were happy to use torture.
He oversaw the secret police during the Great Terror from 1936-8.
- The term 'Yezhovshchina' was used to show that Yezhov's terror was affecting all of Russia.
1.5 million people were arrested by the new secret police, the NKVD.
- 680,000 lost their lives.
- 635,000 were deported to the gulags.

Beria and the Show Trials

The show trials were the clearest sign that terror was the order of the day. The secret police were heavily involved in removing Stalin's opponents through these trials.

The trials

Trial of the 16 (1936): Yagoda coordinated this trial, which led to Zinoviev and his allies' execution.
Trial of the 17 (1937): Yezhov organised this trial, which removed Trotsky's key allies.
Trial of the 21 (1938): Beria was now in charge. He used the trial to remove Bukharin and his allies, one of whom was Yagoda.
Trials were a humiliation tactic before the real punishment.

Beria

Beria became head of the secret police at the end of the terror in 1938.
His role was most important during the Great Patriotic War.
- He organised the deportations and executions of ethnic minority groups, such as the Chechens.
After the war, he had the job of leading the USSR's attempts to build an atomic bomb.
- They completed this successfully in 1949.

1Communist Government in the USSR, 1917-85

1.1Establishing Communist Party Control, 1917-24

1.1.1The Creation of a One-Party State

1.1.2Government under Lenin

1.1.3Centralisation of Power

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Establishing Control

1.1.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Establishing Control

1.2Stalin in Power, 1928-53

1.2.1The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.2The Purges of the 1930s

1.2.3End of Topic Test - The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.4Stalin's Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.5Stalin's Power During & After the Communist Party

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Stalin in Power

1.3Government, 1953-85

1.3.1Changes in Leaders' Control of the State

1.3.2Khrushchev's Attempts to Reform Government

1.3.3End of Topic Test - Government 1953-85

1.3.4Stability & Stagnation, 1964-85

1.3.5End of Topic Test - Stability & Stagnation

1.3.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Government 1953 - 85

2Industrial & Agricultural Changes

2.1Towards a Command Economy

2.1.1Nationalisation of Industry, Communism & the NEP

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Towards a Command Economy

2.2Industry & Agriculture in the Stalin Era

2.2.1Five Year Plans & Industrial Change

2.2.2Five Year Plans & Industrial Change 2

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Five Year Plans

2.2.4Agricultural Collectivisation & its Impact

2.2.5Recovery from War after 1945

2.2.6End of Topic Test - Collectivisation & Recovery

2.3Changes in Industry & Agriculture, 1953-85

2.3.1Light Industry, Chemicals & Consumer Goods

2.3.2Investment in Agriculture & Virgin Lands

2.3.3Attempts at Reform after 1964

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Industry & Agriculture

2.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Industry & Agriculture

3Control of the People, 1917-85

3.1Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.1State Control of Mass Media & Propaganda

3.1.2Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices

3.1.3Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.5Cults: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev

3.1.6A-A*/ - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.2The Secret Police

3.2.1Attacks on Opponents of the Government

3.2.2The Roles of Yagoda, Yezhov & Beria

3.2.3Andropov & Late Opposition to Soviet Rule

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Secret Police

3.3The State & Cultural Change

3.3.1Proletkult, Avant-Garde & Socialist Realism

3.3.2Nonconformity from the 1950s

3.3.3End of Topic Test - State & Cultural Change

3.3.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Control of the People

4Social Developments, 1917-35

4.1Social Security

4.1.1Full Employment Benefits

4.1.2Housing & Social Benefits

4.1.3Khrushchev, Brezhnev & Stable Society

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Social Security

4.2Women & Family

4.2.1Changing Status of Different Groups

4.2.2Changing Attitudes to Family

4.2.3Changing Attitudes to Family 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Women & Family

4.3Education & Young People

4.3.1Growth of Primary, Secondary & Higher Education

4.3.2Reduction of Illiteracy

4.3.3State Control of the Curriculum

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Education & Young People

4.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Social Developments

5Historical Interpretations

5.1What Explains the Fall of the USSR, 1985-91?

5.1.1Economic Weakness

5.1.2Attempts at Economic Reform

5.1.3Failure To Reform The Communist Party & Soviet Gov

5.1.4Impact of Reforms

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Economic Reform

5.1.6Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.7Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence 2

5.1.8End of the USSR

5.1.9Gorbachev & Yeltsin's Responsibility

5.1.10End of Topic Test - Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Explaining the Fall of the USSR

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