Political Purges of the Soviet Union

There were five separate major political purges of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). The first occurred under Lenin during the Russian Civil War, with the Bolsheviks purging many party leaders who were revisionists, nationalists, or disloyal. The second and third purges occurred under Stalin, in efforts to rid the party of fascists and nationalists, as well as prevent a coup attempt that would dismantle the Soviet Union and either install fascism or restore capitalism. The final two purges took place under Molotov, to rid the party of revisionists and bourgeois elements, which were prevalent after WWII.

Some criticize the purges for being anti-democratic and/or extensive, with many executions taking place for individuals who may not have deserved it. Others highly praise the purge for protecting the goal of socialism from revisionism and capitalist restoration, and protecting the USSR from a counterrevolution and potential implementation of fascism during the rise of nationalism and fascism in the 1930s.

## First Great Purge (1920-1921)

The First Great Purge saw over 250 thousand members of the Bolsheviks expelled from the party. Many of those expelled were nationalists, traitors, anarchists, those who were disloyal to the party, and those who committed war crimes, murder, or rape of civilians.

## Second Great Purge (1929-1930)

In The Second Great Purge, the first mass purge enacted under Stalin, more than 130 thousand members, nearly 10% of the entire CPSU, were purged. This was due to high numbers of fascists joining the party, along with high-ranking bourgeoisie sympathizers who sought to restore capitalism and dismantle the Soviet Union. Many were sympathetic to the Russian Imperial Army and the Whites during the Russian Civil War, resulting in the necessity of a purge, according to Stalin. Many high-ranking officials were detained, with the first trials and executions for treason taking place, monitored and recorded by a jury. Many industrial workers were admitted into the CPSU around the same time, offsetting most of the losses caused by the purge. Membership to join the party was soon forcibly halted.

## Third Great Purge (1936-1938)

The Third Great Purge was by far the largest, with over one-third of the CPSU being expelled, and many more, from top to local levels, tried for treason, resulting in many executions or sentences to labor camps. Academics estimate up to 700,000 deaths resulted from the Third Great Purge under Stalin. Many high officials in the Soviet Union, who plotted to overthrow the government, often collaborated with fascists and were sentenced to treason. Fear had risen over the past several years about the rise of fascism and those who worked within the party to overthrow the Soviet Union and install fascism, and the fears were rightfully speculated as numerous documents leaked detailing traitorous actions and high-ranking officials pretending to be socialist while advocating for its removal and the implementation of fascism, working closely with linked, like-minded individuals. Around a million in the CPSU were purged, and hundreds of thousands of deaths resulted from executions or sentencing to labor camps. In 1938, Nazi Germany began the invasion of the Soviet Union, where many exiled fascists previously in the government collaborated with the Nazis during their occupation, proving these speculations correct.

## Fourth Great Purge (1953-1955)

Following WWII, the Fourth Great Purge remained bloody and extensive. Following the aftermath of WWII and the deaths of many CPSU members, the party became infiltrated with revisionists and liberals. The purge, enacted by Molotov, removed many of these people, charging and sentencing many for treason. Though less extreme than the Third Great Purge, hundreds of thousands were still removed from the party, and executions also occurred as a result, though nowhere near as extensive as before WWII. The purges also resulted in new policies to fight against bureaucracy and revisionism, implementing tests that challenge each official's commitment to socialism and the party, cracking down on revisionists and removing them from the party each year over the next several decades.

## Fifth Great Purge (1966-1972)

The Fifth Great Purge was the last one taking place in the Soviet Union, and the second one enacted under Molotov. The purge coincided with the Soviet Cultural Revolution, liquidating the rest of the bourgeoisie elements which still lingered in society. Over 6 years, hundreds of thousands were exiled from the party, though very few executions took place. By the end of 1972, Molotov retired from office, being replaced by his successor, Yuri Andropov. At that point, very few revisionists within the Soviet Union remained, mainly due to the success and popularity of the socialist policies and the thriving of the socialist economy. While some criticize the purge, declaring it unnecessary, others praise it, along with the Soviet Cultural Revolution, for ridding the last remanence of capitalism.