starter activity

Describe the picture or source here.

In November 1935 Nadezda Allileuva, deeply upset by the hunger and despair caused by Stalin’s policies of Collectivisation and the Five-Year Plans decided to take the ultimate step and committed suicide by placing a gun to her head.

A personal tragedy that few would have remembered, other than the fact that Nadezda was the wife of someone very important.

Read about the Congress of Victors on p.68 and discuss with your partner how far this suicide can be used to explain what happened in Russia over the next two decades

Why did Stalin Why did Stalin launch the ‘Great launch the ‘Great

Terror’?Terror’?

TBAT explain causes of Great TBAT explain causes of Great Terror, compare it to previous Terror, compare it to previous

Communist repression & Communist repression & assess its extentassess its extent

Learning objectives

Key words: totalitarianism purges

Engelsina Cheskova famously gave Stalin a bunch of flowers unannounced at a party meeting in 1936. Stalin was so taken aback he ordered posters, paintings and statues to commemorate this act. Engelsina became a minor celebrity, but her parents weren’t so lucky. Her father ‘disappeared’ and when her mother protested she was sent into exile where she died. However, when Stalin himself Engelsina cried profusely for the loss of her beloved leader. Why did Russians feel this way?

Your taskYour task

Read p.68-9 and take note on the Read p.68-9 and take note on the origins of the police state in Russia.origins of the police state in Russia.

Take notes on how each of the Take notes on how each of the following may have led to the Great following may have led to the Great Terror:Terror:

Congress of VictorsCongress of Victors Stalin’s paranoiaStalin’s paranoia Terror economicsTerror economics Murder of KirovMurder of Kirov

Read about Kirov on p.70 – is there any way Stalin could have worked with him or did he have to die!

Your taskYour task

Read p.71-72 and take notes on:Read p.71-72 and take notes on: Stalin’s responses to Kirov’s deathStalin’s responses to Kirov’s death Yagoda’s responsesYagoda’s responses

Yagoda Not to be confused with …

Group taskGroup task

Each table will be given a different Each table will be given a different cause of the Great Terror. Write a cause of the Great Terror. Write a REAL paragraph in answer to the REAL paragraph in answer to the question ‘What was the cause of the question ‘What was the cause of the Great Purges?’Great Purges?’

Give a mark out of 10 for each REAL Give a mark out of 10 for each REAL element.element.

Who was the winner and who should Who was the winner and who should be purged?be purged?

ExtensionExtension

Produce your own factoid on Produce your own factoid on Genrikh Yagoda. Detail:Genrikh Yagoda. Detail:

His early lifeHis early life His contribution to the Stalinist His contribution to the Stalinist

regimeregime How he met his endHow he met his end

1891-1938

Why did Stalin Why did Stalin launch the ‘Great launch the ‘Great

Terror’?Terror’?

TBAT explain causes of Great TBAT explain causes of Great Terror, compare it to previous Terror, compare it to previous

Communist repression & Communist repression & assess its extentassess its extent

Learning objectives

Key words: totalitarianism purges

Plenary