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The vast and complex tragedy of Stalin's purges, culminating in the Great Terror, made victims of millions of Russians between 1932 and 1939. This gripping book assembles and translates into English for the first time an astonishing array of formerly top secret Soviet documents from that period. Exposing to daylight the hidden inner workings of the Communist Party and the dark inhumanity of the purge process, these documents immeasurably deepen our understanding of an agonizing episode of Soviet history.From dossiers on the liquidated Soviet elite to police reports of peasant unrest to private letters from victims and purgers to secret transcripts of Central Committee meetings, the nearly two hundred documents presented here confirm Stalin's role as executor of the terror. Yet the top party elite, or nomenklatura, were also key to the unfolding of a terror that proceeded with fits and starts, moves and countermoves, and steps toward and away from the abyss. From 1932 to early 1937 Stalin and the nomenklatura agreed on the need to destroy all dissidents, to stage show trials, to carry out mass arrests, purges, and shootings, and to prevent any resistance to these "cleansings." Eventually deep insecurities that magnified any opposition and iron discipline within the party led the nomenklatura to support Stalin in purging their own colleagues, and in 1937 and 1938 they serially voted one another into prison.

Political purges --- Terrorism --- Acts of terrorism --- Attacks, Terrorist --- Global terrorism --- International terrorism --- Political terrorism --- Terror attacks --- Terrorist acts --- Terrorist attacks --- World terrorism --- Direct action --- Insurgency --- Political crimes and offenses --- Subversive activities --- Political violence --- Terror --- Lustration (Political purges) --- Political parties --- Political party purges --- Purges, Political --- History --- Purges --- Stalin, Joseph, --- Djougatchvili, Iossif Vissarionovitch, --- Джугашвили, Иосиф Виссарионович, --- Dzhugashvili, Iosif Vissarionovich, --- Koba, --- Shih-tʻai-lin, --- Sidalin, --- Ssu-ta-lin, --- Stalin, Giuseppe, --- Сталин, И. В. --- Stalin, I. V. --- Сталин, Иосиф, --- Stalin, Iosif, --- Сталин, К., --- Stalin, K., --- Staline, --- Staline, Joseph, --- Staljin, J. V., --- Sutārin, --- Soselo, --- Stalini, Ioseb Besarionis że, --- Sṭalin, Y. Ṿ., --- Sṭalin, Y., --- Stalin, Josef, --- Stalin, Josef Vissarionovich, --- סטאלין, יאסיף, --- סטאלין, י. --- סטאלין, י. וו --- סטאלין, י. װ. --- סטאלין, י., --- סטלין, יוסיף ויסאריונוביץ׳, --- סטלין, יוסף --- 斯大林, --- Stalin, Jossif Vissarionovitš, --- Sztálin, Joszif, --- Istālīn, Yūsīf Vīsāryūnūvīch, --- استالين، يوسيف ويساريونووتج, --- Kommunisticheskai͡a partii͡a Sovetskogo Soi͡uza --- Kommunisticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ Rossiĭskoĭ Federat︠s︡ii --- Kommunisticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ RSFSR --- Vsesoi︠u︡znai︠a︡ kommunisticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ (bolʹshevikov) (1925-1952) --- Vsesoi︠u︡znai︠a︡ kommunisticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ (bolʹshevikov) (1991- ) --- Communist Party of the Soviet Union --- Communist Party of USSR --- CPSU --- Đảng cộng sản Liên xô --- Kamunistychnai︠a︡ partyi︠a︡ Savetskaha Sai︠u︡za --- KKSE --- Kommounistikon Komma tēs Sobietikēs Henōseōs --- Kommunistische Partei der Sowjet Union --- Komunistička partija Sovjetskog Saveza --- Komunistická strana Sovětského svazu --- Komunistychna partii︠a︡ Radi︠a︡nsʹkoho Soi︠u︡zu --- Komunistyczna Partia Związku Radzieckiego --- KPdSU --- KPR --- KPRS --- KPSS --- KPZR --- KSSS --- KSSZ --- Miflagah ha-ḳomunisṭit shel Berit-ha-Moʻatsot --- Neuvostoliiton kommunistinen puolue --- NKP --- NLKP --- Nõukogude Liidu Kommunistlik Partei --- Partai Komunis Uni Sovjet --- Parti communiste de l'Union soviétique --- Partido Comunista de la Unión Soviética --- Partido Comunista Ruso --- Partito comunista Unione sovietica --- PCUS --- Phō̜kō̜sō̜sō̜ --- PKUS --- Rokoku Kyōsantō --- Roshia Kyōsantō --- Rosia Kongsandang --- Sabčotʻa Kavširis Komunisturi Partia --- SKKP --- SMKK --- SMKP --- Sobieto Kyōsantō --- Soren Kyōsantō --- Sorenpō Kyōsantō --- Sov. IKP --- Sovet Ittifagy Kommunist Partii̐asy --- Sovetakan Miutʻian Komunistakan Kusaktsʻutʻyun --- Sovetakan Miutʻian Komunistakan Partia --- Soviet Communist Party --- Soviet Union. --- Sōviyata Saṅghakī Kamyunisṭa Pārṭī --- Sovjetunionens kommunistiska parti --- Sovyetler Birliği Komünist Partisi --- Su-lien kung chʻan tang --- SUKP --- SZKP --- Szovjetunió Kommunista Pártja --- U̇mum Ittifag Kommunist Partii︠a︡sy --- Zenrenpō Kyōsantō --- ZKhUKN --- Zȯvlȯlt Kholboot Ulsyn Kommunist Nam --- Коммунистическая партия Советского Союза --- אלקפ (ב) --- מפלגה הקומוניסטית של ברית־המועצות --- 蘇聯共產黨 --- Soviet Union --- Советский Союз --- Ber. ha-M. --- Zwia̦zek Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich --- Szovjetunió --- TSRS --- Tarybų Socialistinių Respublikų Sąjunga --- SRSR --- Soi︠u︡z Radi︠a︡nsʹkykh Sot︠s︡ialistychnykh Respublik --- SSSR --- Soi︠u︡z Sovetskikh Sot︠s︡ialisticheskikh Respublik --- UdSSR --- Shūravī --- Ittiḥād-i Jamāhīr-i Ishtirākīyah-i Shūrāʼīyah --- Russia (1923- U.S.S.R.) --- Sovetskiy Soyuz --- Soyuz SSR --- Sovetskiĭ Soi︠u︡z --- Soi︠u︡z SSR --- Uni Sovjet --- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics --- USSR --- SSṚM --- Sovetakan Sotsʻialistakan Ṛespublikaneri Miutʻyun --- SSHM --- Sovetakan Sotsʻialistakan Hanrapetutʻyunneri Miutʻyun --- URSS --- Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas --- Berit ha-Moʻatsot --- Rusyah --- Ittiḥād al-Sūfiyītī --- Rusiyah --- Rusland --- Soṿet-Rusland --- Uni Soviet --- Union soviétique --- Zȯvlȯlt Kholboot Uls --- Związek Radziecki --- ESSD --- Sahaphāp Sōwīat --- KhSHM --- SSR Kavširi --- Russland --- SNTL --- PSRS --- Su-lien --- Sobhieṭ Ẏuniẏana --- FSSR --- Unione Sovietica --- Ittiḥād-i Shūravī --- Soviyat Yūniyan --- Russian S.F.S.R. --- Politics and government --- Związek Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich --- ZSRR --- Związek Socjalistycznych Republik Sowieckich --- ZSRS --- Σταλιν, Ιωσηφ, --- Stalin, Ιōsēph, --- Jughashvili, Ioseb, --- Jughashvili, Ioseb Vissarionovich, --- Jughashvili, Koba,