The Death of Kirov: The Bullet That Created Stalin’s Great Purge скачать в хорошем качестве

The Death of Kirov: The Bullet That Created Stalin’s Great Purge

December 1st, 1934 — a single gunshot echoed through the Smolny Institute in Leningrad. Sergei Kirov, one of the most loved Soviet leaders, was dead. Within hours, the killer was caught. Within days, executed. And within weeks… Stalin turned grief into power. Kirov was everything Stalin wasn’t — calm, trusted, and admired by the people. His popularity made him a threat. When Kirov was assassinated, Stalin used it as an excuse to unleash terror. He signed the “Law of December 1st,” allowing executions without trial. Soon, thousands were arrested, old comrades confessed under torture, and the Great Purge began. Kirov’s death became Stalin’s weapon — the reason for every execution that followed. The friend he claimed to mourn… became the key to his absolute power. Historical Context 1886: Sergei Kirov born in Urzhum; rises from poverty to revolutionary leader. 1920s: Becomes Party Secretary of Leningrad — popular, efficient, loyal. 1934: Gains immense support at the “Congress of Victors,” unsettling Stalin. December 1, 1934: Kirov assassinated inside the Smolny Institute. Stalin’s Response: Signs “Law of December 1st,” enabling executions without trial. 1936–38: Kirov’s death used to justify the Great Purge — 700,000 executed, millions imprisoned. Sergei Kirov, Joseph Stalin, Great Purge, Soviet Union, Kirov Assassination, USSR History, Stalin Dictatorship, Leningrad, Russian History, Bolsheviks, Kirov Murder, Show Trials, Stalin’s Terror, 1934 Assassination