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a-a-ra-s-s-s-s-a-s-s-a-s-a-s- Welcome to the Russian rulers history podcast.

Episode 80, The Great Purges Part 2.

Last episode, Stalin began to remove or more correctly, either exile or execute all remaining old Bolsheviks, not 100% loyal to him.

First, he rid himself of the leftist faction, nominally led by Zenovia and Kamenev. Now he sets his sights on the right and his old friend

Wu Haran. By now the arrests of party members was in full force.

The fear of seeing the black car full of NKVD agents emptying outside your apartment doors

downstairs caused many to leap to their deaths from windows on high.

The reason for the high number of suicides was the rumored tortures of all who were arrested.

As you know, I like to use quotes from authors of works. who were arrested.

As you know, I like to use quotes from authors of works on Russian history, or first-hand

accounts to events, but rarely as long as this one by Edvard Radzinsky in his book on Stalin, but it so beautifully depicts the time of

the purges and why so many confessed to crimes they did not commit.

Quote, if he had to appear in court, most prisoners were condemned in camera, he would be carefully

rehearsed first.

Bear in mind, the investigators would say, that if you make a mistake in court, we can't just shoot you, we shall torture you.

We will tear you limb from limb.

They might also suggest that he not be shot at all, that this was just for the press, that all those

condemned were in fact spared. During the trial, the investigator sat under the prisoner's

nose.

Yet as they were at their cruel work,

the torturers never stopped talking about the nobler motives

...