Stalinist Terror and the Cult of Personality

The Great Purges of 1936–1938 represent one of the most terrifying episodes in modern history. A paranoid dictator turned on his own party, his own military, and his own people, unleashing a wave of mass repression that consumed millions of lives. Understanding the nature, scale, and purpose of Stalinist terror — and its relationship to the cult of personality — is essential for evaluating the character of the Soviet state.

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The Origins of Stalinist Terror

Terror was not new to the Soviet system. The Cheka, War Communism, and the Red Terror had established a precedent for state violence against perceived enemies. However, the scale and character of Stalinist terror in the 1930s were qualitatively different.

Precursors to the Great Purges