Introduction to Stalin's Soviet Justice: "Show" Trials, War Crimes Trials, and Nuremberg

Authors

David M. Crowe, Chapman UniversityFollow

Files

Description

"Once Stalin won his power struggle against his principal rival, Leon Trotsky, he adopted new campaigns to collectivize Russian agriculture and dramatically increase industrial production. He decided in the late 1920s to use "show" trials as one of the ways to respond to growing domestic opposition to both programs. The 'show' trials, extralegal proceedings that bore modest resemblance to more traditional Western-style trials, were carefully orchestrated to convince the public of the dire nature of such threats. Thematically, Stalin used them to highlight his fears about an ongoing threat of domestic and international forces determined to destroy the Soviet state. Wrapped in a façade of legality, the 'show' trials were well-crafted propaganda exercises designed partially to rally a nation to support Stalin's goals."

ISBN

9781350083349

Publication Date

6-13-2019

Publisher

Bloomsbury Academic

City

London

Disciplines

Cultural History | European History | Military History | Other History | Political History | Public History | Slavic Languages and Societies | Social History

Comments

In David M. Crowe (Ed.), Stalin's Soviet Justice: "Show" Trials, War Crimes Trials, and Nuremberg.

Recommended Citation

Crowe, David M. “Introduction.” In Stalin's Soviet Justice: "Show" Trials, War Crimes Trials, and Nuremberg, edited by David M. Crowe, 1-30. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Copyright

David M. Crowe