Russia has a long history of repression due to fear and opposition. Beginning with the Decembrist Uprising and heightening a the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia has experienced a long legacy of brutal and heinous operations and methods to deal with counterrevolutionary opposition, and even mere suspicion. Both Lenin and Stalin feared any source of counter authority, and exhibited this fear by employing the secret police agencies to destroy and suppress the opposition, no matter how brutally. These brutal methods, wether successful or not, certainly inspired fear in Russian citizens, and the secret police adopted a persona as a weapon of the state. Although the KGB and its counterparts started off as brutal, yet fairly disorganized and vague institutions,
…show more content…
Lenin had big plans for the future, as he instituted his New Economic Policy which included a capitalist-leaning economy and a reduction in trade restrictions. With these new reforms, and a drastic transition, the Cheka would need to learn to relax its brutal methods employed during the wartime paranoia. However, in order to accommodate the changing political and economic environment, Lenin called for the dissolution of the Cheka, and transferred its responsibilities to an organization called the GPU in 1922. The GPU was intended to be part of the greater NKVD, and had less responsibilities than the previous Cheka, mainly because there was not a state of emergency. This change in responsibilities included a more passive role in internal affairs, only lending the GPU the ability to handle overt threats to the state. These reforms clearly demonstrated Lenin and the state’s desire to reform the political police and transition into a period of legal practices. In a quick turn of events, however, two decrees were issued to expand the role of the GPU, giving agents the ability to imprison, exile, and even prosecute criminals. In addition, in comparison to the Cheka, there was also a legal basis for the GPU’s newfound responsibilities, stating that the GPU was allowed to persecute individuals. The introduction of this …show more content…
His visions were this: greatly increase the productivity in Russia through intensive labor camps and quotas to prove Russia’s greatness. As Stalin intensified his 5 year plan and became more obsessed with meeting certain production quotas, he expanded the role of labor reform and prison camps. Also known as the Gulag, these labor camps had been around since Lenin’s rule, but were at that time seen more as actual labor and reforming camps. However, Stalin saw potential in these camps and started sending more and more criminals, and even some innocent people to the Gulag in order to complete his 5 year plan in 4 years. In order to get these people to the camps, arrests had to take place. And, as expected, the secret police carried out many of these arrests against innocent people and criminals who were deemed counterrevolutionaries or people who opposed Stalin. Stalin’s criteria for arrests was even more vague than Lenin’s, and he would arrest anyone on mere suspicions and his own personal thoughts. At this time Stalin also implemented the police force into the Gulag system, having NKVD agents run the Gulags and institute the very important production quotas. Applebaum explains that the introduction of “mass industrialization created whole new categories of criminals,” meaning that the definition was expanded beyond what Lenin considered
Lenin had big plans for the future, as he instituted his New Economic Policy which included a capitalist-leaning economy and a reduction in trade restrictions. With these new reforms, and a drastic transition, the Cheka would need to learn to relax its brutal methods employed during the wartime paranoia. However, in order to accommodate the changing political and economic environment, Lenin called for the dissolution of the Cheka, and transferred its responsibilities to an organization called the GPU in 1922. The GPU was intended to be part of the greater NKVD, and had less responsibilities than the previous Cheka, mainly because there was not a state of emergency. This change in responsibilities included a more passive role in internal affairs, only lending the GPU the ability to handle overt threats to the state. These reforms clearly demonstrated Lenin and the state’s desire to reform the political police and transition into a period of legal practices. In a quick turn of events, however, two decrees were issued to expand the role of the GPU, giving agents the ability to imprison, exile, and even prosecute criminals. In addition, in comparison to the Cheka, there was also a legal basis for the GPU’s newfound responsibilities, stating that the GPU was allowed to persecute individuals. The introduction of this …show more content…
His visions were this: greatly increase the productivity in Russia through intensive labor camps and quotas to prove Russia’s greatness. As Stalin intensified his 5 year plan and became more obsessed with meeting certain production quotas, he expanded the role of labor reform and prison camps. Also known as the Gulag, these labor camps had been around since Lenin’s rule, but were at that time seen more as actual labor and reforming camps. However, Stalin saw potential in these camps and started sending more and more criminals, and even some innocent people to the Gulag in order to complete his 5 year plan in 4 years. In order to get these people to the camps, arrests had to take place. And, as expected, the secret police carried out many of these arrests against innocent people and criminals who were deemed counterrevolutionaries or people who opposed Stalin. Stalin’s criteria for arrests was even more vague than Lenin’s, and he would arrest anyone on mere suspicions and his own personal thoughts. At this time Stalin also implemented the police force into the Gulag system, having NKVD agents run the Gulags and institute the very important production quotas. Applebaum explains that the introduction of “mass industrialization created whole new categories of criminals,” meaning that the definition was expanded beyond what Lenin considered