How far was Stalin responsible for the Great Terror?

Lenin

• Set up the Cheka and gulags

Stalin

• Appointed Yezhov as Head of the NKVD
• Signed Order 0047
• Issued the Doctrine of Sharpening Class Struggle
• Set targets for arrests
• Intitiated the terror following Kirov's murder

Yezhov

• Issued Order 0047

NKVD

• Arrested people and carried out executions

Russian people

• Informed the NKVD

Interpretations of the Terror

Totalitarian view

• Stalin planned and was responsible for the terror
• His personality was central to the way in…