The Great Purge or Great Terror, also known as the Year of '37 and the Yezhovshchina, was a political purge in the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1938. After the assassination of Sergei Kirov by Leonid Nikolaev in 1934, Joseph Stalin launched a series of show trials known as the Moscow trials to remove suspected dissenters from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The term "great purge" was popularized by historian Robert Conquest in his 1968 book, The Great Terror, whose title alluded to the French Revolution's Reign of Terror.
The Great Purge of the Soviet Union begins when the first of the Moscow Trials is convened.
On August 19, in the year 1936, The Great Purge of the Soviet Union begins when the first of the Moscow Trials is convened. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of August 19, one of 403 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on August 19, 1936 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 2 August 2026.
On This Date in History 403
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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2009
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2005
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