Great Purge

The Great Purge is the name given to campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s which included purges of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Purge of the army

The purge of the Red Army was supported by Nazi-forged documents (said to have been created by Nazi spymaster Reinhard Heydrich) which were introduced through an intermediary, President Bene? of Czechoslovakia. This forged evidence purported to show correspondence between Marshal Tukhachevsky and members of the German high command. However the actual evidence introduced at trial was obtained from forced confessions.), 50 of 57 army corps generals, 154 out of 186 division generals, 16 of 16 army commissars, and 25 of 28 army corps commissars.

Related Topics:
Red Army - Reinhard Heydrich - Czechoslovakia

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Some observers think this made the armed forces disorganized and devoid of experienced commanders, and left the country vulnerable to invasion. This impression may actually have encouraged Hitler and Nazi Germany to launch Operation Barbarossa after they learned of the weakness of the Red Army.

Related Topics:
Hitler - Nazi Germany - Operation Barbarossa

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