During the early 1930s, Joseph Stalin grew paranoid that those opposing his policies were conspiring against him. He used the assassination of his protégé Sergey Kirov in 1934 to launch a purge, accusing Leon Trotsky of plotting against the Soviet government. Over the next few years, Stalin had thousands of political figures and military commanders arrested, tried, and executed on charges of treason, including 15 party members in 1936 and 21 more in 1938.

1. During the year of 1932, Joseph Stalin realized that the
people that were against his policies were growing.
Sergey Kirov, Stalin’s protégé that he lost control
of, was assassinated by Leonid Nikolayev in 1934.
Stalin used this to say that a conspiracy was being
launched by Leon Trotsky on the Soviet
government.
In August of 1936, 15 members who was critical of Stalin
was arrested and then trialed. They was all found guilty
and was executed.

2. Nikolai Yezhov was put as the head of the Communist Secret
Police in 1936. He arrested all political figures that was
critical of Joseph Stalin.
Karl Radek and 16 other party members was put on trial in
1937. They was accused with working with Leon Trotsky to
take down the Soviet Government. While 13 members were
found guilty and was executed, Karl Radek and two others
was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Mikhail Tukhachevsky and seven other Red Army commanders
were charged with conspiracy with Germany in 1937. They was
executed along with 30,000 other armed forces.

3. 21 party members was accused with being involved
with Leon Trotsky in 1938. Everyone was found guilty
and was executed or put in labor camps to die.