My narrative here uses closely the accounts of Getty and Khlevniuk. Plenum: Getty, pp. 304–8, 311–12, 315–29. Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, pp. 100, 140.
Khrushchev, Glasnost, pp. 36–8. Poland: William J. Chase, Enemies Within the Gates?, pp. 234–5, 239, 265. Stalin and Glinka opera, Ivan Susanin, see Svetlana OOY, p. 337. Getty, pp. 333–59.
Svanidze diary, 5 Mar. 1937. I. Valedinsky, “Vospominaniya,” p. 124.
Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, p. 101. Rodina, 1995, no. 10, pp. 63–4. Istochnik, no. 1, 2001, pp. 63–77. Sergo believed Pyatakov’s confession: Zinaida Ordzhonikidze in Mikoyan, p. 331.
RGASPI 588.2.155.104–7, Vyshinsky’s notes of meeting with Stalin. Vyshinsky’s words on 28 Jan. from Conquest, Terror, p. 179.
Valedinsky, “Vospominaniya,” p. 124.
18: SERGO: DEATH OF A “PERFECT BOLSHEVIK”
Tucker, Power, pp. 405–7. Conquest, Terror, pp. 179–85. RGASPI 588.2.155. 104–7, Vyshinsky’s notes of meeting with Stalin. Yury Zhdanov on Stalin joke on apostles. Svanidze diary, Jan.–Feb. 1937. Emotional effervescence in Michael Burleigh, The Third Reich, A New History, p. 7. Yezhov in Kremlin; Jansen-Petrov, p. 121. Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, pp. 190–4. Railways: Rees, p. 118.
This account of Sergo’s last days is based on Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze , pp. 119, 126–42, 145. Mikoyan, p. 329. Also Beria A fair, p. 110. The account of his death is based on the version of Zinaida Ordzhonikidze told to Mikoyan, pp. 331–3, and that of Konstantin Ordzhonikidze, brother, in Medvedev, pp. 195–6. Stepan Mikoyan, p. 38. Eteri Ordzhonikidze.
Poem: Larina, pp. 328. RGASPI 558.11.710.180–1, Bukharin to Stalin 20 Feb. 1937. Natalya Rykova. Eteri Ordzhonikidze. RGASPI 74.1.429.79, E. D. Voroshilova diary, 1956. KR I, p. 174. Khlevniuk, Circle , p. 261.
The Plenum is mainly based on Getty, pp. 373–97, 413–9. Larina, pp. 64–5, 146, 330, 334–9. Natalya Rykova. Molotov reading out Voroshilov’s cruel reply to Bukharin’s letter: Volkogonov, pp. 280–6. Railways: Rees, p. 169. Conquest, Terror, p. 193. Postyshev was not yet arrested but was demoted to run the Kuibyshev (Samara) Party: Khlevniuk, Circle, pp. 233–4, 262, and Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze , p. 171. Tucker, Power, p. 423, 426, 429.
Walter Krivitsky, I Was Stalin’s Agent, p. 197. Orlov, pp. 147, 221. Tucker, Power, p. 432. E. P. Frolov quoted in Medvedev, p. 339.
19: THE MASSACRE OF GENERALS, FALL OF YAGODA AND DEATH OF A MOTHER
Jansen-Petrov, pp. 71–2.
Yagoda, p. 20 and p. 89 for the search, 28 Mar.–4 Apr. 1937.
Yagoda, pp. 115–61, 171, 95–118, 109–17, 234, 255–7, 450. Jansen-Petrov, p. 63. Conquest, Stalin: Breaker of Nations, p. 203. Orlov, p. 264.
Budyonny Notes, p. 25. RGVA 4.19.16.265, Budyonny to Voroshilov 22 Aug. 1936; plus Kaganovich and Voroshilov to Stalin, see earlier. Voroshilov forwards Red Army intelligence intercept from German Embassy to Berlin on Red Army officers including Yegorov, Budyonny and Tukhachevsky: RGVA 4.19.1.170–4, 20 Apr. 1936. See also Voroshilov to Stalin on interview of Comrade Tukhachevsky to Polish newspapers: RGVA 4.19.71.52–60, Jan. 1936.
Stalin’s view of Tukhachevsky’s plans, 1930: RGASPI 74.2.38.59, Stalin to Voroshilov. Jansen-Petrov, pp. 69–70. Timoshenko in Kumanev (ed.), p. 270. Shimon Naveh, Tukhachevsky: Harold Shukman (ed.) Stalin’s Generals, p. 266. “Napoleonchik” in Larina, p. 198. Spahr, pp. 169, 171 (Tukh’s sister’s testimony). Slavic Military Studies , vol. 11, no. 4, Dec. 1998. Book review by John Erickson of Forging Stalin’s Army: M. Tukhachevsky and the Politics of Military Innovation by Sally Stoecker, Boulder, CO, 1998. The phrase “military entrepreneur” is hers. IA, 1998. Kaganovich, p. 100. S. Ushakov and A. A. Stukakov, Front Voennykh Prokurorov, p. 71. Bloodstains: Izvestiya TsK KPSS, no. 4, p. 50, 1989. R. R. Reese, Stalin’s Reluctant Soldiers, A Social History of the Red Army, pp. 131–4.
Sergo B, p. 22. On her death: RGASPI 558.11.1549.74–92, Stalin’s note for wreath, Tass announcement approved by Poskrebyshev and contents of her house.
Kaganovich, pp. 45–6, 100. Mikoyan, p. 552. Stepan M., p. 39.
Rudzutak: Larina, p. 173. MR, p. 273. Kaganovich, p. 89. RGASPI 558.11. 800.113, Rudzutak to Stalin and Stalin’s reply 5 Dec. 1934. Polls: RGASPI 17.2.615.68. Izvestiya TsK KPSS, no. 4, 1989, p. 50. Getty, p. 448. Farts: RGASPI 81.3.100.91–4.
RGASPI 17.2.630.56, Plenum: Yegorov, 4 Dec. 1937. RGASPI 17.2.614.377, Veinberg, 26 May 1937.
Izvestiya TsK KPSS, no. 4, 1989, pp. 52–4. Spahr, p. 172. Istochnik, no. 3, 1994, pp. 72–88. Arrest and Testimony of M. Tukhachevsky May–June 1937 by Steven J. Main, Slavic Military Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1997, pp. 151–95. VIZh, nos. 8 and 9, 1991. Molodaya gvardiya, nos. 9 and 10, 1994. For the latest research, see O. F. Suvenirov, Tragediya RKKA 1937/8.
RGVA 4.18.61.7–66, Voroshilov at NKO 9–10 June 1937.
Medvedev, p. 345. Vaksberg, Vyshinsky, pp. 104–5.
RGVA 4.18.62.1–357. Stalin meets army commanders 3–4 Aug. 1937. Voroshilov’s role: Voroshilov to Yezhov note quoted in Miklos Kun, Stalin: An Unknown Portrait, p. 285. Yakovlev, Century, p. 18. Vaksberg, Vyshinksy, pp. 104–5. Volkogonov, pp. 323–4. Tucker, Power, p. 437. Spahr, pp. 158–65. Ilya Ehrenburg, Eve of War, p. 197. Tukhachevsky’s wife and two brothers were shot while his mother and sisters were exiled. Izvestiya TsK KPSS, 1989, no. 4, p. 59. Budyonny: Vaksberg, p. 104. Tukhachevsky Case in 1930: RGASPI 558.11./ 78.43, Stalin to Ordzhonikidze 24 Sept. 1930. RGASPI 558.11.778.38, Menzhinsky to Stalin 10 Sept. 1930. For the story of Stalin, Okhrana file and the generals, see Orlov’s account in Edward P. Gazur, Secret Assignment: The FBI’s KGB General, pp. 441–73. Shooting officers en masse: RGASPI 74.2.38.130, Stalin to Voroshilov, n.d.
Mekhlis as Stalin’s secretary: Stalin’s orders RGASPI 558.11.68, Stalin to Mekhlis 17 July 1925. RGASPI 558.11.773.92, Stalin on Congress of Writers’ Union to Kaganovich, Zhdanov, Stetsky and Mekhlis 24 Aug. 1934; RGASPI 558.11.773.95, Stalin to Mekhlis criticizing Pravda, 17 Dec. 1936. RGASPI 558.11.773.93, Mekhlis to Stalin 4 Dec 1935. Mekhlis supports Gorky’s request for Stalin to meet Pravda writers. RGASPI 558.11.723.119, Mekhlis to Stalin and Stalin to Mekhlis 27 May 1936. “Comrade Stalin, Gorky has sent us an article… which contains philosophical problems… I’d like you to read it. L. Mekhlis.” Stalin read it and wrote straight back: “Comrade Mekhlis: Publish without changes.” His days as a literary bully were not quite over. In December, Stalin sent the ex-Pravda editor to purge Kiev and “take all necessary measures” to strengthen “editorial persons on the Ukrainian newspapers.” Henceforth it was the unfortunate military that were to feel the stinging blows of Mekhlis’s “necessary measures.” He joined the CC on 12 Oct. 1937 and became Chief Commissar of the Red Army on 30 Dec. 1937. RGASPI 558.11.702.112, Mekhlis to Stalin, Molotov, Yezhov 19 June 1937, and Stalin’s reply, 20 July, and Mekhlis’s reply, 21 July 1937. RGASPI 558.11.702.99–100, Stalin to Mekhlis 8 Dec. 1937. Stalin laughs at Mekhlis’s “ludicrous zeal”: Charkviani, pp. 30–1. Mekhlis: youth and early career: Y. Rubtsov, Alter Ego Stalina: Stranitsy politicheskoi biografi LZ Mekhlisa (henceforth Mekhlis), pp. 1–100.