The Execution Of Nikolai Yezhov - Stalin's BRUTAL Beast

Summary

This video script delves into the life and downfall of Nikolai Yezhov, the ruthless head of Stalin's NKVD during the Soviet Union's Great Purge. Responsible for orchestrating mass executions and imprisonments, Yezhov rose through the ranks but was ultimately purged himself. His execution, carried out in secrecy, mirrors the thousands he oversaw, illustrating the brutal reality of Stalin's regime and the tragic irony of Yezhov's own demise.

Takeaways

• 😐 Joseph Stalin's leadership was marked by widespread executions and fear, with the NKVD executing or imprisoning those suspected of dissent.
• 🗑️ The term 'purge' is closely associated with Stalin, particularly during The Great Purge, where between 700,000 to 1 million people were executed or sent to Gulags.
• 🔍 Stalin was known to turn against even his closest allies, as seen with Nikolai Yezhov, who was in charge of the NKVD and the Great Purge, but was later executed himself.
• 👶 Born in 1895, Yezhov came from a relatively affluent peasant family and joined the Bolsheviks before the October Revolution, rising through the ranks of the military and local politics.
• 📊 Yezhov's rise in the Communist Party included various roles, culminating in his election to the central committee and becoming a secretary.
• 🔫 After the murder of Sergei Kirov in 1934, Stalin used the incident to initiate purges, appointing Yezhov as the Head of the NKVD to carry out these purges.
• 🗡️ Yezhov's tenure as NKVD head involved orchestrating mass killings, arrests, and torture, including the show trial and execution of Genrikh Yagoda, the former NKVD head.
• 🚨 The Great Purge of 1937-1938 saw widespread fear as the NKVD targeted anyone accused of dissent, with many politicians and military officers imprisoned or executed.
• 🏭 Yezhov was responsible for the dramatic increase in the population of gulags, where many died due to starvation, exhaustion, and poor treatment.
• 💔 Yezhov's justification for the purges included the acceptance of innocent victims for the 'greater good' of the Soviet Union.
• 🗑️ Yezhov's downfall came as he was seen as too powerful and feared, leading to his purge and execution by Stalin and his favored successor, Lavrentiy Beria.

Q & A

Who was Joseph Stalin and what was his role in the Soviet Union?

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He is known for his authoritarian rule and the implementation of policies that led to widespread repression and the Great Purge, during which many people were executed or sent to concentration camps.

What does the term 'purge' signify in the context of the Soviet Union?

In the context of the Soviet Union, 'purge' refers to the campaigns of political repression carried out by the government, most notably under Stalin, to eliminate dissent and consolidate power. This often involved mass executions and imprisonments.

What was the Great Purge and how many people were affected by it?

The Great Purge was a campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin during the 1930s. It is estimated that between 700,000 and 1 million people suspected of dissenting against Stalin were executed or sent to Gulags, the Soviet concentration camps.

Who was Nikolai Yezhov and what was his role in the Great Purge?

Nikolai Yezhov was a devoted communist who rose through the ranks to become the Head of the NKVD, the Soviet Secret Police, during the Great Purge. He organized mass killings, arrests, and tortures, but was later purged and executed by Stalin himself.

What was the significance of Nikolai Yezhov's background and early life?

Nikolai Yezhov was born into a relatively affluent Russian peasant family and worked as an assistant to a tailor before joining the Imperial Russian Army. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 and fought in the Russian Civil War, eventually becoming involved in local and regional politics within the Communist Party.

How did Yezhov's career progress within the Communist Party before becoming the Head of the NKVD?

Yezhov's career in the Communist Party included various roles such as a secretary, involvement in local committees, and working in the accountancy department. He became skilled in his roles, eventually becoming the Head of Department and Deputy People’s Commissar of Agriculture before his election to the central committee.

What was the role of Sergei Kirov's murder in the initiation of the Great Purge?

The murder of Sergei Kirov, the Bolshevik Chief of Leningrad, was used by Stalin as a pretext to initiate the Great Purge. Stalin used this incident to justify purges and to eliminate anyone who dared to question his authority.

What were the consequences of Yezhov's actions as the Head of the NKVD for the Soviet population?

As the Head of the NKVD, Yezhov led the execution of mass purges, resulting in the arrest of over 1 million people, with around 700,000 being executed. Many were sent to Gulags, where an additional 140,000 died from starvation, exhaustion, and poor treatment.

How did Yezhov's own actions lead to his downfall and execution?

Yezhov's ruthless actions and the fear he instilled made him a target for Stalin once his usefulness was deemed to have ended. He was replaced by Lavrentiy Beria, who orchestrated Yezhov's arrest, torture, and eventual execution.

What is the significance of Yezhov being referred to as 'The vanishing Commissar'?

Yezhov is referred to as 'The vanishing Commissar' because after his execution, Stalin ordered that he be removed from all press photographs, effectively erasing him from the historical record of the period.

What was the impact of Yezhov's execution on the perception of the NKVD and Stalin's regime?

Yezhov's execution demonstrated the extent of Stalin's paranoia and willingness to eliminate even his closest allies. It also showed the brutality and arbitrariness of the NKVD, contributing to the fear and instability within the Soviet Union.

Outlines

00:00

😱 The Reign and Downfall of Nikolai Yezhov

Nikolai Yezhov, born on May 1st, 1895, rose through the ranks of the Soviet hierarchy to become the Head of the NKVD, the Soviet Union's secret police, during Joseph Stalin's regime. He played a central role in orchestrating the Great Purge, a campaign of political repression that led to the execution or imprisonment of between 700,000 to 1 million people suspected of dissent against Stalin. Yezhov's ruthless tactics, including mass killings, arrests, and torture, were instrumental in consolidating Stalin's power. However, his close association with the purges and his eventual fall from grace, after being purged himself, highlight the treacherous nature of political power in the Soviet Union. His execution, like many he had ordered, was a testament to the very methods he had used to maintain Stalin's authority.

05:01

🔒 The Gulag Expansion and Yezhov's Execution

Under Yezhov's leadership, the gulags, the Soviet Union's notorious concentration camps, expanded dramatically, leading to the deaths of an additional 140,000 people due to starvation, exhaustion, and poor treatment. Yezhov's power and influence were so significant that he was considered almost as feared as Stalin himself, which ultimately led to his downfall. After Stalin favored Lavrentiy Beria to succeed Yezhov, Yezhov was arrested, secretly tried, and executed in a manner that mirrored the countless purges he had orchestrated. His execution was kept secret, and his legacy was erased from Soviet history, including being removed from photographs by Stalin's orders. Yezhov's life and death underscore the brutal reality of living under Stalin's regime, where even the most powerful could fall victim to the same oppressive mechanisms they helped create.

Keywords

💡Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He is known for his authoritarian rule and the implementation of policies that led to widespread repression and the deaths of millions. In the video, Stalin is depicted as the orchestrator of the Great Purge, a campaign of political repression that targeted perceived enemies of the state.

💡NKVD

The NKVD, or the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, was the main security agency for the Soviet Union, responsible for law enforcement, intelligence, and the administration of the Gulag system. The NKVD was instrumental in carrying out the purges and executions during Stalin's Great Purge, as mentioned in the script.

💡The Great Purge

The Great Purge refers to a series of campaigns led by Joseph Stalin to remove dissenting individuals from Soviet society. It involved mass executions and imprisonments, with an estimated 700,000 to 1 million people executed or sent to concentration camps, as highlighted in the transcript.

💡Gulags

Gulags were a system of forced labor camps established in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule.

Highlights

Joseph Stalin's leadership was marked by mass executions and purges carried out by the NKVD, the Soviet Secret Police.

The Great Purge resulted in the execution or imprisonment of 700,000 to 1 million people suspected of dissent against Stalin.

Stalin's power was enforced through fear, even turning on his closest allies, including Nikolai Yezhov, the organizer of the Great Purge.

Nikolai Yezhov, born May 1, 1895, was from a relatively affluent peasant family and later joined the Bolsheviks before the October Revolution.

Yezhov rose through the ranks of the Communist Party and was involved in local and regional politics before becoming the Deputy People’s Commissar of Agriculture.

After the murder of Sergei Kirov, Stalin used the incident to initiate purges, viewing Yezhov as the person to carry out these actions.

Yezhov became the Head of the NKVD, the executioners of the purges, and also the People’s Commissar for International Affairs.

As the NKVD chief, Yezhov orchestrated the show trial and execution of Genrikh Yagoda, his predecessor, on charges of being a German spy.

The Great Purge led by Yezhov targeted a broad section of the Soviet population, with many being quickly executed or sent to gulags.

Yezhov's power and fear were so great that even government officials and military officers were not spared from the purges.

Yezhov justified the suffering of innocents in the purges as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good of the Soviet Union.

Over 1 million arrests were made during Yezhov's tenure, with approximately 700,000 people being executed for alleged crimes against the state.

Yezhov's downfall began when Stalin favored Lavrentiy Beria, who was appointed Yezhov’s deputy and later became the new Chief of the NKVD.

Yezhov was publicly criticized by Stalin and was removed from power, leading to his arrest and secret imprisonment.

During his closed trial, Yezhov claimed he was tortured into confessing to crimes and expressed his love for Stalin before his execution.

Yezhov was executed in a secret chamber, likely designed during his time in power, and his execution was kept hidden from the public.

Nikolai Yezhov became known as 'The vanishing Commissar' as Stalin ordered his image to be removed from photographs, erasing him from history.

Transcripts

Throughout Joseph Stalin’s time as the leader of the Soviet Union, scores of his population

and people would be executed by the NKVD the Soviet Secret Police.

The word purge is synonymous with the Soviet leader, and one of the largest onslaughts

was The Great Purge.

With this between 700,000 and 1 million people who were suspected of harbouring dissenting

thoughts and words against Stalin were executed or were sent to concentration camps known

as Gulags.

Stalin knew how to enforce his power and to strike fear into the hearts of the people,

but he would also turn on his closest friends and allies when he wanted to.

One man who was turned on was the man who was actually in charge of the NKVD and much

of the great purge, and he would not be exempt from the brutal wrath of Stalin.

Nikolai Yezhov was the one who organised the mass killings and arrests and also the torture

of people, but he would be erased from History by Stalin and he was also killed.

Join us today as we look at the horrific execution of Nikolai Yezhov, and remember to support

our channel please make sure to subscribe.

Nikolai Yezhov was born on the 1st May 1895.

As would later claim he was a member of the proletariat, however he was actually from

a rather affluent Russian peasant family.

His father had a number of different jobs, and he even at one point ran a brothel which

brought extra income in for the Yezhovs.

But after his schooling had finished Nikolai worked as an assistant to a tailor and he

then joined the Imperial Russian Army.

However in 1917 he joined the Bolsheviks a few months before the October Revolution broke

out, and he fought for the Red Army during the Russian Civil war.

Inside of the military he continued to rise through the ranks, but he also then became

involved in local and regional politics.

He was involved in the local committees of the Communist Party, and he then became a

secretary before working in the accountancy department of the party.

He was skilled in this role and he became the Head of Department, before he was then

made the Deputy People’s Commissar of Agriculture.

It was clear that Nikolai Yezhov was a devoted communist, and he continued to rise through

the different positions, before he was elected to the central committee before he became

the secretary.

However in 1934, the Bolshevik Chief of Leningrad Sergei Kirov was murdered, and after this

Stalin then used the incident as a way to issue purges of his population and to rid

the land of anyone who dared to cast doubt about him.

Stalin viewed Nikolai Yezhov as someone who could ruthlessly carry out these bloody purges.

He began to point the finger at others for their dissent, and he then justified the purges

but he then became the Head of the NKVD.

These were the executioners who carried out the purges, and Yezhov then also was the People’s

Commissar for International affairs, and he was an ardent supporter of Stalin.

He was happy to reduce the political power of his opponents through purges and accusation,

but his first job as the head of the NKVD was to deal and investigate the former fallen

head of the NKVD Genrikh Yagoda.

Yezhov ordered a show trial, and he bugged out Yagoda’s office, and he was accused

of being a spy for the Germans.

The trial heard how Yagoda had allegedly tried to poison Stalin and Yezhov to take the top

job himself and to bring capitalism to the Soviet Union.

It was Yezhov himself who tortured Yagoda to try and get him to confess to crimes.

But Pagoda would be sentenced to death after Yezhov ordered his execution.

But then further purges were carried out across the Soviet Union to attack anyone who dared

to dissent against Stalin.

This took place during 1937 and 1938, and the NKVD led by Yezhov attacked huge sections

of the Soviet population.

Anyone who could be accused of dissenting was likely to be shot by a firing squad quickly

with very few questions asked.

Many politicians at this time feared the knock on the door from the NKVD, and Yezhov became

incredibly feared at this time and many of his opponents were greatly intimidated by

his power.

He also sent many people to the gulags, the concentration camps established inside of

the Soviet Union.

Also during the purge around half of the Soviet government officials and officers inside of

the military were stopped of their ranks and were imprisoned.

But scores were executed quickly and this destabilised the Soviet population, and ordinary

people found themselves accused wrongly of being disloyal to Stalin’s government, and

they then faced brutal interrogation and torture.

Many also lost their jobs and some were also of course falsely accused, and Yezhov would

later say, ‘There will be some innocent victims in this fight against Fascist agents.

We are launching a major attack on the enemy.

Let there be no resentment if we bump someone with an elbow.

Better than ten innocent people should suffer than one spy get away.

When you chop wood, chips fly.’

With this he was saying that innocent people would suffer for him to successfully purge

the population, and that it was justified that innocent people would go to their deaths

for the greater good of the Soviet Union.

Over 1 million people were arrested and around 700,000 were shot after being accused of treason

and crimes against the Soviet state.

Whilst he was in power as the Chief of the NKVD, the populations of the gulag systems

also grew massively, and another 140,000 people would die inside these camps from the lack

of food, exhaustion and treatment they encountered.

Yezhov though was almost as powerful and as feared as Stalin, and this was very dangerous

for him.

Because of this he also found himself purged, and executed.

Throughout his time in power, he had exterminated the old bolsheviks and other parts of society

which were considered unruly as the Second World War was about to break out.

However Yezhov was being used by Stalin and when he deemed him to have done his job, he

cast him aside.

Stalin at this time favoured Lavrentiy Beria, and he was appointed Yezhov’s deputy, but

it would be Beria’s job to deal with his boss.

Yezhov had ordered Beria’s arrest during the Great Purge, but Stalin spared him and

he referred to Beria as ‘his himmler,’ praising his efficiency.

But then Beria would become the new Chief of the NKVD, and Yezhov was ousted from power.

He knew that he would be executed, and he became a drunk and in this final days he was

predictably criticised publicly by Stalin.

Stalin gave reasons for Yezhov’s removal from power, and many of the agents of his

went into hiding to save their lives.

Nikolai Yezhov then informed his wife he wanted a divorce, and he was then officially sacked

from the NKVD on the 25th November 1938 with Beria succeeding him in ultimate power.

Stalin did not know what to do with Yezhov to begin with, but then Beria spoke out against

him at the annual conference of the Supreme Soviet.

The following year he was arrested and was taken to prison.

His arrest was done in complete secrecy, and was done away from the eyes of the public

and also it was kept quiet from the NKVD as Beria worried some officers may be loyal to

him.

Nikolai Yezhov was brought in for interrogation and he was tortured and he then admitted to

having been an enemy of the people.

He was the man who had been part of thousands of these interrogations and he knew he would

be soon executed.

He claimed that he had stolen government money and that he had collaborated with the Gestapo,

and he also admitted he was incompetent at his job.

Then a closed trial happened, and at this he claimed his love for Stalin, and he claimed

he had been tortured to admit the charges that he was being found guilty of.

He said when he would die that the final words he would utter would be Stalin’s name, but

he knew what was coming his way.

He was taken out the court room briefly for 30 minutes and then the guilty verdict and

death sentence was passed, and for this the once powerful Chief of Stalin’s Secret Police

was dragged out of the courtroom kicking and screaming.

He wept for his life, but days after he was condemned to die he would be executed.

Yezhov was moved to a basement room inside of a small NKVD station in Moscow.

It’s likely Yezhov may have designed his own execution chamber during his time in power,

and it had been purpose built.

The room had a sloped floor that would allow blood to trickle down to a drain, and it had

been built in a way that made it easy to clean after executions.

These chambers were made to make sure the Great Purge was carried out efficiently and

effectively.

But Yezhov’s exeucution occurred in complete secrecy.

He was lined up in the small room, and then an executioner stood behind him with his weapon

ready.

It’s believed that the executioner was either infamous executioner Vasily Blohkin, or the

future KGB chairman Ivan Serve.

However Yezhov with a bullet to the brain was executed quickly, and the chamber was

then cleaned down before his body was then dragged out of the building and was swiftly

cremated.

His execution remained a secret for many years, and most Soviets believed that he had been

sent to an asylum for his alcoholism.

But Nikolai Yezhov was the brutal and ruthless Chief of Stalin’s NKVD who was repsonisble

for the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

He oversaw the Great Purge, but he would later become known as ‘The vanishing Commissar,’

as Stalin ordered press photographs of him to be altered so that he was not shown in

them.

He was turned on by Stalin, and his execution was in line with the thousands that his death

squads oversaw, and it was planned by Stalin and Lavrentiy Beria who wanted him dead.

Thanks for watching

To support our channel, please make sure to subscribe

Once again thanks for watching