Against a backdrop of systematic fear and terror, the Stalinist heavyweight flourished. Stalin's purges, also known as the "Great Terror", grew out of his obsession and desire for a single dictatorship, marking a period of extreme persecution and oppression in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s . “The purges did not simply eliminate potential enemies. They also created a new ruling elite that Stalin had reason to believe would find more trustworthy. » (historian David Christian, 1994). While Stalin purged virtually all of his potential enemies, he not only profited from eliminating his long-time opponents, but in doing so also instilled fear in his future opponents. This created a party that had virtually no opposition, a new ruling elite that would be invincible, and which in turn had a negative impact on a whole host of sections such as the Communist Party, the Russian people and progress. of the Soviet community, as well as on the Communist Party. military in Soviet society of the late 1930s. The Communist Party was one of the main sections of Soviet society that was deeply affected by Stalin's terror. In 1935, the assassination of Sergei Kirov, a staunch member of the Communist and Bolshevik Party enjoying some popularity, threatening Stalin's consolidation of power, triggered the Great Purge. His death, which sparked three major and widely publicized "show trials" in Moscow, ultimately encouraged the climate of terror during the Great Purge. The Bolsheviks Zinoviev, Kamenev and their associates were accused of conspiring against Stalin and the government, each confessing to their alleged crimes, which were then broadcast around the world. It was later discovered that these confessions had been forced after long months of psychological violence and cruel acts of torture. Like Stalin... middle of paper ... he lacked experience and depth. As a result, the once victorious Communist army was slowly becoming exhausted and thus damaging the morale of the former Bolsheviks and the Communist Party. Stalin's lust for power and paranoia took a serious toll on Soviet society, having devastating effects on the Communist Party, leaving it weak. and breaking the party cadre, the Russian people, by stunting the growth of technology and progress through purges of many educated civilians, as well as by affecting the Red Army, a powerful army depleted of its strength. The impact of purges, "show trials" and the Terror on Soviet society was strictly negative. By purging all of his challengers and opponents, Stalin created a blanket of fear over the entire society and was therefore able to remain in power, creating an empire that he could find more reliable..