Friday, December 27, 2019

Essay on Critical Thinking and Decision Making - 582 Words

The process of critical thinking requires you to ask more questions of both others and of yourself before a decision or determination is made. In order to successfully evaluate data in a critical manner, you must have a system in place to assess information as it is presented. In any situation whether you are having a conversation, observing others, or material you have read, you must be ready to probe deeper and ask the right question at the right time. Browne, Keely, McCall and Kaplan, refers to critical thinking as a Systematic evaluation of arguments based on explicit rational criteria (1998, p.IX). The authors go on to state that critical thinking refers to the following: awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions,†¦show more content†¦The use of these tools will enable management in obtaining a level of comfort with making the tough choices. The relationship between critical thinking and decision making is inseparable. The purpose of utilizing critical thinking skills is to get to the very core of an issue, topic or problem, and making a decision on the information. Therefore, there is little purpose to one without the other. Why would anyone become a critical thinker if they were not going to follow it up with a decision on the data as it is presented? Similarly, any decisions made without the benefit of any relevant information will end up being a decision made in haste. It is best to utilize every tool at your disposal to make an informed decision. I agree with the authors on the definition and use of critical thinking and decision making skills. The benefits of being a critical thinker are enormous, they include being able to make effective decisions and learning to ask the important show-stopping questions. By using these skills you will be able to probe deeper and get to the heart of the issue. As stated in an earlier paper, the use of critical thinking when making crucial business decisions quite simply makes good business sense. Critical thinking skills are crucial in todays fast paced business world. Once these skills becomeShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking For Decision Making755 Words   |  4 Pagesis to discuss my critical thinking for decision-making and problem-solving as a professional in healthcare, reflect on the three most important elements of personal and professional etiquette, identify my communication strengths and weaknesses, identify strategies to stay on-task and on-time, and discuss my professional goal s. Critical Thinking for Decision-Making and Problem Solving As a professional in the healthcare environment, I use my critical thinking for decision-making and problem solvingRead MoreCritical Thinking And Decision Making1198 Words   |  5 PagesCritical thinking is the process of actively conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from the observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication. Critical thinking is a guide to belief and action (Scriven Paul 1987). In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairnessRead MoreCritical Thinking And Decision Making1240 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Thinking and Decision Making By Pat Scruggs | Submitted On October 31, 2010 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter 1 Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest What is critical thinking? There s a phrase that conjures up all manner of opinionsRead MoreDecision Making : Critical Thinking1982 Words   |  8 Pagespossible. But like Gary Collins said â€Å"We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision. Therefore, decision making is in us relentlessly whether we want it or not. No single definition of critical thinking is widely accepted. Critical thinking is the process in which one challenges their emotive, self-centered way of thinking. It causes one to test their own assumptions and question their reasoning. Critical thinking is the process in which one mentally explores deeperRead MoreCritical Thinking in Decision Making Essay848 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Thinking in Decision Making Debra Rodriguez MGT 350 August 6, 2012 Karen Allen Critical thinking is a mode of thinking where one improves his or her quality by applying intellectual skills to elements of decisions to make solid decisions to develop intellectual traits. It is important to enhance ones critical thinking skills to improve decision-making capabilties in life and create new opportunities. Critical thinking is the ability of evaluating and assessing thoughts with the aimRead More Critical Thinking and Decision Making Essay588 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Thinking and Decision Making In the corporate environment critical decisions must be made, sometimes quickly, whether because of changes in market conditions, corporate profits, or corporate performances. The decision-making process is vital to good management in today’s work environment. This paper will examine the relationship between critical thinking and the decision making process, explain what the textbook authors believe, and relate how both apply to today’s workplace. CriticalRead MoreCritical Thinking and Decision Making Essay1083 Words   |  5 Pagesinfers the ability to think. Critical thinking is asking the right questions about the information we are presented with on any given situation. Or as Brown and Keeley put it, it is asking critical questions. (Pg. 2) To put it more specifically, asking critical questions provide(s) a structure for critical thinking that supports a continual, ongoing search for better opinions, decisions, or judgments. (Brown and Keeley, 2000, Critical Thinking, Asking the Right QuestionsRead MoreEssay on Critical Thinking and Decision-Making1892 Words   |  8 PagesCritical Thinking and Decision-Making The purpose of this paper is to explain critical thinking and decision-making by different examples, models, and show how it is used in everyday life. Everyone uses critical thinking and decision-making all the time, most of the time without recognition and involuntary and it starts from the time you wake up in the morning till you go to bed. There are three components for every decision made and they are: 1.Criteria- the standards by which decision makersRead MoreThe Relationship Between Critical Thinking and Decision Making665 Words   |  3 PagesCritical thinking and decision-making are related in more ways than people think. This paper will define critical thinking and decision-making according to the book Whatever It Takes. It will also present a personal definition of critical thinking and decision-making from the author of this paper. The relationship between the two will be explained as well as the benefits of being a critical thinker. The author of this paper will also sh ow how critical thinking is present in his organization and howRead MoreCritical Thinking and Decision Making Essay example733 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Thinking 1 CRITICAL THINKING AND DECISION MAKING Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Paper Critical Thinking 2 Abstract Critical thinking and decision-making are related in more ways than people think. This paper will define critical thinking and decision-making according to the book Whatever It Takes. It will also present a personal definition of critical thinking and decision-making from the author of this paper. The relationship between the two will be explained as

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Athenian Democracy Influenced Western Political Thought

Abstract In this paper, I intend to show that ancient Athenian democracy influenced western political thought, specifically, western democracies. By influencing such modern day democracies, ancient Greek culture remains a presence in contemporary life. Introduction Approximately 2500 years ago a series of changes and reformations in political thought led to the creation of the ancient Athenian democracy. Through the changes implemented by Solon and Cleisthenes during the Golden Age of Greece, democracy was born in Athens. Although it was somewhat impractical, exclusionist, and only open to a very small percentage of the total Athenian population, its impact is still felt today. Athenian democracy is widely recognized as the model from which all other forms of democratic rule has evolved from. Through the principles handed down from that Athenian democracy, ancient Greek culture remains a prominent presence in contemporary life, particularly in regard to its democratic policies. The concept of Democracy dates back to the Classic Period, otherwise known as the Golden Age of Greece. Prior to becoming a unified nation, Greece was made up of city-states that were constantly warring with one another. None of these city-states possessed full contro l over its neighbors. It was during this time and because of these circumstances that there was great advancement in Greek thought encompassing philosophy and politics. These advancements are responsible for the strong GreekShow MoreRelatedGreece s Impact On The World1360 Words   |  6 Pagesof our knowledge are greatly influenced on the minds who have lived at that time. Some may ask which civilization had the most impact on United States and the world? Many would say that the Romans had the most impact on United States and the world and some may contradict and say Greece had the most influence. However, Greece influenced the world and United States the most in tremendous ways. Greece gave the United States the influence to start it’s first direct democracy, philosophers set up the foundationRead MoreGreece s Impact On The World1335 Words   |  6 Pagesour knowledge is greatly influenced on the minds who have lived at that time. Some may ask which civilization had the mo st impact on United States and the world? Many would say that the Romans had the most impact on United States and the world and some may contradict and say Greece had the most influence. However, Greece influenced the world and the United States the most in tremendous ways. Greece gave the United States the influence to start it’s first direct democracy, philosophers set up theRead MoreHow Did Ancient Greece Influence Western Civilization951 Words   |  4 Pages The Western world was highly influenced by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks changed the way the world looks at art, math, architecture, philosophy, sports, and drama. Without the ancient Greeks, the modern world would not be the same. Men such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle changed the way we look at philosophy. The Athenians created the first known democracy, setting the stage for future governments. The Euclidian Theorem and the Pythagorean Theorem among others made mathematics easier and moreRead MoreDbq: Ancient Greek Contributions1467 Words   |  6 Pages The Ancient Greek contribution ranged by the 1900-133 BC, however its influence on the Western Literate Society lasts to this day. As the Greeks expanded their empire, they spread their ideas to other countries, while also borrowing from other cultures. During this period of time, the Greeks made many significant and long-lasting contribution to our modern culture in Philosophy, Art, Democracy, Drama, Math, and Scien ce. These givings of important ideas, inventions, and structures have hadRead MoreComparing The And The Odyssey998 Words   |  4 Pagesstability and conformity. Athens acted as free people and had a true democracy and was eager to learn new ideas. On the other hand the Spartans created little art and militaristically driven. Both were strong city-states but had different views and ideas on how daily life should be carried out. 4. The Greeks idea of a democracy was that all male citizens (1/5 of the population) could have a say. The Athenian political system was a democracy because any class could propose a new law or be involved in theRead MoreAncient Greek Philosophy -Paper776 Words   |  4 PagesLovers of Wisdom Ancient Greek philosophy arouse in the 6th century BCE, some claim that Greek Philosophy was influenced by the older wisdom literature and mythological cosmogonies of the Ancient Greek Near East. Greeks had confidence in the power of the mind Greeks used observation and reason to determine why things happened, they opened up a new way of looking at human existence. During the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle it was a crime to investigate the things above the heavensRead MoreHow Strongly Ancient Societies Affected The Formation Of Today s Society1434 Words   |  6 Pagesoriginating from civilisations of Ancient Antiquity such as Greece and Rome. The civilized culture is dated back to ancient Greeks and Romans. Their contribution to philosophy, literature and politics has undeniably helped to form notions of modern Western cultures. This is because, assorted essential features in the life of Ancient Greeks and Romans which will be broadly analyzed, such as culture, society, trade, politics and slavery signified their civilizations’ importance. Furthermore, in theseRead MoreAncient Greek Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 3: Ancient Greek Civilization 1. During the Mycenaean civilization, who was the great poet and what were his two important literary works that influenced the Greeks and formed part of Western literature? Homer, The Iliad, The Odyssey 2. In a period known as the Dark Ages from 100 B.C. to 800 B.C., life reverted to simpler forms and people lived in relative isolation. 3. The period from the 9th to the 6th century B.C. is known as the Archaic Age during which the Greek kings were deposedRead MorePlato, An Ancient Greek Philosopher1458 Words   |  6 Pageshis writings as the central character. Plato’s novel, The Republic, influenced the idea of government and shows his views on the world. Throughout his personal life, writings, and dialogues, Plato shows his value of knowledge and how each of his writings impacted the morals of people in the society. Plato was born in 427 BCE in Athens which is one of the most powerful cities of Ancient Greece. He was born into a wealthy Athenian family. Plato s father died when he was a young child and he wasRead MoreContributions of Ancient Greece and Rome to the Western World: Who contributed more to the modern world - the Greeks or the Romans?2085 Words   |  9 Pagesgreatly influenced Western Civilization, Greeks contributed more to the western world than the Romans. The Greeks used their own ideas and thought of new ways to add to their culture, while the Romans mostly mixed and matched ideas from other civilizations and cultures to make their own. The Romans took up the inheritance of the Greeks adapted it to their own language and national traditions. (Grant 2)The Greeks introduced many new ideas and traditions, the most important being democracy - Athenian

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Othello as a Tragic Hero Essay Sample free essay sample

One of the most obvious focal point of dissension about Othello is whether Othello was a tragic hero or non harmonizing to the authoritative construct of a tragic hero ; whether his word picture. personal properties make him fall into the sphere of Aristotelean construct of tragic hero ; Whether or non he possessed a tragic defect. To Swinburne. Othello was â€Å"the baronial adult male of man’s making† . ( Swinburne ) But T. S. Eliot. on the other manus spoke unfavourably of his â€Å"cheering himself up† . ( 153 ) and came out with a famed critical term â€Å"Bovarysme† . Robert H. Heilman ( 1956 ) comes really close to repeating the Eliot place when he says ; â€Å"Othello is the least heroic of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes. † ( p. 166 ) The designation of Othello’stragic flawdiffers from reader to reader and from critic to critic. Some critics are of the position that inordinate Egotism and assurance of Othello remain the chief cause of his calamity. He harbors undue intuitions against Desdemona. He had a trusting nature and he is thorough in his trust of Iago. ( Bradley. 1965. p. 213. Jealousy overpowers him and he lacks self-denial. It is barely likely that even a combination of all these would be equal to what Aristotle considered to be a serioustragic flaw.and he exhibited any of the weakness mentioned above. It would barely be logical to state that the Othello was punished for offense in the yes of the Godhead. Another position is that the present weaknesss of Othello may be taken to agencies that he was he was ever like that. and his calamity comes due some built-in or unconditioned unsoundness in his character. However we get no indicant of this in the drama. The construct of the tragic hero that we gather from Aristotle’sPoeticssis that he is a extremely esteemed and comfortable adult male who falls into bad luck because of some serioustragic flawi. e. tragic defect. Aristotle gives the illustration of Oedipus and Thyestes. which means that harmonizing to him. it was Oedipus’tragic flawthat was straight responsible for his autumn. Although the significance oftragic flawis far from certain. its most frequent applications is in the sense of false moral judgement. or even strictly rational mistakes. Among Greeks no crisp differentiation between the two existed. It is by and large believed that harmonizing to Aristotle thetragic flawoff Oedipus consists in some moral mistakes and it has been tried to place assorted moral mistakes in Oedipus. Othello besides possessed these moral defect and his calamity merely comes due to these moral defects. So harmonizing to Aristotelean construct. Othello is a tragic hero as he is a larger t han life character and has tragic defects that conveying his devastation. Distinguished Professor Butcher has identified four possible scope of significance of Aristotle‘s Hamartia i. e. tragic defect. The foremost of these intensions is an mistake due to ineluctable ignorance of fortunes whereas an mistake caused by unknowingness of conditions that might hold been identified and for that ground to some extent morally blamable is another manifestation of the sense in which the termtragic flawwas used by Aristotle. The 3rd sense is â€Å"A mistake or mistake where the act is witting and knowing. but non consider. Such Acts of the Apostless are committed in choler or passion. † Where as 4th one is â€Å"A mistake of character distinct. on the one manus. from an stray mistake. and. on the other. from the frailty which has its place in the perverse will†¦a defect of character that is non tainted with a barbarous intent. † [ 1 ] This essay will seek to analyse all these manifestation of tragic defects present in the character of Othello to attest that he was a tragic hero. The character of Othello possesses an aura of personality that makes him distinguished every bit good naif and unprocessed as compared with other characters in the drama and other Shakespearian supporters. That is the exclusive ground that why he fell a quarry to Iago’s secret plan. Iago told Roderigo. â€Å"O. sir. content you. I follow him [ Othello ] to function my bend upon him â€Å" ( I. I lines 38-9 ) . Iago explains that merely follow Othello to certain extent. A fundamental guess is that as the slaying of Othello’s married woman Desdemona is the consequence of craftiness of Iago. so himself remained a victim to the evil mastermind of Iago. Othello’s wrath was a merchandise of his impulsiveness. the built-in defect in his character. but that was utilised and triggered by the intrigue of Iago. The discourtesy of Iago – to cabal the death of the Moor – is worse since it is embedded in a shrewd head with organized effort whereas the error of Othello was the consequence of his naivete . He was blindfolded by a irritant in the bosom and head. But his wickedness can non be justified merely on this land as there were assorted methods to look into the culpability. However. it can be illustrated that Othello permitted himself to be influenced by Iago’s proposition of the infidelity of Desdemona. Iago merely provides a justification that was needed by Othello. Some critics are of the position that Desdemona’s slaying is an result of Othello’s inordinate haughtiness and his impulsiveness to decision-making. A. C. Bradley ponders over the temperaments and nature of Othello and says in this respect ; â€Å"The beginnings of danger in this character are revealed but excessively clearly by the narrative. In the first topographic point. Othello’s head. for all its poesy. is really simple. He is non observant. His nature tends outward. He is rather free from self-contemplation. and is non given to contemplation. Emotion excites his imaginativeness. but it confuses and dulls his mind. On this side he is the really opposite of Hamlet. with whom. nevertheless. he portions a great openness and trustingness of nature. In add-on. he has small experience of the corrupt merchandises of civilized life. and is nescient of European adult females. † ( p. 217 ) Despite this major defect. he possessed some distinguishable personality traits. His has the capacity to construct positive and mutual relationships and to take a figure of stairss to carry. He possesses the capableness to orient an attack to appeal to the demands of a peculiar audience and an illustration of this relationship edifice is his echt company with Iago. But once more this trait of Othello is used against him as Iago takes advantage of his trust and design more evil secret plans against him. Although Othello possesses some evil leanings but he is capable of forestalling these base and evil inherent aptitudes to rule him. In order to turn up the grade and gravitation of his wickednesss. his motivations fro his evil actions must be taken into consideration. It can be argued that his wickednesss are merchandise of weak mental modules and some built-in defects in his character. It was further enhanced by the use of Iago alternatively of his pride. His action of slaying Desdemona was besides non due to lack of assurance as he was a strong leader as manifested by his ability to command military and assorted other provinces personal businesss. But his leading does non intend that he was forfeited against personal phantasies and caprices of imaginativeness. Othello’s basic quandary was that he was in a wholly new socio-cultural surroundings. He was in a new metropolis with a new bride who was graceful and immature. Furthermore. Othello was in deep love with her does non cognize her well. He was unsure about Desdemona determination to choose him as her hubby. and can merely grok one elucidation. â€Å"She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d. † ( I. three. 167 ) He is cognizant of the prevalent environment of bias and prejudice in Venice and without uncertainty must ask why Desdemona would against her ain norms and values and associate white Venetians by get marrieding an foreigner. All these added intuition in his heads before Iago begins his conniving secret plan. Although Desdemona was an prototype of love and attention for her. but his preconceived impressions can non enable him to believe in her love unreservedly. His response to his skeptic head is to set Desdemona on a base. doing her an â€Å"emblem of pureness and trustworthiness† ‘Tis non to do me jealous/ To state my married woman Is just. provenders good. loves company. Is free of address. sings. dramas. and dances good. / Where virtuousness Is. these are more virtuous. Nor from mine ain weak virtues will I draw/ The smallest fright or uncertainty of her rebellion. For she had eyes. and chose me. ( 3. 3. 180 ) Othello arrived at the decision that Desdemona’s consideration and virtuousness merely capacitated her to experience fondness for the unlovable — an unstable apogee arising from his low dignity. When Iago cast away this fabricated idealism with his evil designs. he is simply beef uping what Othello considers deeply to be exhaustively possible i. e. that Desdemona could love another adult male. Iago is on manus to verify Othello’s primary uncertainties: Ay. there’s the point! as ( to be bold with you ) / Not to impact many proposed matches/ Of her ain climate. skin color. and degree. / Whereto we see in all things nature tends †¦ Her will. flinching to her better opinion. / May autumn to fit you with her state signifiers. / And merrily repent. ( 3. 3. 228 ) So all these facts. statements and supported grounds clearly manifest that Othello was a lager than life character and his tragic defect contributes toward his calamity. It is both an amalgam of self-infliction and fortunes beyond his control. He is a baronial character but when things go incorrect and force per unit areas builds up. Othello’s insufficiencies are revealed like the clefts in the dike. This makes him a tragic hero harmonizing to really construct of Aristotle. A. C. Bradley refutes the point of position that Othello was non baronial and has no features of a tragic hero. He is of the position ; This character is so baronial. Othello’s feelings and actions follow so necessarily from it and from the forces brought to bear on it. and his agonies are so heart-rending. that he stirs. I believe. in most readers a passion of mingled love and commiseration which they feel for no other hero in Shakespeare. and to which non even Mr Swinburne can make more than justness. Yet there are some critics and non a few readers who cherish a score against him. They do non simply think that in the ulterior phases of his enticement he showed a certain dullness. and that. to talk pedantically. he acted with indefensible abruptness and force ; no 1. I suppose. denies that. ( p. 221 ) Mentions Bloom. Harold.William Shakespeare’s Othello. New York: Chelsea House. 1987. Bradley. A. C.Shakespearian Calamity: Lectures on Hamlet. Othello. King Lear. Macbeth. 2nd erectile dysfunction. London: Macmillan. 1905. Butcher. S. H. Aristotle’s theory of Poetry and Fine Arts. Hell and Wang: New York. 1961. Elliot. T. S. The Hero Cheering Himself Up. Shakespeare and the Stoicism of Seneca. ED. Leonard F. Dean. Thomas Y. Crowell Company. 1961. 153-155. . Heilman. Robert B. Magic in the web ; action A ; linguistic communication in Othello. Lexington. University of Kentucky Press. 1956. Shakespeare. William. Othello. Penguin Books. New York. 1993 Swinburne. A. C. A Study of Shakespeare ; Edited by Goose Edmund. Website ; lt ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Gutenberg. org/ebooks/16412 gt ; gt ; [ 1 ] For elaborate treatment on these manifestations of the termHamartia.delight see Aritotle’s theory of Poetry and Fine Arts by S. H. Butcher ( pp. 310-315. )

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The cult of Stalin and the purges Essay Example

The cult of Stalin and the purges Paper How far do you agree with this opinion? There is little doubt that Joseph Stalin made drastic and continual efforts to retain his supreme power during the 1930s. The two main methods and perhaps the most memorable are the great purges (otherwise known as the great terror) and the cult of Stalin. Although Stalin had been triumphant in the power struggle against Leon Trotsky in 1929, rather than alleviating his insecurities, Stalin became increasingly paranoid. It seems that the more power and control he gained over Russia and its people, the more irrational and mistrustful he became. This was more than likely because he had more to lose and this encouraged him to instigate a more brutal and controlling regime. Other examples of his vindictive rule were the purging of kulaks during collectivisation and the excessive demands he made during industrialisation and the five-year plans. He also conducted purges targeted at Bolshevik opposition. He insisted on members reapplying for their membership to the party using excuses like corruption, drunkenness and being politically inactive to dismiss them, thus frightening members into submission. This was because if they lost their party cards they could lose their jobs, which ultimately meant they lost their homes, their privileged rations and public status. At the time, Stalin was the General Secretary and consequently controlled whose memberships were renewed and as a result any member suspected of betrayal or opposing his policies had their membership revoked. We will write a custom essay sample on The cult of Stalin and the purges specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The cult of Stalin and the purges specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The cult of Stalin and the purges specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Although Stalin gained a great deal of success via industrialisation, collectivisation and the five-year plans, he ultimately acquired many enemies due to the suffering and numerous deaths caused during these policies. Owing to Stalins extreme tactics, party members began to oppose his policies and ultimately repudiated him, this included Sergei Kirov who until now had been devoted to Stalin. Stalin was all too aware of this mounting threat! Stalin viewed Kirov as his proti gi and in 1926 he rewarded Kirovs loyalty by appointing him as Head of the Leningrad Party. In 1930, Kirov was elected to join the Politburo and eventually he became one of the leading figures of the party. [1] During the Seventeenth Party Congress, held in February 1934, Kirov gained the fewest negative votes, giving him an advantage over Stalin in the contest for the party leadership and for this reason Stalins aides fixed the vote to ensure a draw between the two candidates. Due to this result, the position of General Secretary was abolished and Kirov and Stalin shared the position of Secretary of Equal Rank. Knowing that his proti. was favoured above him caused an increase in Stalins mistrust of his clique because even those he trusted and depended on were beginning to show signs of desertion. Over the next five years 1,108 of the 1,966 delegates who had attended the Seventeenth Party Congress were arrested, seventy of whom were tried in public while the rest were tried in secret before being executed or sent to the Gulags (labour camps). [2] On 1st December 1934, a young party member named Leonid Nikolayev murdered Kirov, in the Smolny Institute, in Leningrad and was consequently arrested and executed. To this day there is still a mystery surrounding Kirovs assassination as there were few actual witnesses to the event. This means that historians can only speculate with regard to what actually took place during this significant event. Although Nikolayev was arrested, there are varied theories about who led the conspiracy behind the assassination, one conjecture being Stalin himself was involved, although no solid evidence has ever been found to prove this. To destabilize this belief Stalin portrayed Trotsky as the culprit, giving him the pretext to introduce a series of anti-terrorist measures and to purge the party of so-called Trotskyites and Zinovievites, including Gregory Zinoviev himself, Lev Kamenev and 14 other party members, who were arrested by Genrikh Yagoda the Head of the NKVD (secret police), tried and executed. [3][4] As a result of Kirovs death and the betrayal Stalin had encountered during the period surrounding the assassination, Stalin began enforcing the great purges. The first phase began in 1935 and was devised to rid the Party of any political opponents or threats. The first show trial was held in August 1936 and heralded the beginning of the great purges. The show trials were held in public to generate public humiliation for the defendants, to illustrate consequences to other potential rivals and to convey the threat of conspiracies against the government, thus resulting in fear amongst the nation. They were also open to western journalists and were intended to show the world communist justice. The great purges gave Stalin tremendous control over people, mostly through fear alone. There was a constant threat of being purged from the party, show tried and executed or sent to the Gulags. Gulags were labour camps, placed in remote areas of Russia (e. g. Siberia), where conditions were so horrific nobody would ever choose to work there of their own freewill. The prisoners were subjected to severe weather conditions, abuse by guards, long working hours and insufficient food and clothing. Prisoners were exploited as lumber jacks, for construction and mining to achieve targets set for industrialisation and the five-year-plans. Most of the prisoners sent there eventually died from hunger, exhaustion, ill health or maltreatment before the end of their usually long sentences. [5] Stalins second phase of the great purges was aimed at the Russian people, rather than party members alone and was identified as Yezhovshchina, named after Nikolai Yezhov (Head of the NKVD). Yezhov was appointed in September 1936 in place of Yagoda who had failed to obtain enough evidence to convict Bukharin and was consequently discharged. Yezhov quickly arranged the arrest of all the leading political figures in the Soviet Union who were critical of Stalin. [6] During this purge, a tell tale society was formed, encouraging people to denounce fellow citizens, creating mistrust among the nation. Informants mostly denounced citizens such as the intellectuals, for instance artists, writers, and journalists, who were more likely to pose as a threat to Stalin. A quota system was enforced commanding the NKVD to make a designated number of arrests and the full quota had to be achieved. As a result it is likely that a large number of accusations had been invented by the NKVD to fulfil the quota and that many of those arrested had not actually committed any crimes against the State. Among those arrested, 28% were to be shot and the remainder would be forced into Gulags. Official figures suggest that between January 1935 and June 1941, 19. 8 million people were arrested by the NKVD. An estimated seven million of these prisoners were executed. [7] Although Stalin instigated the great purges there are indications that suggest the NKVD intensified the demands and infiltrated their own desires into the modus operandi. Everyone was a potential victim during this phase of the purges. The NKVD massacred kulaks, priests, former members of anti-Bolshevik armies, those who had been abroad or had relatives abroad, immigrants and even citizens. [8] The second show trial was held in January 1937, in which seventeen people stood accused, among them were Karl Radek, Yuri Piatakov and Grigory Sokolnikov. Thirteen of the defendants were executed, while the remainder were sent to the Gulags. The third show trial, held in March 1938, involved 21 defendants allegedly belonging to the Bloc of Rightists and Trotskyites, whose leaders consisted of Nikolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov, Genrikh Yagoda (former Head of the NKVD), Christian Rakovsky and Nikolai Krestinsky, all of whom were executed. The third phase of the great purges began in the spring of 1937 and was led by the NKVD which targeted the armed forces. Previously, many of the Red Army officers had been officers under the Tsarist regime and during Lenins rule had been forged into the Red Army by Trotsky, causing Stalin to fear that they would turn against him and form a military dictatorship as an alternative government to his style of communism. Officers were by now living in fear of World War II breaking out and because they had earned their ranks on merit and had not bought them, they did not feel they owed Stalin any loyalty, increasing his fear of a military coup. Fearing a rebellion, Stalin began purging officers (1937-1938) and in particular he targeted Marshall Mikhail Tukhachevsky, who was Chief of The General Staff. Tukhachevsky was potentially a major rival as he had previously worked under Lenin and was now in control of all the armed forces (i. e. army, navy and air force) and was very popular with the troops. In all, the NKVD purged the armed forces of eighteen Army War Commissars who were all shot, five Marshals of the Soviet Union, three of whom were shot (including Tukhachevsky), 80 Officers of the Supreme Military Council, 75 of whom were executed, sixteen army commanders, fourteen of whom were shot, 280 divisional colonels, of whom two thirds were killed, 70,000 commissioned officers, half of whom were killed or imprisoned, all the Navy Admirals were executed and only one air force officer survived. Altogether thousands of other officers were executed or imprisoned, spying for Germany or Japan was amongst the most common of accusations against officers and because of the amount of executions in all three forces they were left severely undermanned. The few newly appointed officers left were inexperienced and incompetent as leaders, causing major disarray in the Soviet Unions armed forces. It has been claimed that Tukhachevsky (Marshal of the Soviet Union) was executed as part of a secret fourth trial, held in June 1937, in which he stood accused before a military tribunal of a group of Red Army generals. However, the evidence presented against the accused was almost nonexistent and convictions relied on confessions extracted through torture and threats against family members. [9] One of Stalins cunning tactics to achieve this purge without mutiny was to switch officers among regiments. This might have appeared impractical but he knew the troops trusted their officers and when confronted with a new officer, who they did not know or trust, the troops didnt dispute any accusations made against them or their colleagues because they feared condemnation. By late 1938, the great purges had achieved its purpose and the mass arrests were stopped. Stalin had carried out a complete renovation of the Communist Party and had brought in people owing their loyalty to him. His rule was now unchallenged, but in liquidating key elements of the society he had devastated the country and left it badly prepared for the apparent onset of World War II. [10] As a result of the previous purges there was insufficient demand for the NKVD, as most threats to Stalin had already been eradicated. This alarmed Yezhov, who feared he and his squadron would lose their jobs and as a consequence he began inciting Stalins paranoia. Nevertheless, he became a target of his own doing when an informant accused him of being a British agent and of killing innocent people resulting in his arrest, a trial (held in 1939) and ultimately execution. Whilst the purges were about ridding the party of opposition, the Cult of Stalin was more about brainwashing the nation into worshipping Stalin as an Idol. His campaign included ordering all propaganda (e. g.photos, leaflets) to be altered, to enhance Stalin so that he would stand out as a hero and to make him appear to be a significant role in the Revolution. Towns, streets and prizes were renamed in his honour, statues of him were erected and pet names such as Brilliant Genius of Humanity were applied to him. [11] Anyone he suspected as a potential rival was erased from literature, documents and photos. This was especially true of Trotsky. Trotskys role was censored from history books to conceal the fact that he had ever existed or taken part in the Revolution. This provided Stalin with a role to step into and gave credence to his assertion that he had never encountered any major contenders for his supremacy. These tactics gave the appearance that Stalin was in complete control and that nobody disagreed with him, only worshipped him. Stalin achieved celebrity status among the nation and to an extent around the world. There is no question that Stalin used the Great Purges and the Cult of Stalin to retain his supreme power. However, the reasons for Stalin becoming more controlling are debatable. Some historians claim he was seeking notoriety (the great man theory), some believe he suffered from mental illness and others regard him as a dictator. The fact that he used such brutal, calculating and extreme tactics suggests to me that he would go to any lengths to meet his aspirations and would on no account allow anyone, regardless of the cost to the nation, to compromise his aim for control of the State. With each purge he exceeded the limits of the previous purge, becoming even more powerful, yet more and more paranoid. Whether Stalin needed to go to such extreme lengths to conceal his enemies and cultivate such an iconic persona of himself, is still questionable. In order to have been able to accomplish such campaigns, Stalin must have already possessed a great deal of control and support. To this day some people regard him as an icon and believe his brutality was justified to turn the Soviet Union into a modern and industrialised State. In 1953 indication of a Doctors plot emerged alleging that nine Kremlin doctors were engaged in a plot to assassinate Stalin and other political leaders. As a result Stalin commanded Lavrenti Beria, the new Head of the NKVD, to purge the Communist Party of candidates for his leadership. However, on 2nd March Stalin suffered a brain haemorrhage resulting in the plan being terminated. [12] To this day, events surrounding his death have been shrouded with enigma as it has been claimed that the night before the haemorrhage, his guards were given orders, from Stalin himself, to retire for the night and not to disturb him. When he did not rise the next day at his usual time, the guards became concerned but did not interrupt him as they feared the repercussions of disobeying the dictator. That evening one of the guards was ordered to enter Stalins room to investigate and on entry he found Stalin lying on the floor, paralysed, soon after he slipped into a coma. The guard summoned the senior party men of the Politburo and family members to the Dacha, Stalins favourite holiday home. His daughter, Svetlana Alliluyevas testimony claims that after 3 days (5th March 1953) Stalin briefly regained consciousness, looked around the room, raised his hand and pointed upwards as if bringing down a curse upon us all and then he died. [13] Conversely, due to the tardiness of the Politburo in calling for medical assistance, the Russian historian Edvard Radzinski asserts that Stalin was injected with poison by the guard Khrustalev, under the orders of his master (KGB chief, Lavrenty Beria to prevent Russia participating in the initiation of World War III. [14] In the end it was Stalins own paranoia and tyranny that led to his demise. 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