The Great Purge

Abstract

The article discusses the impact of Stalin's repressions on the life of North American immigrants. It starts by recreating the historical background of the Great Purge, including the early anti-Finnish campaign of 1935–36 and “national operations” of the Soviet secret police (Narodnyj Komissariat Vnutrennikh del, NKVD), which became the basis for the second, much more disastrous Finnish operation of the NKVD during 1937 and particularly 1938. It then focuses on the Finnish operation of 1937–38 itself, discussing the reasons, course, scale, and effects of this operation. A special emphasis is placed, in particular, on the local initiatives in pushing forward the repression of Finnish immigrants in Soviet Karelia. The article also discusses the reactions of North American immigrants to the Great Purge. It concludes with a statistical analysis of North American victims of the Great Purge in Soviet Karelia, including its demographic and social impact on Canadian and American communities.