Stalin was worried that many of his colleagues were out to overthrow him. Like him or not, Stalin was a man of action, so he had these supposed threats liquidated. While he was at it, he settled some...
Stalin foolishly executed the leaders of the red army in an attempt to secure his own power. Unfortunately this action severely weakened the army which took many years to recover.
To eliminate enemies of the regime and dissidents, to eliminate potential rivals in the ruling elite, to ensure complacency of the terrorized population, to divert attention from the failings of the...