Moscow Trials

The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the late 1930s in the Soviet Union, where prominent Communist leaders and political opponents were accused of conspiracy against the state. These trials were orchestrated by Joseph Stalin’s government to eliminate rivals and consolidate power. Many defendants confessed under pressure or coercion, and the proceedings were highly publicized as justice, though they largely served as political purges. The trials reflect a period of intense repression, where false accusations and forced confessions led to executions and imprisonment of perceived enemies.