Amidst a backdrop of systematic fear and terror, the Stalinist juggernaut flourished. Stalin's purges, otherwise known as the “Great Terror,” arose from his obsession and desire for an exclusive dictatorship, marking a period of extreme persecution and oppression in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s. “The purges did not simply remove potential enemies. They also created a new ruling elite that Stalin had reason to think he would find more trustworthy.” (Historian David Christian, 1994). While Stalin eliminated virtually all of his potential enemies, he not only profited from the removal of his long-term adversaries, but in doing so also caused fear in future ones. This created a party that had virtually no opposition, a new ruling elite that would be unstoppable, and in turn had a negative impact on a number of areas such as the Communist Party, the Russian people, and progress in the Soviet community, as well as military in the late 1930s Soviet society. The Communist Party was one of the main sectors of Soviet society that was deeply affected by Stalin's terror. In 1935, the assassination of Sergei Kirov, a loyal Communist and Bolshevik Party member who enjoyed some popularity and threatened Stalin's consolidation of power, began the Great Purge. His death, which triggered three major, 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 own alleged crimes, which were then broadcast around the world. It was later discovered that these confessions had been forced after long months of psychological abuse and cruel acts of torture. Like Stalin... middle of paper... he lacked experience and depth. As a result, the once successful communist army was slowly becoming depleted and thus harming the spirits of the former Bolsheviks and the Communist Party. Stalin's hunger for power and paranoia severely affected Soviet society, having devastating effects on the Communist Party, leaving it weak. and shattering the party structure, the Russian people, stunting the growth of technology and progress through the purge of many educated civilians, as well as striking at the Red Army, a powerful army depleted of its forces. The impact of the purges, the "show trials" and the Terror on Soviet society was rigorously negative. By eliminating all his challengers and opponents, Stalin created a blanket of fear over the entire society and, therefore, was able to remain in power, creating an empire that he could find more reliable.