Trotsky and the Moscow treason trials.

Someone has said that Hitler failed to conquer Russia because there was no strong internal ally, i.e. \u27Fifth Column\u27, to prepare for his armies. Such an opinion heaps enormous credit upon Joseph Stalin because he launched investigations and trials of alleged traitors as early as 1935. Some critics prefer to call the trials and resultant executions \u27blood purges\u27 since they also served the purpose of eliminating virtually all of Stalin\u27s political opponents. Long before the rest of the world learned by tragic experience about the infiltration methods of the Nazis, Stalin\u27s government claimed that it had uncovered a fascist-supported conspiracy which aimed at paralyzing Russia from within in case of an armed invasion. When the first group of \u27traitors\u27 came to trial in August, 1936, the charges gained international importance and foreign diplomats and journalists watched the proceedings of this and two subsequent trials with increasing interest