The Great Terror полностью

After his arrest, Bukharin had been confronted with Radek, who, however, had qualified his evidence against him, saying that Bukharin had objected to the degree of Trotsky’s commitment to the Germans,⁹⁸ and refusing to confirm some of the more vicious charges.⁹⁹ In The Great Terror, I wrote that Bukharin had not been tortured. This was based on general report, though also on a definite statement by Mikoyan after Stalin’s death.¹⁰⁰ From recent Soviet articles, it does not appear to be true. Perhaps Frinovsky’s order “beating permitted,” with which the investigation of the case “started,”¹⁰¹ was not applied in its full vigor. But we are now told that, though Bukharin held out for three months, threats to his wife and infant son, combined with “methods of physical influence,” wore him down, and he now wrote to Stalin, “Dear friend, if it is necessary for the Party, I will go to trial as you wish.”¹⁰² At interrogations on 1 and 28 June 1937, he confessed that the Ryutin Platform expressed his own views and that many others shared them, including Rykov and Tomsky, but also Uglanov, Rudzutak, Antipov, Lomov, Unshklikht, and others.¹⁰³ It is reported that he now agreed, in a long talk with Yezhov and Voroshilov—as “representatives of the Politburo”—to confess to all the charges, including that of having planned to assassinate Lenin.

But when, two days later, his confession, amended and corrected by Stalin personally, had been given to him to sign, he was so shocked that he withdrew his whole confession. The examination started all over again, with a double team of interrogators. He finally agreed once more to testify, but refused to say that he had planned Lenin’s death.¹⁰⁴ One of the charges brought against him in court, that of espionage, was not raised at all during his interrogation. It was doubtless felt that he was unlikely to agree to it, so it now was sprung on him for the first time at the trial.¹⁰⁵

He had evidently decided on his tactics after considering the earlier cases. His confession, like Rykov’s, avoided admitting direct complicity in any of the worst overt acts, but accepted general responsibility. Anything less would have doubtless led to his omission from the trial and the execution of his wife. As it was, Vyshinsky threatened to stop his evidence.

Before Vyshinsky could speak, Bukharin asked the court to allow him to present his case “freely” and to dwell on the ideological stand of the “bloc.” Vyshinsky at once asked for the request to be denied, as limiting the legal rights of the prosecution. Bukharin then said that he confirmed his evidence at the preliminary inquiry. He then made his carefully phrased acceptance of guilt:

I plead guilty to being one of the outstanding leaders of this ‘bloc of Rights and Trotskyites’. Consequently, I plead guilty to what directly follows from this, the sum total of crimes committed by this counter-revolutionary organization, irrespective of whether or not I knew of, whether or not I took a direct part in, any particular act.¹⁰⁶

He had, he admitted, planned the forcible overthrow of the Soviet power, and “with the help of a war which prognostically was in prospect,” relied on the help of foreign States to which territorial concessions would be made.

Vyshinsky:

And also by means of weakening the defensive power?

Bukharin:

You see, this question was not discussed, at least not in my presence.

As to wrecking, “the orientation on wrecking was adopted.” But again, when a concrete question was put:

Vyshinsky:

As you see from the trial, the circumstances were concrete enough. Did you and Khodzhayev discuss the fact that too little wrecking was being done, and being done badly?

Bukharin:

About accelerating wrecking there was no talk.

¹⁰⁷

Bukharin then admitted that the bloc stood for the assassination of the leadership. Vyshinsky immediately asked whether the Kirov murder had been committed on the instructions of the bloc.

Bukharin:

I do not know.

Vyshinsky:

I ask you, was this assassination committed with the knowledge and on the instructions of the ‘bloc of Rights and Trotskyites’?

Bukharin:

And I repeat that I do not know, Citizen Prosecutor.

Vyshinsky:

You did not know about this specifically in relation to the assassination of S. M. Kirov?

Bukharin:

Not specifically, but …

Vyshinsky:

Permit me to question the accused Rykov.

The President:

You may.

Vyshinsky:

Accused Rykov, what do you know about the assassination of Sergei Mironovich Kirov?

Rykov:

I know nothing about the participation of the Rights or the Right part of the bloc in the assassination of Kirov.

Vyshinsky:

In general, were you aware of the preparations for terrorist acts, for the assassination of members of the Party and the Government?

Rykov: