Politics & Government

Formation of NKVD Under Lavrentiy Beria

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin consolidated the Commissariats of Home Affairs and National Security into a single entity, the NKVD, designating Lavrentiy Beria as its chief. This restructuring was a response to growing internal and external security threats as the USSR faced the Nazi invasion during World War II. The NKVD would wield significant power, becoming notorious for its role in political repression and the enforcement of state policies.

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