Operational Decree No. 00447 begins by emphasizing the acute danger posed by the enemies of Soviet power. Enemies are described as those who were repressed in earlier campaigns, such as kulaks, supporters of the old regime, sectarians, former officials, or those who escaped repression by hiding in villages and by working in strategic factories and construction sites. This time there was to be no dillydallying. The most merciless measures were to be used to put an end "once and for all time” to the "foul subversive work” of the masses of enemies at large in Soviet society. In the language of 00447:
Formations of substantial numbers of former kulaks, earlier repressed persons, those concealing themselves from repression, escapees from camps, work colonies, or deportation have been detected by investigations of anti-Soviet groupings. There are many formations of formerly repressed religious persons and sectarians, and former active participants in anti-Soviet armed activities. They have remained almost untouched in the village. They include large cadres of anti-Soviet political parties (listed), and also cadres of former activists in bandit rebellions, members of White punitive organizations, repatriates, and so on. Some, leaving the village for the city, have infiltrated industrial enterprises, transport, and construction. Moreover, significant numbers of criminals, thieves-recidivists, pillagers and others serving out sentences, escaping from places of confinement, and hiding from repression are accumulating in villages and cities. The inadequate battle against these criminal contingents has created conditions that support their criminal activities. The organs of state security are faced with the task—in the most merciless fashion—to destroy this band of anti-Soviet elements, to protect the working Soviet population from their counter-revolutionary intrigues and, finally, once and for all, to put an end to their foul subversive work against the foundations of the Soviet state.10
World History
