The treatment of opponents (counter-revolutionaries) in the tsarist and communist regimes resulted in labor camps, prosecutions, executions and exiles. This form of torture applied with terror in Stalin's regime completely eliminated opposition to the extent that fear resulted in Stalin's power equating the survival of his regime. For example, during the summer of 1936, there was administrative ruin and resentment in Russia over counter-revolutionary issues. Therefore, by delaying the implementation of the idea of ​​retaliation through extreme use of violence against enemies using executions, it was a way of eliminating opposition to a large extent. . The arrest was another indication that this form of torture was a more than normal procedure because it came from the Soviet regime which had established unprecedented continuity. This is evident since Stalin's labor camps had 72,950 victims, 28% of whom had to be shot and remain in the labor camps for 8-10 years, demonstrating that ruthless methods demonstrate stability. However, compared to Dostoyevsky's forced labor camps of the 1840s, it prioritized freedom over detention, meaning its methods were aimed at repressing rather than eliminating opposition. Although some counter-revolutionaries were punished by death, it is evident that perhaps only a small number were killed. Although the increase in political crimes increased in 1880, demonstrating a fundamental change. For example, 1,200 people were exiled for their political crimes, 230 of them were sent to Siberia and the rest to European Russia, while 60 of them were sentenced to forced labor. However, by 1901 there was more change and little continuity as the number of political exiles increased to 4,113, of which 3,838 were under police surveillance and...... middle of paper .... .. anti-terrorist measures which often made Stalin extremely paranoid [imprisoning Kamenev and Zinoviev in 1935] because of counter-revolutionaries. Conquest argues that "there were other methods of repression that would not kill people." However, Stalin had eliminated the opposition, not suppressed it, which suggests that if Stalin had not been ruthless and had only suppressed the opposition, his regime would have been eliminated without question and although his reconstructed society and methods had constituted the most severe test, they actually persevered in suppressing opposition compared to previous tsars and communists. Works Cited Russia and its leaders, 1855-1964, Hollande Stalin and Stalinism, Alan Wood Rethinking the Russian Revolution, Action Russia under the old regime, Pipes A popular tragedy, Orlando Figes The modernization of Russia, Service La Grande Terror, Robert Conqueste