Part 7/9:
One of the unexpected aspects of the NKVD’s history is how many of its loyal operatives eventually found themselves victims of its own paranoia. As political tides turned, many who had been complicit in atrocities were later denounced and executed. Political loyalty was a fragile illusion, a mere political game where former friends could quickly become enemies.
The narrative reaches a chilling climax with the realization that the NKVD, despite being a tool of political control, ultimately devoured its own. As the Soviet hierarchy shifted, individual members could become the subject of Stalin's suspicion, forcibly removed from power, often culminating in their execution.