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In 1934, following the assassination of Sergei Kirov, Yagoda led investigations and orchestrated show trials against many high-ranking officials, marking the onset of the Great Purge. His unyielding commitment to Stalin’s directives led to the arrest of a quarter of a million individuals in a climate rife with paranoia and betrayal.
Stalin's trust in Yagoda began to wane, especially after unfavorable reports about the public reaction to the show trials emerged. His failure to sniff out the Opposition Bloc, which included prominent figures who had once been Yagoda’s allies, condemned him in Stalin's eyes.