Candidate Politburo Membership
Becomes a candidate member of the Politburo as his national influence expands.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1938 in Russia
Explore 62 historical events and records for Russia in 1938.
Historical records for Russia in 1938
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 62 unique records.
62Unique records
1 of 2Page
33Named events on this page
16Named people on this page
7Places on this page
January
Transfer to Ukrainian Party Leadership
Is sent to Ukraine to lead the Communist Party organization after extensive purges of its leadership.
March
Pravda
Nikolay Bukharin, a revolutionary economist who helped edit Pravda with Lenin, is put on trial and executed in the purges
Trial
Nikolay Bukharin, a revolutionary economist who helped edit Pravda with Lenin, is put on trial and executed in the purges
Death of Nikolai Bukharin
Death of Nikolai Bukharin
Execution
Executed by a bullet in the back of the head
Execution
Stalin has Bukharin purged & then executed
Plot
Accused of plotting to kill Lenin during the Brest Litovsk negotiations in 1918
Trial
Accused of plotting to kill Lenin during the Brest Litovsk negotiations in 1918
April
Political Support
Stalin promises to support Czech if it is attacked by Germany
May
Alliance Maxim Maximovich Litvinov and Czech
Will help Czech against Germany if Romania & Poland allow passage of Russian troops
Will help Czech against Germany if Romania & Poland allow passage of
Will help Czech against Germany if Romania & Poland allow passage of Russian troops. Rumania & Poland refuse to allow passage of Russian troops
June
First Secretary of Ukrainian Communist Party
Is confirmed as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
July
Border Settlement at Moscow
Russian troops begin to clash with the Japanese on the border of Manzhouguo
August
Battle of Khasan
Commands the 32nd Infantry Division against the Japanese
Battle of Khasan
Scores a notable victory over the Japanese
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Signs the Geraman-Russisan Non Aggression Pact with Ribbentrop in Moscow
September
International Conference at Moscow
Proposes staff talks & a conference to condemn German aggression. Proposes staff talks & a conference to allow Russian troop access to Czech
Alliance Declares Russias commitment to and France and Czech
Declares Russias commitment to support its Treaty obligations with France & Czech
Treaty Negotiations at Geneva
Declares Russias commitment to support its Treaty obligations with France & Czech
Treaty of Munich
Litvinov criticized the exclusion of the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia from the Munich conference.
October
Coalition Negotiations
Kerensky continues political activity connected with coalition negotiations.
Other events (month unknown)
Adviser
Appointed Adviser to Chiang Kai-shek
Alexander Nevsky
Composes, "Romeo & Juliet". Composes, "Alexander Nevsky"
Anschluss
Proposes a 4 power conference to discuss the anschluss, turned down by Britain. Delivers a report warning Russia about anshcluss between Germany & Austria
Arrest of Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher
Arrested & dies from his beatings
Assassination of Lev Sedov
Assassination of Lev Sedov, Trotskys son, by Stalins secret police
Assassination of Lev Sedov
Assassination of Lev Sedov, Trotskys son, by Stalins secret police
Capital
"with the preservation of the capitalist system a long & enduring peace is impossible"
Chairman
Appointed Chairman of the Soviet State Bank
Chairman
Appointed Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Head of State
Comintern
Trotsky and his supporters founded the 4th International, which was intended to be a revolutionary and internationalist alternative to the Stalinist Comintern
Commissar
Appointed Commissar for Internal Affairs
Commissar
Appointed Commissar of Internal Affairs
Death of Aleksey Ivanovich Rykov
Death of Aleksei Ivanovich Rykov, Stalin has Rykov purged & then executed
Death of Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher
Death of Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher, from beatings in prison
Deputy Prime Minister
Appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
Economy of Russia
The 3rd Five-Year Plan (1938-1941) was not as successful, due to the purging of leading Gosplan members and the outbreak of World War II
European Crisis
Warns that European dictatorship threatens liberal democracy.
Execution
Stalin has Rykov purged & then executed
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.