Question

why did joseph stalin arrest his political rivals in the ussr?
his rivals falsely accused stalin of crimes he did not commit.
he wanted to punish people who participated in the revolution.
he wanted to silence people who may have opposed his rule.
his rivals threatened family members of government officials.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• The first option is incorrect because there's no historical evidence that Stalin's rivals falsely accused him in a way that led to their arrest; rather, Stalin was the one exerting control.
• The second option is wrong as Stalin's political rivals were not primarily people who participated in the revolution to be punished for that; many revolutionaries were his allies initially, and he targeted rivals to consolidate power.
• The third option is correct. Stalin's actions, including arresting political rivals, were part of his efforts to consolidate power and eliminate any potential opposition to his rule. Silencing those who might oppose him was a key motive in his purges and actions against rivals.
• The fourth option is incorrect as there's no basis in history for the claim that his rivals threatened family members of government officials as a reason for their arrest.

Answer:

C. He wanted to silence people who may have opposed his rule.