During the Great Terror why did so many Communists officials make accusations against the other communist

During the Great Terror, many Communist officials made accusations against each other for a variety of reasons.

1. Fear: Fearing that they themselves might be denounced and arrested, some Communist officials sought to protect themselves by accusing others.

2. Pressure: Under intense pressure from party leaders to root out supposed enemies of the state, some Communist officials accused their colleagues out of a sense of duty or in order to save their own skin.

3. Ideological purity: Some officials believed that by denouncing their colleagues, they were upholding the purity of Communist ideology and protecting the revolution from perceived enemies within.

4. Personal grievances: Some officials had personal grievances against their colleagues and saw the Great Terror as an opportunity to settle scores or advance their own careers.

Overall, the atmosphere of suspicion, fear, and paranoia that characterized the Great Terror led many Communist officials to make accusations against each other in an effort to survive and advance in the brutal political climate of the time.