https://hjuoz.uoz.edu.krd/index.php/hum <p>HJUOZ is a peer-reviewed journal publishing original research and review articles in the aspects related to Humanities and Social Sciences to ensure rapid and wide dissemination of the results of scientific researches that could trigger the advancement of above disciplines to serve various aspects of social sciences.</p> <p>Publication advantages in HJUOZ:</p> <p>1- Free publication charges for international authors.</p> <p>2- Constructive peer-review.</p> <p>3- Open access journal (global visibility). </p> <p>4- Easy online submission.</p> <p>5- Time to first decision 10-20 days.</p> <p>6- Free English language proofreading.</p> <p> <strong>e-ISSN:</strong> 2664-4681, <strong>p-ISSN:</strong> 2664-4673</p> <p><strong>DOI: <a href="http://doi.org/10.26436/hjuoz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10.26436/hjuoz</a></strong></p> <p> </p> University of Zakho en-US Humanities Journal of University of Zakho 2664-4673 <h4>Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:</h4> <ul> <li class="show">Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License [<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0</a>] that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.</li> <li class="show">Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work, with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.</li> <li class="show">Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online.</li> </ul> https://hjuoz.uoz.edu.krd/index.php/hum/article/view/1658 <p>This study analyzes the role of purges as systemic mechanisms of governance within Stalin’s Soviet Union, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, and Assad’s Syria. While commonly perceived as instruments for power consolidation, this paper argues that purges extend beyond tactical purposes to function as institutionalized practices. These mechanisms enforced elite loyalty, restructured power dynamics, and suppressed dissent, serving as adaptive strategies for authoritarian resilience. The analysis identifies shared patterns, such as a dual-phase structure targeting external threats before focusing on internal rivals, while also exploring ideological, structural, and personalist dimensions. Despite ideological differences—Marxist-Leninist revolution in Stalin’s USSR, Ba’athist Arab nationalism in Iraq, and sectarian authoritarianism in Syria—the study reveals a universal adaptability of purges to the vulnerabilities of authoritarian regimes. Using Wintrobe’s (1998) concept of the “fear equilibrium” and Tilly’s (2003) theory of institutionalized violence, this comparative framework advances the understanding of authoritarian resilience and the strategic role of violence in state control.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>.</p> Soran Tarkhani Copyright (c) 2025 Soran Tarkhani http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-11-18 2025-11-18 13 4 663 677 10.26436/hjuoz.2025.13.4.1658