Why did Stalin launch the Purges?

Stalin launched the purges, or the 'Great Terror' in 1934 to consolidate his power, and remove anyone he thought was a threat to both himself and the Communist party. Firstly, the Terror began with the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934, which was carried out under suspicious circumstances. Stalin used this to attack anyone he thought was conspiring against the Communist party, including party leaders, Generals in the army and other high ranking officials including Old Bolsheviks who participated in the 1917 October Revolution. This allowed him to cement his position in the party and the wider Soviet Union. The Terror was between 1934 to 1938 and resulted in the deaths of around 750,000 people. A notable group that was purged was the intellectuals who helped teach the masses the skills needed to carry out the First Five Year Plan. After the necessary skills were passed on, they were a threat to the Communist regime, and so had to be removed from society before they stirred an uprising. Therefore, Stalin launched the Terror to remove political and intellectual opponents he deemed a threat to his power. It allowed him to demonstrate himself as the absolute leader, and scare anyone who had doubts into submission.