In chapter seven, when the animals confess their non-existent crimes and are killed, Orwell directly alludes to the purges, confessions and show trials of the late 1930s.
ɪn tʃˈæptɚ sˈɛvən, wˌɛn ðɪ ˈænɪməlz kənfˈɛs ðɛɹ nˈɑːnɛɡzˈɪstənt kɹˈaɪmz ænd ɑːɹ kˈɪld, ˈɔːɹwɛl dᵻɹˈɛktli ɐlˈuːdz tə ðə pˈɜːdʒᵻz, kənfˈɛʃənz ænd ʃˈoʊ tɹˈaɪəlz ʌvðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi z.