Opposition under Krushchev

Question 1

What evidence is there to show that dissent was not restricted to the intelligentsia?

Answer 1

-Novocherkassk working class uprising (1962)

–> Discontent caused by production quotas and increase in price of dairy and meat

Question 2

What was the Novocherkassk uprising in response to?

Answer 2

-Discontent caused by production quotas and increase in price of dairy and meat

Question 3

How did Krushchev initially deal with the Novocherkassk uprising?

Answer 3

1.Troops brought in –Killed 28 people

Question 4

How in the end did Krushchev deal with the Novocherkassk uprising?

Answer 4

• Did not lead to mass arrests -> blamed officials instead

- > Increased wages and ensured proper food to workers

Question 5

Overall how was Kruschev’s reaction to the Novocherkassk?

Answer 5

-Mixed reaction, unlike Stalin who would have been 100% repression

Question 6

How typical was the Novocherkassk uprising?

Answer 6

• Not a dissident ( in opposition to party policy) movement
• Fake News - “it didn’t happen”

Atypical -amount of casualties

Question 7

How was discontent of the workers dealt with?

Answer 7

-Do not clamp down on workers 100% –> Pacify instead.

=> low food prices + high wages even if it was unprofitable
-> Avoid discontent of workers

Question 8

How was discontent of the the intelligentsia dealt with?

Answer 8

-Could’t money bribe intelligentsia

–> Employed spies and peer policing instead

-Mass terror had been abandoned

Question 9

Why was there a rise of cultural dissidents?

Answer 9

-Censorship relaxed after the Stalin years

Question 10

Why was Censorship relaxed?

Answer 10

-Krushchev wanted to assert his difference to Stalin

Question 11

What Issues were raised by cultural dissidents?

Answer 11

Greater democracy, human rights

Question 12

How did Cultural dissidents publish/ evade soviet censorship?

Answer 12

• tamizdat: Publish abroad -Substance of works relayed back through broadcasts
• Samizdat: Duplicating illegal material and passing around

Question 13

What is an example of an underground dissident societies

Answer 13

‘The youngest society of geniuses’

Question 14

Where was dissidency present in society?

Answer 14

Music, Art , impromptu public readings

Question 15

What can be interpreted as opponents trying to get close to Krushchev before seizure of power?

Answer 15

Celebrating Kruschev’s 70th birthday –> presented with various gifts and honours

Question 16

What happened in the events of Krushchev being ousted from power?

Answer 16

-taken to a meeting in the Presidium where former supporter voiced their criticisms of him

Question 17

Why couldn’t Krushchev whip up popular support during being ousted?

Answer 17

-Muzzled Krushchev- denied him access to media

Question 18

How was Krushchev’s retirement announced?

Answer 18

-resigned due to “ill health” . Only pravda cover the story

Question 19

How did Krushchev embarrass Russia on Foreign policy?

Answer 19

• Backed down to U.S during Cuban Missile Crisis

- -> humiliating for Soviet Union on world stage.

Question 20

How could the military be seen as a factor in Krushchev’s downfall?

Answer 20

-Offended military by reducing expenditure on conventional arms (focus nuclear)

-

Question 21

How was industry a factor in the fall of Krushchev?

Answer 21

-focus on consumer goods ( people thought heavy industry= neglected)

-

Question 22

How was Agriculture a factor in the fall of Krushchev?

Answer 22

-Failure of Virgin Lands –> Shortfall in food supplies –> forced grain import from USA. (humiliating)

Question 23

How was decentralisation a factor for the downfall of Krushchev?

Answer 23

• Granting autonomy to local Economic councils
• -> upset central party members who lost control

-Krushchev’s demand of quadrennial election in the central committee threatened their influence –> caused bitterness towards Krushchev.

Question 24

How was Krushchev’s personal rule a factor in his downfall?

Answer 24

-Embarrassing beh. e,g UN summit 1962 - shoe banging incident

• Nepotism: E.g son in law member of central committee.
• -> Ignored party bureaucracy : Organised trip to west Germany through his son in law.

Question 25

How were Party reorganisations a factor in Krushchev’s down fall?

Answer 25

Shaked up Party bureaucracy: 2/3 of high up members in institutions were replaced.

–>61’ limit reduced to three terms –> disrupting party hierarchy

Question 26

How did the Presidium view Krushchev?

Answer 26

-felt his Anti- Stalinism had gone to far

Question 27

How did the peasants view Krushchev?

Answer 27

resented Disruptive and repeated interventions and the failure of his policies