Khrushchev Flashcards
(25 cards)
When did Khrushchev become First Secretary of the CPSU?
September 7, 1953.
Who was Khrushchev’s main rival arrested and executed in 1953?
Lavrentiy Beria.
When did Khrushchev become Chairman of the Council of Ministers?
March 1958.
What position gave Khrushchev undisputed leadership of the USSR?
Combined party and government leadership.
When was Khrushchev’s Secret Speech delivered?
February 1956.
What did Khrushchev denounce in the Secret Speech?
Stalin’s cult of personality and purges.
What was a key effect of the Secret Speech?
Initiated de-Stalinization and party reforms.
When did the Virgin Lands Campaign officially launch?
1953.
What was the initial target for land cultivation by 1956?
13 million hectares.
How many hectares were eventually targeted by the campaign?
28–30 million hectares.
How much did the government spend on the campaign (1954-58)?
Over 30 million rubles.
How much grain worth was procured during the campaign period?
Nearly 49 billion rubles.
How many Komsomol volunteers participated in the campaign?
Around 300,000 in 1954.
What was the 1956 grain harvest significance?
Largest in Soviet history at that time.
What caused soil degradation in the Virgin Lands?
Poor farming techniques and erosion.
What happened to grain yields after 1958?
Declined steadily, with 1960 harvest especially poor.
How many fertilizer plants did Khrushchev order to be built?
60 new fertilizer plants.
Did the campaign surpass American grain production by 1960?
No, it failed to surpass US production.
Which ethnic minorities were involved in the campaign labor?
Chechens, Ingush, Crimean Tatars (deported minorities).
How did the campaign affect Kazakhstan’s demographics?
Large Slavic settler influx into Kazakh lands.
By how much did farm incomes rise between 1952-1956?
250% increase.
How much did agricultural investment grow between 1954-1959?
From under 3% to 12.8% of Soviet budget.
By 1955, how much did tractor availability increase?
30% increase.
By 1955, how much did fertilizer production increase?
40% increase.
