Khrushchev 1954(6)-1964 [Depth]

Question 1

Khrushchev [1953-64]

How Did he seize power after Stalin’s Death?

Early Stages

Answer 1

How Did Khrushchev gain power after stalin’s death?

• Malenkov was initially given a role of both party secretary and Chairman of the Council of Minister
– (as he has been deputy to Stalin)
– however he was soon forced to resign from being party secretary
– (others feared his growing power).

• Collective leadership
– was then created with Khrushchev as Party Secretary.
– Other members included:
– Molotov (Foreign Minister)
– Beria (head of MVD).

• As Party Secretary
– Khrushchev was able to start appointing his supporters to
important jobs within the party.

• Decline of Beria
– Beria quickly expressed strong anti-Stalinist sentiments
– e.g. releasing political prisoners
– denouncing purges
– reducing construction projects.

This was Popular with many Russians
– but concerned those in the Collective Leadership.
– He was accused on anti-state activities
–secretly tried
–executed.

• Divisions within the Collective Leadership:

• Malenkov & Molotov wanted to change:
– collectivization
– reduce taxes
– focus more on consumer goods.

• Khrushchev wanted
less change:
– but did want more focus on light industries
– he promoted himself as an agricultural expert
– launched the Virgin Lands Scheme in 1954.
– Initial success of this helped him emerge as a leader.

• Decline of Malenkov
– through lack of support
– forced to resign as Prime
Minister in 1955

– Bulganin then became Prime Minister
– (a close ally of Khrushchev &
controlled by him).

Question 2

Khrushchev [1953-64]

How did he seize power after Stalin’s Death?

Anti-party Group

Answer 2

• Anti-Party Group

• [1957]
– a coup from many in the Presidium to remove Khrushchev
– (especially after his ‘secret speech’).
– It included:
– Malenkov
– Molotov
– Kaganovich.

• However
– Khrushchev argued only the Central Committee could remove him.
– With the support of Marshall Zhukov
- Khrushchev defeated the Anti-Party group
– members were removed (sent to new positions far away from Moscow)
– e.g. Malenkov became Minister for Power Stations
– Molotov became Ambassador to Mongolia

• Significant that Khrushchev did not execute or imprison his opponents.

• Marshall Zhukov & supporters were rewarded for loyalty through seats in the Presidium for aiding Khrushchev Defeat Opposition

Question 3

Khrushchev [1953-64]

How did He seize power after Stalin’s death?

Individual control

Answer 3

• Marshall Zhukov was dismissed in [1957]
– accused of creating a cult centred on him
– Khrushchev also feared his control over the army.

• Bulganin was forced to resign as Premier by Khrushchev in [1958]
– he was suspected of sympathizing with those in the Anti-Party group.

• Khrushchev was then able to gain sole control as both party secretary & Premier.
– Therefore becoming leader of the USSR

Question 4

Khrushchev [1953-64]

How did He and the party Carry out De-Stalinisation?

Answer 4

De-stalinisation

• Removal of Beria, police powers & Gulag system
– highlighted the ‘thaw’ of Stlainist repression.

• Although many of the Presidium wanted to denounce Stalin’s terror state & purges
– they were worried it would remind people of the horrors of the past
– therefore an official denouncement was agreed
– in a ‘closed session’ with just partydelegates:

• Secret Speech [1956]
(‘On the Cult of Personality & it’s Consequences’)
- Khrushchev criticized Stalin for:
– the purges
– terror
– gulags
– poor preparation for World War 2
– disliked by Lenin.

• Overall it was accepted well & many were pleased to distance Communism from Stalin’s actions.

• It was a Not-So-Secret Speech
– copies reached foreign countries & others in the party.

• However
– Khrushchev did not denounce:
– economic controls
– strong leadership
– control over citizens.

– As these were aspects he wished to continue.

• What changes were made to the party & politics?:

• Greater democracy & participation:
– Stalin had made all key decisions & the party &
state had had to agree
– however more debate & decision making occurred:

• Democratisation:

– Membership expanded – (7 million in 1956 to 11 million in in 1964)
– more working class members.
– Non party members had more of a role in (party? membership? eh?)

• Decentralisation:

– Party was split into urban & rural sections.
– Local soviets role was increased
- new courts for minor offences.
– Khrushchev visited local towns & villages.
– Economic organization moved from Moscow to local authorities.

• Secret police became less important:
– the Police were bought under control of the party & government.
– Political crimes became less oppressed by the secret police
– some prisoners were freed.

– Much of this was due to the fall of Beria.

• Rise of the Communist Party:
– this increased further after Khrushchev used them
(through it’s Central Committee) to deal with the Anti-Party group coup
– members who helped him became many in the Presidium

Question 5

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Industry
Issues He inherited

Answer 5

When Khrushchev came to Ultimate power in 1956 he inherited some issues:

• World War Two destroyed much of Russian industry
– the high death rate reduced
the workforce.

– Russia had gained more areas to control in Eastern Europe following the war (Satellite States)
– Comecon had been created to help the economic organization between these countries
– but this was still low compared to the west.

• The increasing involvement in the Cold War with America also added to financial problems.

• 2 Five Year Plans were created to rebuild the economy &
industry:

• [1946-1950 Five Year Plan]:
– Aimed to catch up with the USA & rebuild heavy industry
& transport
– Grand Projects, canals, industrial plants (long hours & low wages
continued).

• [1951-1955 Five Year Plan]:
– Continued with heavy industry until Malenkov took over in
(1953)
– focus then moved to consumer goods, housing & services
– (less spent on the military & heavy industry).

Question 6

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Industry

Problems For K to try Correct

Answer 6

• The Ministers in Moscow were disorganized
– set different targets
– no cohesion &
– not enough administrators to organize the economy.

• No incentive for workers/managers to produce more
– if targets were exceeded, they were then increased the next year & expected to work harder.

• Output /produce was assessed by weight
– so produce such as iron, steel etc was valued more
– (although the pubic wanted textiles, furniture etc. produced more)

Question 7

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Industry

Changes made by Khrushchev in industry for the central Party/ policy

Answer 7

Khrushchev made some industrial changes for the economy by Changing and implementing economic policys from the center gov

• 60 Moscow Ministries were abolished.
– Replaced with the creation of 105 economic regions
– (all with their own economic council to organize & supervise).

• This also helped Khrushchev
– as he had more support in local areas
– therefore giving them more power helped to move power away from Moscow (decentrilisation)

• [1959 Seven Year Plan]
- This shows that although there had been some decentralization
– there was still a considerable amount of central planning in
Moscow.

• [replaced by 7th Five Year Plan in 1961]

Question 8

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Industry

Industrial Changes Made By Khrushchev

Answer 8

Khrushchev Made other Industrial Changes too:

• Industrial changes:

• Expansion of chemicals industry
– plastics
– artificial fibres
– housing products
– food
– clothing etc
– increased standards of living, fashion & convenience

• Housing
– new flats built of prefabricated materials

• More consumer goods produced/available
– TVs
– radios
– vacuum cleaners
– washing machines

– This shows a focus on private home life & domesticity to ease the workload of women).

• Luxuries: makeup, perfume, fashionable clothing etc. increased
= standard of living, similar to the west.

• Modernisation of power:
– natural gas, oil, coal, power stations.

• Brussels World Fair [1958]
– Khrushchev used this to display advances in Russia’s technology to the rest of the world
– e.g. in areas such as:

• Railways
– many run on electricity & the expansion of the network.

• Aeroflot company was subsidized by the state to offer cheap air travel
– helped trade throughout Russia.

• First nuclear powered ship launched
– called: Lenin in [1959].

• Space
– [1957] first satellite (Sputnik) launched
– a dog was put into space.
– [1961] Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.
– Showed Advances in Russian Industrial technologies and Ignighted the Space Race

Question 9

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Industry

Problems Created by Industrial Chages

Answer 9

Industrial Changes under Khrushchev created problems such as:

• Decentralisation had made the system too complicated & bureaucratic.

• Heavy spending on armaments & the space race
– meant not enough investment & focus was put into improving standards of living, through consumer goods
– (especially in the 1960s)
– e.g. [1958] growth of the economy was 10% per year, but 7.5% in 1964.

Question 10

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Aggraculture

Problems Stalin had, which Khrushchev Inherited

Answer 10

aggracultural problems Khrushchev inherited from Stalin

• World War Two had led to many crops, farms & animals being destroyed in the war.

Question 11

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Aggraculture

Changes to Aggraculture

Answer 11

Khrushchev made many changes to Aggraculture:

• Further decentralization
– power splipped away from the Ministry of Agriculture
– to local party.

• He wanted to encourage peasants to grow more produce, through schemes such as:
– More money given from the state to peasants for grain & other produce.
– less produce had to be given to the state.
– Taxes were reduced.
– Collectives allowed to set their own targets & greater independence how they use
the land.
– Modernisation to increase production:
– more farms connected to electricity
– use of chemical fertilizer
– farm machinery & tractors
– some collectives merged to create even larger state farms.

• New crops
– Khrushchev encouraged the growing of maize
– this could be used for humans & animals. (it was crap tho)

• Agrocities
– large collective farming towns (with the convenience of towns but traditions of rural life).
– However not very successful.

Question 12

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Aggraculture

The Virgin Land Scheme [1956-63]

Answer 12

• The aim was to increase production in uncultivated areas
- West Siberia & North Kazakhstan.

• [1953]
– initial success & then developed out.
– 6 million Acers planted
– Propaganda tried to encourage farmers to move to these areas (build settlements nearbye)
– ¼ million Komsomol (Youth movement) were used help build roads, fences, ditches etc.

• By [1956]
- nearly 36 million hectares had been ploughed for wheat
– increase from 82.5MT grain to 125mT of grain

• 140,000 tractors supplied to farms

• local Climate was ignored
– changed successfull corn and wheat to hard to grow Maize
– seeds sowen on oft unsuitable land so hard to grow
– snow melted by fires to plant, but peasnt settlements always built of wood
– fertiliser was rarley avalible, and land was under fertilised and over used

• Lead to [1963] food shortage
– super cold and a bad harvest
– ⅓ reduction in production of grain
– low food for livestock = killed livestock, now low livestock

– grain produced too low to sustain USSR
– had to import Grain from USA and AUS to survive

Question 13

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Aggraculture

Success and Failure of Agg policys

Answer 13

SUCCESS

• Increase in production
– e.g. cereals went from 82 million T 1952 to 132 by 1964
– meat from 5.2 in 1952 to 9.1 by 1964
– milk from 36 in 1952 to 63 by 1964.

FAILURE

• Farmers still spent more time on their private plots, rather than communal farming.

• Prices
– state officials kept altering the prices paid for grains
– prices seen as too low by Peasnts

• Most farmers could not work & repair the new technology & tractors effectively.

• Virgin Land Scheme
– poor climate & the soil was not cultivated/rotated enough so it
became infertile. 1963 Food Shortage

• Too much focus on growing maize
– not enough milk or wheat produced

Question 14

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Society

Problems inherited by stalin

Answer 14

• Peasants earned 20% less than industrial workers.

• Shortages of food, housing & consumer goods often created problems in towns/cities.

• Long hours of work – often
12 per day.

• High targets often set

• women were expected to work in the industrial factories (as well as domestic duties)

Question 15

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Society

Khrushchev’s Improvments

Answer 15

• Greater focus & availability of consumer goods such as:
– radios, washing machines, fridges etc.

• Some foreign imports also allowed
– cosmetics, fashion, textiles etc.
– Highlighting some improvements in standard of living & domestic life.

• Housing crisis partially improved
– new prefabricated & modern housing built.

• Financial improvements
– conscriptions to the state were abolished
– tax for bachelors & childless couples removed (stalin was weird)
– increase in pensions.

• Working conditions
– 40 hour week, 7 hr day
– higher wages for lowest paid
– more power for trade unions
- these created greater social equality & representation for workers.

• Other areas
- higher standard of education at primary/secondary level
– meant more could continue to university
– greater access to doctors & welfare
– improved local & cross country transport (bus network, train services).
– Also increasing standard of living & morale through more westernized standards.

Question 16

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Society

What issues didn’t Khrushchev Deal with/ create

Answer 16

• Society was still unequal
– better health care, holidays access to luxuries for those
higher up politically.

– Most working class & peasants could not afford cars
– only party officials.

• Consumer goods were often basic & low quality.

• Russia’s living standards were still below those in the west

Question 17

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Social/ culture

Changes/relaxation in culture and Social aspect of Russia

Answer 17

• Reading foreign literature, radio broadcasts was allowed
- also some travel abroad.

• Media/TV showcased Russian talent abroad
– Moscow State Circus & Kirov Ballet.

• ‘Intourist’ created by Khrushchev
- to encourage foreigners to visit Russia
– so other countries could see Russia’s advancements especially in technology.

• E.g. [World Festival of Youth in 1957]
– 34,000 people from 131 countries visited
Moscow.

• [However]
– this created problems for Khrushchev as Russian youth were brought into contact with westerners & many were attracted by the fashion such as:
– jeans, clothes, rock and roll music. (same tho)

• This was partly linked in a rise of opposition from the youth
– vandalism, students boycotting lectures.
– By [1961] the majority were reported to be most motivated by material ambitions.

Question 18

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Social/ culture

Basicaly Censorship under Khrushchev

Answer 18

Khrushchev tried to show change through greater acceptance of the arts & individual expression

• however this had restrictions:
– Some new publications were allowed
– Ehrenberg’s ‘The Thaw’ (about a woman who leaves her tyrannical husband)
– Solzhenitsyn’s ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ (about life in the gulag).
These both criticized life under Stalin (but not Communism itself.)

• Some western books by Graham Greene & Earnest Hemingway
were also allowed.

• Those that criticized the Soviet system or Communism were not allowed
– e.g. Boris Pasternak’s ‘Dr Zhivago’ that criticized the destruction of society & prosperity by the Bolshevik take over & Civil War.

Question 19

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Social/ culture

Churches

Answer 19

• These were continued to be repressed by Khrushchev
– atheism was promoted.

• Children couldn’t attend church services or be taught about Christianity.

• Mass closure of monasteries & churches
– from 22,000 in 1959 to 8000 in 1965
– many became public buildings such as museums.

• Pilgrimages fucking Banned

• 22nd annual Party conference in 1961: Khrushchev introduce bible substitue: ‘Moral code’

Question 20

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Economy
Social/ culture

Ethnic Minoritys under Nikita Khrushchev

Answer 20

• Khrushchev disliked the idea of greater independence of minoritys
– promoted the idea of a single common language.

• Refused to allow Jews to have their schools
- claimed they were too focused on intellectual ideas
– not enough on industry.
– He refused to allow them to move to the new Jewish state of Israel (created after World War 2)

Question 21

Khrushchev [1953-64]

Opposition (in the form of the Arts) To Khrushchev

Answer 21

• Due to the greater relaxation of censorship and the arts
– a new group of ‘cultural
dissidents’ emerged
- they used the arts to criticize Khrushchev over issues such as
human rights and democracy.

• Publications (used to critisise K):

• Some writers published abroad
– e.g. Boris Pasternak
- they often circulated back to
Russia, so Censorship sometimes just didnt work.

• Sometimes printing was done at night & secretively given out
– this was dangerous & illegal.

• Underground societies
– ‘The Youngest Society of Geniuses’
– was a student group that published a journal called: ‘The Sphinxes’ with poetry & prose.

• Poetry (to critisise Khrushchev):

• Readings were often heard in squares in Moscow by students & intelligentsia.

– However, some were arrested from [1961] for subversive political behavior
– (content of the poetry was too critical of the regime)
– some were sent to prison.

• Magazines (to crit K):

• Some publishers & editors were also punished for subversive behavior
– e.g. Alexander Ginsburg was sent to Labour camps for complaints about rights and
democracy.
– Publications included ‘Boomerang’ & ‘Phoenix’.

• [1961] – 130,000 (magazine makers) were identified & many arrested for having an ‘anti-social, parasitic way of life’.
– Many had written publications that criticized the government
– they were forbidden to work for the state in skilled/professional jobs
– but some could take jobs such as sweep cleaners.
– However, others were sent to labour camps or mental
hospitals.

• Music & art (to crit K):

• Illegal recordings were also made & passed around
– often with forbidden & western
music styles such as jazz, rock and roll, pop & soul music.

• ‘Non conformist art’ (different to soviet realism) was created & sold privately & secretly.
– E.g. Vassiliev & Kabakov worked as official state children’s book illustrator
– but also produced non’conformist art in the underground movement.

• Khrushchev argued with artists at the Manezh Art Exhibition in 1962
- regarding the function of art.

• Ballet
– the Bolshoi & Kirov ballet companies gained worldwide recognition & fame
for many tourists.
– However, Rudolf Nureyev (who was famous throughout the
world)
– was spied on by the KGB for his modern & non-conformist style
– he defected (never returned) from Russia in [1961]
– after being allowed to leave the country on a ballet tour.

Question 22

Khrushchev [1953-64]
Opposition

Political Opposition and how he was different at dealing with it than Stalin

Answer 22

• Khrushchev faced opposition from the Communist party in the 1950s
– from conservative members such as Malenkov & Molotov
– who thought he was too
liberal
– disliked the extent of de-Stalinisation & attack on Stalin.
– E.g. the Anti-party group in 1957.

• He removed apparent allies such as Bulganin & Marshall Zhukov
– for fear of their popularity & potential for opposition.

How was punishment different to Stalin?

• Khrushchev dealt with opposition more leniently than Stalin
– e.g. Molotov became
ambassador to Mongolia
– Kaganovich became director of potash works.
– Less were imprisoned & many released for political crimes
– e.g. [1956] up to 9 million
were released or declared not guilty
– by [1960] about 2 million had returned from the Gulags.

• However
– the release & more lenient treatment of political opponents meant:
– more spoke out against Khrushchev & campaigned for greater rights & democracy.
– Some disliked the leniency of Khrushchev
– e.g. violent demonstrations in Georgia in 1956 over destalinization (Stalin was Georgan)

• Overall, ordinary people did not oppose outwardly & appeared to accept their situation
– So Khrushchev didn’t have to result to too much violence.

Question 23

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Answer 23

Khrushchev inherited the problem that a Cold War already existed, between Russia & the West

• (especially over the issue of Eastern Europe & nuclear power).

• However – he claimed to follow a policy of ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the west
– with greater use of negotiation & trade/peace agreements.

Question 24

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Success in Dealing with the Cold War

Answer 24

Success:

• [Austrian State Treaty 1955]
– showed support for Austria to gain independence (in return for their neutrality)
& co-operation with the west.

• [Hungarian uprising 1956]
– although this had been created through Hungary’s hope that destalinization would lead to greater independence
– many in Russia were
please with Khrushchev’s firm stance at defeating the rebels using armed forces & tanks. (allot)

• [ Berlin Wall 1961]
– Khrushchev had previously demanded that the west remove
themselves completely from Berlin
– (as it was in Russia’s section of Germany),
– Kennedy refused & the wall was created
– (also to stop more fleeing to the west & fear of spies).
– Many in Russia were impressed by this strong action.

• [Cuban Missile Crisis 1962]
– some praised Khrushchev’s tough stance on negotiations
with Kennedy
– & the agreement for the USA to remove nuclear weapons from
Turkey.
– a ‘hot line’ telephone was also set up after the event
– (to make communication easier between Russia & the USA)

Question 25

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Problems and Critisism of How He handles the Cold war

Answer 25

Problems/criticisms:

• Some thought ‘peaceful coexistence’ was against Communist principles & did not
encourage the spread of Communism.

• [China] believed this
– disagreements such as
Russia withdrawing support for China’s atomic bomb in 1959 & siding with India over the Sino-Indian war
– also lost Russia a vital ally.

• [Hungarian uprising 1956]
– some claim it was Khrushchev’s leniency that encouraged it
– also the harsh treatment of the rebels in Budapest also damaged the reputation of Communism
– (it was seen as violent & oppressive).

• [Berlin Wall]
– also deteriorated relations with the west & created a damaging
reputation of Communism.

• [Cuban Missile Crisis]
– he was criticized for nearly starting nuclear war
– also some thought he was weak for agreeing to remove nuclear weapons from Cuba.

• Overall his actions appear inconsistent
– both peaceful & aggressive.

By [1964]
– relations overall were still unstable
– with a more definitive gap between Russia & the
West.

• [China]
– relations with this potential ally had also deteriorated:
– Mao disliked the Secret Speech due to the criticism of Stalin
– Mao believed it led to greater calls for a move away from Communism in Eastern Europe in Poland & Hungary.

Question 26

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

quick fire Cold War Stuffs

Answer 26

• [1953] helps to sign the Korean War ceasefire after stalin’s death

• [1954] joins UK + USA to negotiate French withdrawal from indo-china

• [1955]
– Austrian peace treaty and withdrawal to make it neutral
– summit of Geneva with UK, France and Eisenhower to talk about relations and nukes

• to demonstrate his policy of the Thaw he visited India, China, USA, UK, Yugoslavia

• [1959] he meets with President Eisenhower

• [1960] he storms out of an un meeting after the USA does not apologize for the U2 spy plane event

• [1961] he went to Vienna over tensions in Germany (to resolve)

• [1963] signs be nuclear test band Treaty which dictates they shouldn’t test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere or space
– China is sad because they will do it trying to do that

Question 27

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Poland

Answer 27

• Gomulka [polish leader that K didn’t aprove of]

said things such as:

” Polish way of socialism”

and

“The Polish Thaw”

in 1956

• when the USSR visit people believe they will invade

• however they didn’t allowed autonomy for internal Polish affairs
– as long as they do not leave the Warsaw pact

Question 28

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Hungary 1956

Answer 28

• student riots for reformed independence causes the (Stalin in pointed) minister rakos of hungry to resign in June 1956

• Repaced by: IMRE NAGY

• K allowed him to do things:
– the Red Army leaves
– local parties are allowed to meet again
– the Catholic church leader is freed from prison

they like this freedom to do things

BUT

• [31st oct 1956] Hungary leaves the Warsaw pact

• [4th Nov] Soviet tanks turn up outside of Budapest
– 4,000 were killed
– 200,000 hungarians escaped to the west

• Nagy’s Last words were “Help, Help, Help” over a western Radio, as he was captured and executed

• the western allys decided: Nah flip that i aint going to WWIII

Question 29

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Georgia 1956

Answer 29

Georgia was stalin’s birthplace

Because of this the Pride of the USSR was from Georgia
– which gave them a big boost in pride themselves

9th March 1956
– uprise in Tiblisi
– protests against d-style organisation
– riots for Independence by young people who have no recollection of the purges

• Moscow Solves issue with guns 100’s die

Question 30

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Germany

Answer 30

1949-57: 2million flee to west berlin

[1955]
Khrushchev’s note

• he demands the West to acknowledge East Germany and if not the USSR will give East Germany routes between West Berlin and West Germany so they have to be recognised

• [Nov 1958]
The ultimatum
– recognise East Germany (via a West-WG, EG-USSR west-USSR peace treatys) or Khrushchev will make a EG-USSR peace treaty
– and allow them to take over West Berlin and Unite Germany he gives them six months for the USA to respond

• the USA says only is East Germany can have free access to West Germany

• K withdraws the ultimatum in 1959

• [1961] The Berlin wall was constructed
– this calms the situation as the brain drain stops and the Professionals can no longer try to escape East Berlin

• later k believes that he needs positive results to justify his leadership methods
– he plans to visit West Germany to resolve the issues between east and west
– however he falls from power before he could get the chance to go

BONUS

– John F Kennedy makes a speech to West Germany / West Berlin 1963
– in which he dedicates himself to protect them

– he also says Ich bin ein Berliner

Which translates to: I am a berliner (a type of Doughnut)

Question 31

Khrushchev [1953-64]
The Cold War

Sino-Soviet Relations

Answer 31

• Chaiman mao does not like the peaceful coexistence, The Thaw, De-Stalinisation, The Weakness of the USSR and Khrushchev

• chairman Mao did like Stalin

[1949] China becomes communist

[1950] Treaty of friendship signed between Stalin and Mao

[1954] k signs a trade deal with China

[1956] The Secret Speech Angers mao because he likes Stalin

• mao decides to make his own Cult of Personality

• [1959]
when k met Eisenhower the meeting concluded with K cutting China’s Nukes USSR funding

• [1962]
USSR helps India in the sino Indian war

All this leads to Mao deciding he no longer likes k

• USA ping pong diplomacy increases the relationship between the USA and china
– as mao feels he’s betrayed by the USSR so he needs to get new friends in the USA

• China things it should lead world communism and not the USSR

Question 32

Khrushchev [1953-64]

Why did Khrushchev Fall from Power?

Answer 32

What factors led to his downfall?

• Personality
– he had created a ‘one man rule’ through removing key ministers in the 1950s
– thereby creating his own ‘cult of personality’.
– Some disliked his eccentric behavior
– e.g. at the UN General Assembly, he banged his shoe on the table.

• He was criticized for promoting his son-in-law’s career
– as editor of Izvestia
– election to the Central Committee
– liaison with foreign diplomats.

• Decentralization
– the creation of many economic councils (105)
– power to local party members, meant that the central party members, especially in Moscow, lost power

• More frequent elections for the Central Committee
– (a quarter of seats every election)
– created uncertainty & they felt under threat.
– this was done to Reduce opposition building up from within the Party

• Agriculture
– failure of the Virgin Land Scheme
– lack of food supply/crops (especially in 1963)
– the need to import grain from the USA & Canada
- created a decline in living standards
– reflected badly on Khrushchev’s new ideas for agriculture.

• Industry
– some conservatives disliked the focus on consumer goods.
– There was also often a shortage of consumer goods to meet demand.

• Military
– they disliked that less money was being spent on weapons
– thought too much was being spent on nuclear weapons.

• Foreign policy
– he was criticized over relations with the USA with the Cuban Missile Crisis (poor negotiations/creating the threat of nuclear war
– also the deal to remove
bases from Cuba).

• Khrushchev was criticized for deteriorating relations with
China & for disagreements with Mao over nuclear weapons & Test Ban Treaty.

Question 33

Khrushchev [1953-64]

Fall From Power and Replacement

Answer 33

• [April 1964]
– Khrushchev had been given the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ award
– however shortly after he was removed in a coup:

• [October 1964]
– whilst on holiday in Georgia, he was ordered to return to a meeting with the Presidium by Brezhnev (his successor)
– He was faced with many points of criticism regarding his leadership
– he agreed to sign a letter of resignation the following day.

• The public were told he resigned due to age & ill health
– through Pravda & the radio.

• He was succeeded by Brezhnev.