Khrushchev rule: Flashcards
(123 cards)
1
Q
who was georgi malenkov?
A
he managed the soviet unions war effort, in 1946, stalin appointed him as deputy prime minister and became a full time member of the presidium. he was one of stalins faves and he used to talk about ‘old times’ even though he leaned towards reform. he exercised a brief period of leadership but was expelled from the presidium in 1957 and the party in 1961. he was a potential successor of stalin
2
Q
who was nikita khruschev?
A
he was of peasant origins and worked for the party in the early 1930s, gaining a reputation for efficiency. organised the building of the moscow underground. he entered the politburo in 1939 and was chosen to supervise agricultural production. he was stalins successor and became first secretary of the communist party in 1953.
3
Q
who was lavrentia beria?
A
he replaced yezhov as head of the nkvd, following his purge in 1938. an intelligent but ruthless ma, his powers increased during war years and was awarded a deputy prime minister position in 1941.
4
Q
what was announced on 6 march 1953?
A
malenkov would combine the role of secretary of the partys central committee and chairman of the council of ministers, but within a few days he was forced to step down and concentrate on his government role.
5
Q
why was malenkovs demotion significant?
A
it mean that nikita Khrushchev could take the post of party secretary. also, a collective leadership was formed with molotov and beria, all exerting considerable influence.
6
Q
what did Khrushchev do once he was appointed to party secretary?
A
appointing his own proteges to important positions and although underestimated as a serious contender, he built a strong network support in the partys administrative machinery.
7
Q
how did beria want to depart from stalinist policies?
A
he advocated for the release of dangerous political prisoners, took a moderate line in foreign policy, denounced mingrelian purge and sought to scale back on some of stalins more costly construction projects. the popularity of his pronouncements as well as the power of his office cause alarm at the top.
8
Q
what happened to beria when he tried to depart from stalinist policies?
A
malenkov and other presidium members including khrushchev conspired against him and arranged his arrest at the hands of the military in jun 1953. an anti beria campaign was conduction and he was secretly tried on 24 dec 1953. his supporters were also purged
9
Q
what was the party divided on policies?
A
foreign policy, industrial and agricultural and the role of the party
10
Q
what did malenkov do for policy?
A
placed government above party, attempted, with molotovs backing to use his influence to launch a new cause to change collective farming, reduce peasant taxes and put more investment into consumer goods.
11
Q
how did khrushchev oppose this?
A
he placed party above government and offered his own set of new proposals. he offered a less radical proposal for the parallel development of heavy and light industry and sold himself as an agricultural expert. he lauched his virgin land schemes which helped to build support.
12
Q
why did malenkov have to step down?
A
he found himself isolated so had to stepdown as chairman of the council of ministers. he took the new and relatively unimportant role of minister for power stations.
13
Q
who succeeded malenkov?
A
nikolai bulgagin (he had been promoted by khruschev for a number of years)
14
Q
what was the attempt to unseat khruschev in 1957?
A
there was an attempt to unseat him when he was on a visit to finland. a majority in the presidium voted for his dismissal but khruschev insisted the matter be put to the central committee. he ensured those favourable would be brought to moscow to be in his favour. he also benefited from the support of zhukov so brought the red army support. zhukov spoke out against melnkov, molotov and kaganovich
15
Q
what happened to the anti-party group?
A
they were duly outvoted by the CC, and accused of involvement in the purges. expelled from the cc. sent to jobs far to moscow.
16
Q
how did khrushchev ensure that he was not reliant on others?
A
zhukov was dismissed and a propoganda campaign accused him of hindering the party and creating his own personality cult. bulgagin was accused of encouraging the anti party group and forced to step down. K took over as general secretary of the party so the two jobs were combined once more.
17
Q
how had K began to reverse stalinist policies?
A
those accused in the doctors plot were released, beria the police and gulag system had all been attacked. a cultural thaw was underway.
18
Q
how did members of the presidium respond to destalinisation?
A
most welcomed the dismantling of stalinist terror but many had been involved in the purges and did not want a reopening of the past. uneasy at the thought of delegates debating stalins rule and K persuaded them to do so in a closed session. this was to be held in secret with no questions.
19
Q
what was Khrushchev’s secret speech?
A
it was titled, on the cult of personality and its consequences’, held in secret in a closed session. delivered a blistering attack on stalin accusing him of responsibility of the purges, terror, torture, mass arrests. causing tremendous harm to socialist policies. he quoted lenins testament and accsued him of betraying lenins policies. he blamed him for the murder of kirov and called fro the rehabilitation of trotsky. questioned stalins wartime leadership
20
Q
how was the secret speech met?
A
with resounding applause, copies were sent to foreign parties and its contents were soon filtered down through the party ranks. some younger communists were demanding that the crimes should be brought to justice but K quietly declined comment on this.
21
Q
what did the speech fail to mention?
A
purging of ordinary citizens, accepted economic controls, strong leadership, single party, elimination of factions
mentioned : autocratic leadership, supression of party members, mishandling of the war
22
Q
why did the speech fail to mention several aspects of stalinist society?
A
justify a good deal of continuity but distances them from stalin, no wish to incriminate himself as he had benefitted from the stalinist system
23
Q
how did the role of the party change under K?
A
- party renewed sense of importance as centres for debate and decision making
- police found themselves again
- coercive machinery of stalinist era was dismantled and secret police reduced in size.
- political amnesities and a partial revival of the judicial system which marked a move away from police influence
24
Q
how did the party gain from berias fall?
A
he was able to use his influence in the party in his struggle for power, when he sought cc support, he was returning to a traditional hierarchy of power, as advocated for lenin whereby smaller institutions were directly responsible.
25
what was democratisation?
this would involve weakening the traditional bureacracy to give more responsibility to the people
26
what was decentralisation?
this would give more iniative to the localities.
27
what measures were introduced to achieve democratisation?
new rules issued to limit how long party officials could serve.
membership expanded from 7 million to 11 mil, broadened partys popular base
non party members were encouraged to take supervisory roles and some were invited to party congresses
economic decentralisation was pursued, moving some power from central moscow ministries to provinces
28
what were measures introduced to achieve decentralisation?
split into rural and urban sections at all levels
more working class members
role of local soviets was augmented to handle minor offences
k visited villages and towns
29
what was soviet economy like under stalin following the war?
it faced severe economic strains, the war had destroyed 70% of its industrial capacity and severely reduced the workforce
30
how was the soviet economy struggling?
the ussr faced a huge defence budget as its new satellite states met the costs of the emerging cold war. (led to the cold war) land lease came to an abrupt end and stalin refused territories to have marshall aid from the us. established the cominform
31
what was the aim of the fourth five year plan 1946 - 50?
to catch up with the usa, rebuild heavy industry and revive the ukraine.
32
give in depth details of the fourth five year plan of how they planned to achieve?
- use of extensive reparations from east germany
- maintenance of wartime controls on labour force - long hours, low wages, female labour etc
- grand projects i.e. canals
33
how successful was the fourth five year plan?
2nd to usa in industrial capacity, most targets in heavy industry met, production doubled and urban workforce increase from 67 to 77 million. industrially stronger than pre war
34
what were the aims of the fifth five year plan 1951 - 55?
continuation of heavy industry development and transport, stronger investments to housing, consumer goods, services etc.
35
give in depth details of the fifth five year plan of how they planned to achieve?
continuation of 4th five year plan but resources diverted to rearmament during the korean war. after stalin died, malenkov reduced expenditure of military and heavy industry
36
how successful was the 5th five year plan?
- most growth targets met
- national income increased 71 per cent
- malenkovs changes resulted in his removal
37
how did khrushchev originally oppose malenkov?
opposed his proposal to move away from heavy to light industry but once firmly established in power, he introduced industrial changes which went some way to change stalins economy and developed new industrial areas
38
what were some issues with stalins rigid system?
- Ministers in moscow set different industrial targets for each enterprise,
- Too few administrators to make the system work properly
- Enterprises were judged and given bonuses according to their success in fulfilling output targets, but exceeding targets would mean that the targets were raised so managers would prefer to play safe and hide their production capacity to avoid too much innovation
- Another disincentive to modernisation was the way the output targets were assessed which was by weight, heavy goods were favoured over lighter ones, regardless of whether this was what consumers had wanted
- Since resources were not efficiently used, capital investments were needed even to stand still and more to increase
39
how did khruschev influence the economy with his optimism?
Khrushchev introduced changes that were not all his own ideas, but he implemented them with a new energy and the sixth five-year plan but its targets were overly optimistic, and it was abandoned after 2 years
40
what did k do to move the economy towards decentralisation?
sixty moscow ministers were abolished
ussr was divided into 105 economic regions, with its own local economic council to plan and supervise economic affairs.
(removed malenkovs men and extended ks power to localities)
41
what did the seven year plan of 1959 emphasise?
improving standards of living for ordinary people with a 40 hour week and 50 percent wage promised by 1965. merged into a seventh 5 year plan., slogan-ed ‘catch up and overtake the usa by 1970.’ shift to neglected modern industries.
42
how were modern industries prioritised?
vast expansion of chemical industry - plastic, fertilisers etc.
housing factories for new flats
increased production of consumer goods
greater exploitation of natural resources i.e. gas, oil and coal.
building of power station
43
how was soviet communications and technology expanded?
- many railway lines electrified, network was greatly expanded
- amazed world at the brussels world fair in 1958
- air transport was expanded to offer cheap long distance passenger travel (could buy a ticket to moscow and still make a profit)
- launched the earths first satellite (sputnik) and took a dog into orbit.
- pictures of the moon
- icebreaker - lenin - was launced, worlds first civil nuclear powered ship
- yuri gagarin first human in space
44
give examples of industrial output increasing from 1955 to 1965?
coal - 491 to 578
electricity - 170 to 507
45
how were k ambitions greater than his achievement?
his decentralisation measures just added another layer of bureacracy and it was abandoned in 1965. standards of living improved but there were still severe limitations of quality of life. space race distorted economy and although gap narrowed, it came nowhere near to overtaking the usa.
46
where can a decline in industrial growth be seen?
consumer industries which had only a 2% growth in 1964 + when supermarkets first opened, they used abacuses not tills and registers
47
how can excessive risk taking be seen?
laika died in orbit. its instrumentation was unsophisticated and inferior to usa.
48
how was soviet agriculture left under stalin?
Soviet agriculture had been left in a desperate state following the war, the ‘scorched earth’ policy had destroyed western regions and only a third of farms were left operational. The 1945 harvest produced less than 60 per cent of prewar harvests and 1946 saw the worst drought experienced since 1891. Two thirds of the agricultural labour force had gone, many animals were destroyed, there were few horses left and there was little agricultural machinery. Two post-war five-year plans tried to promote revival.
49
what did the fourth five year plan aim to help for agriculture?
To force the Kolkhozes to deliver agricultural products
To revive the wheat fields of the Ukraine
To ‘transform nature’ and revitalise barren land
50
give details of the 4th 5 year plan for agriculture:
Massive state direction: high quotas for grain and livestock/ low peasant wages. Higher taxes on produce from private plots and private land absorbed in the war returned to kolkhozes
Tree plantations, canals and irrigation ditches to make land more usable.
Following ideas of scientist = Lysenko
51
how successful was the 4th 5 year plan for agriculture?
- state procured 70% of 1946, leaving peasants with little
- output of Kolkhozes increased but not to 1930 levels
- incentives remained low
- almost a half of output came from private plots, lagged industry
- Lysenko's ideas perpetuated inaccurate theories which held farming back
52
52
what was the aims of the fifth five year plan for agriculture?
Continuation of the fourth five-year plans aims plus Khruschev's initiative to develop ‘virgin lands’, and build agrocities
- High procedural levels maintained
- Expansion of agriculture
53
how successful was the fifth five year plan?
agricultural production still behind industry and not yet to level of 1940
54
how did k portray himself with agriculture?
He prided himself of his agricultural expertise, coming from a peasant background, he enjoyed spending time in the countryside discussing farming matters.
55
how did k feel about stalins agricultural developments?
As early as 1953, Khruschev told the Central Committee that the limitations of agricultural production under Stalin had been concealed by unreliable statistics and that, in practice, grain output and livestock reared was less than it was in the later years of Tsarist Russa. Stalin’s encouragement of particular farming methods was also criticised by him as counterproductive (though Khrushchev continued to favour some whose ideas were scientifically dubious)
56
what did k do for investment and reforms for agriculture?
Khrushchev therefore increased investment and put forward a number of proposals for change, as with industry, he placed the implementations of reform in the hands of local party organisations. The ministry of agriculture's powers was thus reduced so that it became little more than a consultative and advisory body.
57
what incentives were introduced to encourage peasants to produce more?
- Price paid for state procurements of grain and other agricultural goods was raised (rose 25%)
- State procurement quotas were reduced
- Taxes were reduced (and made payable on plot size rather than what they owned)
- Quotas on peasants private plots were cut
- Peasants who did not possess animals were no longer to be required to deliver meat to the state
- Collectives were allowed to set their own production targets and choose how to use their land
58
what other changes were introduced to increase production?
- Increase in the number of farms which were connected to electricity grid
- A 1962 campaign for the increased use of chemical fertiliser
- Increase in the use of farm machinery, collectives able to buy from the Machine Tractor stations (disbanded in 1958 – suited peasants who formerly had to pay for the loan of equipment)
- Encouragement to merge collectives to create larger farms, the result was that the number of collectives were halved. Number of state farms increased, used to develop the virgin lands
59
what was the virgin lands scheme?
Khrushchev believed that one way to increase production was to cultivate grazing lands in western Siberia and northern Kazakhstan that had not previously been put under the plough. When the first scheme in 1953 proved successful, the cultivated area was extended, and a huge campaign was launched to attract farmers to settle in these parts. Members of the Komsomol were also encouraged to spend time on the new farms, helping to build settlements, put up fences, dig ditches and build roads. By 1956, 35.9 million hectares of virgin lands had been ploughed for wheat; the equivalent of the total cultivated area of Canada.
60
what other campaigns did k introduce for new crops?
Launched new campaigns for new crops, particularly maize. He thought that this would be the answers to the food shortages, since it produced a high tonnage per hectare and could be used for humans and animals. Indeed, after he visited the USA in 1959, he encouraged the production of cornflakes. He even staged a campaign against private cows – many of which were ‘voluntarily’ transferred.
61
what were atrocities?
huge collective towns. This was an attempt to replicate urban conditions of work and living on the land and so destroying the old, conservative, rural villages, making for greater efficiency. However, this never got past the visionary stage.
62
give examples of production expansions:
Cereals – 82 to 132
Meat – 5.2 to 9.1
Milk – 36 to 63
The statistics look impressive, although his target of 180 million tons of cereals was not met. Nevertheless, they again hide a more complex picture.
63
did the new measure increase peasant output?
the new measures failed to encourage the peasants to put more effort into their work on the collective farms. Although there was some attempt to increase the amount of time the peasants spent on communal farming, the latter continued to provide about half the peasants income and to contribute over 30% of the produce sold in the USSR. This was despite the fact that private plots represented around 3% of the total cultivated land.
64
how was the new pricing system a failure?
Furthermore, the new pricing system provided a failure because state officials kept altering the price, so farmers found it difficult to plan ahead. Frustrations at the low prices the state paid for products and the interference of party officials brought plenty of grumbling, sometimes had the effect of reduced peasant output.
65
why was selling of tractors less effective?
even the selling of tractors to collectives was less effective than it might have been because, there were too few farmers capable of carrying out repairs, and peasants were not prepared to pay the repair stations to service the machinery.
66
how was the virgin lands scheme unsuccessful?
Khruschev's grand schemes also had their problems, the virgin lands scheme was much less successful than it had seemed at first in the long term. Climactic conditions had not been considered, and the land was worked so intensively, and without any rotations of wheat that land erosion took place and land rapidly became infertile. A bad harvest in 1963 did not help, embarrassingly for Khrushchev, the USSR was forced to import grain as a result – some from North America.
67
what was the problem with maize?
the over-enthusiasm of local officials to meet with favour by growing maize, legumes or ploughing up grassland was not always agriculturally sound. There was limited rise in milk production when cows were transferred to the collectives while crops, such as maize were often grown in unsuitable conditions and sometimes to the detriment of much-needed wheat. In any case, Khrushchev's cornflakes did not go down well with a population more used to porridge.
68
give a brief conclusion of k in agriculture:
He was the first USSR leader to show such an interest in agriculture and also made a huge effort to integrate rural areas into the party structure, increasing rural representations at all levels. The Soviet-controlled press devoted many pages to exalting the new initiatives and commenting carefully on carefully massaged statistics.
However, despite these efforts, results were really mixed, his USSR was a time of too many different initiatives carried out with insufficient thoughts.
69
what was social change like under stalin?
neither five year plans substantially improved living standards for ordinary people
- peasants income was less than 20% of an industrial worker
- diets were poor
- housing, services and consumer goods all in short supply
- 12 hour day
- wage differentials meant a higher ration for party officials
- could be relocated where ever needed
- women expected to make up for the war dead
- by 1950, real household consumption was only a tenth higher than 1928
- 90 devaluation of the rouble wiped out savings
70
what did k commit to for living standards?
improving living standards of soviet people through destalinisation campaigns and economic reforms, he accomplished this somewhat
71
what happened to consumer goods?
CG such as radioas, tvs, sewing machines and fridges became more widely available. small amounts of foreign goods also began to enter shops but sold out very quickly. ambitious new housing iniatives also helped
72
how did taxation change under k?
compulsary voluntary subscriptions to the state were abolished and both the bachelors tax and childless couples tax was removed. pensions improved and even peasants could get them
73
what happened to working hours?
40 hour working week introduced and wage equalisation campaign meant those at the bottom got more. helped along the path of social inequality and wage differentials meant that it was lower than any other industrilised country.
74
what happened to factory trade unions?
given more responsibilities and enabled them to take a more active role in it
75
what also improved?
education and medicine and welfare services and technological advancements made the workers lot a happier one.
76
what was a drawback of these changes?
privileges remained in the form of non wage payments such as access to scarce commodities and healthcare and holidays was accessible for those at the top. undermined any claim of an equal society. cars became more common but were out of reach for ordinary citizens. additionally lower standards than most industrilised countries.
77
what was quality of life like under stalin following ww2?
Post war years had seen the grim ‘Zhdanovschchina’ during which censorship had grown tighter, ethnic minorities suffered and freedom of cultural expression was nonexistent. Despite his adulation, his paranoia cast a grim shadow over social life, breeding an atmosphere of fear and secrecy.
78
what marked the move from stalin?
his cultural thaw
79
how had radio changed under k?
listening to foreign radio broadcasts allowed
80
how had literature changed under k?
Literature – restrictions on foreign literature and to some extent what could be written were lifted
81
how had tv changed under k?
Television – cultural and sports tours were arranged and televisions showed international performances by companies such as the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet, as well as sports teams.
82
how was russia becoming more westernised?
Westernisation – limited number of people could travel abroad. Realised economic potential of international tourism and established intourist through which foreigners could visit the USSR and see achievements firsthand. Seeing westerners at close range was a transformative experience which opened new horizons. Greater contact with Western culture – either directly i.e. world festival of youth was staged in Moscow with 131 different countries or through radio and tv which brought a new source of discontent with the rigidty of soviet life
Young people saw dress, music and behaviour as exciting and modern. Jeans, rock and roll, jazz, makeup, greased hair, sland and tarxan movies all entered soviet youth culture
83
how had the position of young people changed?
Young people saw dress, music and behaviour as exciting and modern. Jeans, rock and roll, jazz, makeup, greased hair, slang and tarzan movies all entered soviet youth culture, even a soviet version of the teddy boys – the stiligia
84
what did changes in youth attitudes bring?
Changes in youth attitudes brought more incidents of petty vandalism and hooliganism, while in universities, there were incidents of students boycotting lectures or communist dining rooms in protest against control. Majority of young people were cynical about the ideal of the October revolution and more were motivated by material ambitions (Soviet Survey in 1961) since 50% were under 30 years of age, this was a serious threat to the system
85
what happened to composers who were previously banned?
The composer, Shostakovich for example, and the writers, Akhmatova, Bebel, Pilnyak and Zoschchenko were permitted to work again. Vladimir Dudinstev thrived again
86
give an example of books that could now be published?
Not by bread alone, one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich allowed to publish about life in the gulags. Books that were critical of Stalin achieved high sales and books by western writers such as A.J Cronin, Graham Greene and Ernest Hemmingway were also permitted to be sold.
87
did writers etc enjoy complete freedom?
They didn’t enjoy complete freedom, Khruschev's own tastes were conservative, he disliked modernism in literature and art and was quite outspoken and critical after a visit to Moscow art gallery displaying modern works. Nevertheless, culture was not judged solely by his personal taste, artistic endevour was measured by its committment to social responsibility. Constantly tested the boundaries, forcing the party to judge what was permissible and what not. Work that went further than just stalin and criticised the very basis of communism or soviet state were firmly outlawed as ever.
88
who was boris pasternek?
Boris Pasternek was not allowed to publish Dr Zhivago, a personal drama of the lives destroyed in civil war. He had to resort to smuggling it out of the country and having it printed in Italy. It became an international bestseller earning him the Nobel prize; however, he was founded within the USSR. Expelled from the Soviet Union of writers and heavily criticised in Pravda, prevented from travelling to receive his prize. Ivan Dzyuba and Litvinov were also similarly attacked. This is significant because it shows that writers only enjoyed freedom when it suited the needs of the soviet state and communism. It needed to reflect poorly on Stalin, not the Soviet Union as a whole.
89
how did k revive the socialist campaigns against churches?
Khrushcev revived the socialist campaigns against the churces – both orthodox and other sects i.e. the Islamic faith. Atheism was brought into the school curriculum, children were banned from church services, and it was forbidden for parents to teach religion to their children. All higher learning institutions had to deliver a mandatory course on the foundations of scientific atheism
90
what happened to monastries and churces?
There was a mass closure of monasteries, convents, orthodox churches, reducing latter from 22000 in 1959 to under 8000. All remaining seminaries were shut down. Churches were often used into secular use and became town museums etc. (triumph of socialist values) pilgrimages were banned, and extensive regulations were imposed on the holding of services and ringing of church bells. Clergymen who criticised atheism might be forced into retirement or sent to gulags. Devout individuals might be imprisoned for their beliefs, their children removed, and jobs lost. Extreme!
91
did greater liberalism reach ethnic minorities?
Greater air of liberalism did not reach minorities. Although he was Ukranian, he made no move towards greater independence for the nationalities. Aim of parties was for ethnic distinctions to disappear and a single common language to be adopted by all nationalities. He spoke of rapprochement, greater fusion of nationalities
He was strongly against permitting Jews to have their own schools and complained that Soviet Jews preferred intellectual pursuits to mass occupations i.e. building. He refused to allow Jews to emigrate to Israel after WW2.
92
who were the cultural dissidents and why did they emerge?
under Khruschev, with greater intellectual and artistic freedom, there emerged a new group of cultural dissidents who used the arts to convey political messages. Such dissidents were primarily committed to greater democracy, human rights and the rights of nationalities. Sometimes their protests also stemmed from religious feeling or expressed grievances against the violation of artistic freedom. It was not outright physical opposition, but it was worrying to the authorities, nonetheless.
93
how did k face opposition from publishing forms?
Publishing:
The written word (especially poetry) was a favourite medium by which to express political views. Some writers sought to evade censorship by publishing work abroad, this was known as tamizdat. It was hoped that this would be relayed to soviet citizens through foreign broadcasts i.e. pasternaks dr zhivago was published overseas. Others used the samizdat, duplicating material by hand. Copies would then be circulated by personal contact. High risk – could be imprisoned or sent to gulags. Dissident literature was spread through underground societies e.g. the youngest society of geniuses produced a journal – the sphinxes.
94
how did k face opposition through poetry?
On 29 june 1958, a monument to Vladimir Mayakovsky (satirical poet who had criticised stalinist system) was unveiled in Moscow. Marked by impromptu public poetry readings. This sparked a series of regular reading known as the Mayak in Mayakovsky Square. This became popular and attracted students and intelligentsia, however some members were arrested for subverse political activity in 1961. Kuznetsov – spent 7 years in prison
95
how did magazines show opposition?
Magazines:
A number of dissident magazines were also established. Editor of Syntaxis arrested in1960. Sent to labour camps on 3 diff occasions as he wrote of human rights abuses and demanded reforms. Boomerang and Phoenix. Even novy mir adopted a more dissident position, published one day in the life. Authorities took steps to restrict this material, 130000 people identified as leading an ‘anti-social and parasitic way of life’. Considered hostile to the regime – sent to gulags, denied employment, mental hospitals, exile, became street sweepers.
96
how did musicians show opposition?
Music:
Musicians made illegal recordings known as magnitizdat on reel-to-reel tape recorders. Tapes passed between friends, allowing forbidden musical styles; jazz, boogie woogie, rock n roll, soul music were all disseminated. Yuliy kim – moscow kitchens – subversive thought passed around in free discussions in the capital's kitchen. Soviet ‘nonconformist’ art which broke free from the shackles of soviet realism also brought dissident painters. Khrushchev engaged in an argument about the function of art in society. Encouraged painters to challenge artistic reality. Oleg vassiliev and ilya Kabakov – officially childrens book illustrators so could pursue underground art. Were largely able to escape persecution- legal work – less potentially damaging? Rudolf nureyev defected to paris.
97
who did K face opposition from within the party?
Not all members of the communist party were content with the way the USSR was led under Khruschev. His rise to power saw a struggle between those who believed in liberal reform, such as Bulganin and hardline conservative Pro stalinists such as Molotov and Maleknov.
98
why did hardliners try to oust k in 1957?
hardlines could not forgive his attack on stalin and tried to oust him in 1957. This opposition group fought Khruschev less because of his policies than out of a desire to restore stalinism.
99
why did k face opposition from reformers?
The reformers on the other hand spoke in favour of a return to the old regime.
100
was treatment of political opposition more or less harsh than in stalins day?
less harsh
101
what happened to politicians at the top?
Politicians were demoted but not shot. Molotov became ambassador of Mongolia, Maleknov became director of the HEP station in Kazakhstan and Kaganovich was made director of Sverdlovsk cement works
102
what happened to political opposition at lower levels?
At lower levels, political prison populations was reduced, by 1955, a quarter of a million appeals had been considered but only 4% released. 8-9 million rehabilitated, 2 mil returned from gulags and two million from special settlements. They were released – only 2 percent of prison population were political prisoners by 1956.
103
how did lenient treatment breed further discontent?
lenient treatment led further discontent, cultural dissidents could discuss, and hardliners were vocal in their opposition – mostly marked in georgia. Most ordinary people remained silent due to conditioning
104
who gave ks 70th birthday party speech and praised him (what did the speech include?)
brezhnev, (next leader), he loudly praised him and all his devotion and various achievements. there was even a special ceremony in the kremlin where he was given the medal = hero of the soviet union. however just a few months later he was ousted by brezhnev.
105
how was k summoned back to soviet union?
he was on holiday in georgia and he received an urgent telephone summoning him to the presidium. he initially ignored this but sensing opposition, he returned on the 13th october
106
was k surprised at the amount of opposition he faced?
yes, several of his former supporters had declared their opposition, he seemed gen. surprised by the degree of hostility towards him, he refused to resign but was denied access to the media to prevent him building support.
107
how was he removed from power?
he was handed a resignation paper that he had little choice but to sign, he sat in silence then left, suslov stood up to read a damning list of his shortcomings and resolutions were passed by which Brezhnev became first secretary.
108
109
list 6 reasons why k fell from power?
military
industry
decentralisation
agriculture
foreign policy
personal style of rule
110
how did k personal style of rule lead to his downfall?
accused of:
- one man style of ruling
- meddling in matters in which he lacked expertise
- failure to take advice
- an over-bearing attitude
- nepotism
- embarrassing and flamboyant behaviour (un meeting banged a table with his shoe)
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how did agriculture affect k downfall?
failure of VLS, and shortfall in food supplies were seen as his personal responsibility as he had set himself up as an agricultural expert
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how did decentralisation affect k downfall?
- granting party autonomy upset central party members who lost control
- regional party secretaries were offended by the way their responsibilities were set up and divided
- k demand that a 1/4 of the cc be renewed every election threatened their influence
113
how did industry influence k downfall?
decision to promote production of consumer goods offended those who thought that he was giving inadequate attention to heavy goods
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how did foreign policy influence his downfall?
there was widespread disapproval of his handling of the cuban missile crisis and he was personally blamed for the ussrs poor relations with china
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how did military influence his downfall?
offended military by wanting to reduce expenditure on conventional weapons and concentrate on nuclear arms
his dealings abroad were criticised
116
what was k granted following his resignation?
a personal pension and lived in obscurity outside moscow, he received no state funeral
117
what was the political condition of the ussr by 1964?
stalin had made himself central to the workings of the political system and on his death there was a political vacuum and expectation of change. partly spent filling the political vacuum and establishing a new style of leadership backed by the authority of the party rather than resting on the force of the individual. and moving away from the coercive stalinist system. however, such changes could never be absolute; the party elite had risen under stalin and had good cause to want to perpetuate their control over the state. preservation of one party state was never in question but trying to establish limited reform was not easy and may show why the reforms were half hearted and erratic.
118
what was the economic condition of the ussr like by 1964?
stalin had created a large industrial base and his successors were thus in favour of being able to make some redirection to consumer goods and housing/ agriculture. changing the command economy created new problems and led to an expanded bureacracy. stalin had wasted resources such as human labour and the challenge was to stimulate greater production without relying on exploitation of new labour.
119
how had the ussr developed technologically by 1964?
nuclear weapons and huge advances in rocketry perpetuating the reputation of the soviet union as a great military power.
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why did k attempt a degree of decentralisation by 1964?
in an attempt to incentivise and he made agriculture his personal crusade.
121
was the economy in a good position by 1964?
no solution had been found to how to sustain economic growth, k campaigns were not well thought through and they relied on land than on real improvements and there was no significant increase in output.
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