Political authority and government under Krushchev

Question 1

How was Krushchev in an Advantageous position in the power struggle?

Answer 1

-Was Party secretary -> could utilise Party as power/support base

Question 2

How did Krushchev have a wide base of support?

Answer 2

-Member of Presidium and Party secretary

Question 3

What same Tactic did Krushchev use to as Stalin had done to get into power?

Answer 3

-Divide and rule: Playing his opponents of each other

Question 4

How did Baria stake a claim for the Leadership?

Answer 4

• Ransacked stalin’s office and collected damming reports of others.
• Reformer personality: Proposed prison amnesty and easing control of satalitstates states

Question 5

How did Krushchev remove Beria?

Answer 5

• Took lead at Presidium meeting on the 18th June

- Accused Barai of many crimes ie child rape

Question 6

How did Krushchev get rid of Malenkov?

Answer 6

Harvest in 53’ was very poor and Krushchev blamed Malenkov

Question 7

What was the secret speech and what was mentioned?

Answer 7

-Krushchev’s speech at the 20th Party congress

=> Attacked the sin of stalin’s personality cult and his absolute power

• criticised role of NKVD
• Stalin’s purges damaged the Party

Question 8

What did the Secret Speech not mention?

Answer 8

-Ignores suffering of non party members ie peasants

Question 9

What were the impacts of the secret speech?

Answer 9

• Party thrown into confusion
• Student boycotts - Tore pictures of Stalin down
• Calls for multi party elections and freedoms to prevent future terror’s
• release of political prisoners accelerated

Question 10

How was krushchev complicit in the Terror?

Answer 10

-Overfilled Death Quotas