political, economic & social condition of soviet union by 1964

Question 1

had khrushchev succeeded in shaking up the soviet union?

Answer 1

• biggest change in post-stalin years was ending of mass terror
• gulag population fell fastest in 2yrs immediately after stalin’s death due to beria’s amnesty affecting mainly criminals n short sentences
• the secret speech was bravest thing khrushchev did & soviet union was never same again
• message from party was that material progress & peace depended upon ‘soviet socialism’
• khrushchev shook things up in a way that worried the presidium & central committee
• khrushchev’s reforms in agriculture, educatiom, economic admin were speedily reversed
• party secretaries could now regard themselves as having jobs for life

Question 2

economy & society

Answer 2

• reform of planned economy proved very difficult
• technical innovation very slow as new equipment meant disrupting production lines & anything that reduced output had effect of reducing workers’ pay
• most industries therefore relied on materials and techniques had proved successful in big push of post-war reconstruction
• only military & space technology kept up with highest international standards and under khrushchev did so successfully
• russian villages remained a depressing place & young sought first opportuity to leave and many villages became preserve of women & elderly men
• demographic inpact of war still clear as in 1959 women still formed 55% of population
• russia had world’s highest rate of female employment & usually it was women who shouldered the domestic responsibilities which included much queuing for scarce items
• significant numbers of students receiving higher education posed a dilemma for soviet state
• needed highly qualified people with inquiring minds in all branches of science & technology but such minds also challenged whole system
• khrushchev found the bureaucratic apparatus of party & state could distort policy and paralyse desired initiative