The fall of Khrushchev

Question 1

What new group of opposition rose under Khrushchev?

Answer 1

‘Cultural dissidents’

Question 2

How did cultural dissidents emerge?

Answer 2

Under Khrushchev and his reforms to the social arts there was a greater return of the greater intellectual and artistic freedom, there emerged a new group of ‘cultural dissidents’ who used the arts to convey political messages.

Question 3

What were the main aims of cultural dissidents?

Answer 3

Such dissidents were primarily committed to greater democracy, human rights and the rights of nationalities

Question 4

What background did many cultural dissidents come from?

Answer 4

Religious background

Question 5

Why did the non physical opposition of cultural dissidents worry Khrushchev’s authority?

Answer 5

Whilst they may have been non violent they were still effective in voicing a large opinion not he effectiveness of the state. they questioned Khrushchev’s weak authority and rule.

Many were from either religious or Non-russian backgrounds and there calls for change were the loudest.

Question 6

What was the cultural thaw?

Answer 6

The Thaw allowed some freedom of information in the media, arts, and culture; international festivals; foreign films; uncensored books; and new forms of entertainment on the emerging national TV.

Question 7

How did the cultural thaw contribute to opposition?

Answer 7

Once small scale reforms were put in place it became hard to remove the ideas of reform from the people’s mind. The reform train was moving and it was hard for it to brake.

Question 8

Main opposition to Khrushchev?

Answer 8

• Agricultural ministry
• Hard line communists
• Young people who think their lives should be better
• Religious groups
• Key party members – ‘entrenched interest groups’
• The army

Question 9

Tamizdat = ?

Answer 9

Some writers sought to evade soviet censorship by publishing their work abroad

Question 10

Example of Tamizdat = ?

Answer 10

The publication of Pasternak’s Dr Zhivago

Question 11

How was literature spread?

Answer 11

Dissident literature was also spread through the means of underground societies

Question 12

Example of an underground society?

Answer 12

‘the youngest society of Geniuses’, a student group set up in the mid 1960s

Question 13

Dissident magazines included?

Answer 13

• Syntaxis
• Boomerang
• Phoenix

Question 14

What is Novy Mir and why is it important?

Answer 14

Novy Mir, an official publication, changed its political stance and adopted a more dissident position in the early 1960s

Question 15

What did Novy Mir become famous for in 1962?

Answer 15

For publishing Solzhenitsyn’s ‘one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich’.

Question 16

What else became a common way of voicing opposition to the USSR?

Answer 16

Music was also a very common way of voicing opposition to the USSR. There were underground Jazz, rock n roll, pop, soul music and western pop groups that spread their on music around.

Question 17

What opportunity granted by Khrushchev backfired quickly?

Answer 17

Travelling abroad [only wealthy people were able to though] became a method of defection.

Question 18

Famous example of defection?

Answer 18

One of the best known cultural figures to defect was Rudolf Nureyev who had become a leading dancer with the Kirov Ballet when, an overseas tour in 1961 he defected in Paris.

Question 19

Reasons for the fall of Khrushchev?

Answer 19

-Industry failures
-Decentralisation
-Personal style of rule
-Agriculture
-Foreign policy failures
-Military

Question 20

Why did Khrushchev fail on industry?

Answer 20

Decision to promote production of consumer goods offended those who thought he was giving inadequate attention to heavy goods.

Question 21

Why did Khrushchev fail on agriculture?

Answer 21

Failure of the virgin lands scheme and the shortfall in food supplies [thus forcing the import of grain from the USA and Canada] were seen as Khrushchev’s personal responsibility, particularly set himself up as an agricultural expert.

Question 22

How did Khrushchev offend the military?

Answer 22

Offended the military by wanting to reduce expenditure on conventional weapons and concentrate on nuclear arms.

Question 23

Why was Khrushchev’s foreign visits criticised?

Answer 23

It seemed liked Khrushchev was becoming too friendly with the west which didn’t sit right with many of the Army generals who were still loyal to Stalin.

Question 24

How did Foreign Policy cause internal opposition to Khrushchev?

Answer 24

Widespread disapproval within the USSR at Khrushchev’s handling of the Cuban missile crisis.

Khrushchev was personally blamed for the poor relations with Communist China.

Question 25

How did Poor foreign policy issues lead to opposition?

Answer 25

Khrushchev’s handling of foreign policy issues made him look weak and afraid thus it led to internal party opposition to him. His popularity amongst the party fell after the Cuban missile crisis.

Question 26

Effect of the Cuban Missile crisis?

Answer 26

-Made both Khrushchev and the USSR look weak.
-Internationally Khrushchev seen as a good leader internally he looks weak for backing away from conflict.
-Popularity of Khrushchev was massively reduced.

Question 27

Who attempted to overthrow Khrushchev in June 1957?

Answer 27

In 1957, Malenkov organized an attempt at a coup against Khrushchev. In a dramatic standoff in the Kremlin, both Khrushchev and Georgy Zhukov, who had the backing of the Soviet Army, turned against Malenkov.

Question 28

How did Khrushchev’s style of leadership lead to opposition?

Answer 28

-Nepotism
-Creating his ‘own cult of personality’
-An over beating attitude
-Failure to take advice
-Accused of being a one-man style of ruling.

Question 29

What leadership qualities did both Lenin and Stalin share?

Answer 29

-One man style of ruling
-Created a cult of personality
-Meddling in matters which they had no expertise of
-Nepotism
-Over bearing attitude
-Failure to take advice.

Question 30

Nepotism = ?

Answer 30

Gave important jobs to close friends and family members who were under-qualified.

Question 31

What embarrassing and flamboyant behaviour did Khrushchev show off in 1960?

Answer 31

In 1960, at a meeting of the UN general assembly, he banged the table with a shoe