22: Khrushchev years part 1- rise to power

Question 1

K’s rise to power: what was it announced on 6 march 1953 that Malenkov would combine roles of

Answer 1

secretary of central committee and chairman of council of ministers

Question 2

K’s rise to power: why had Malenkov been forced by rivals to step down from party secretary

Answer 2

to concentrate on his governmental role

Question 3

K’s rise to power: who took post of party secretary after Malenkov

Answer 3

khrushchev

Question 4

K’s rise to power: who was a collective leadership established between in 1953

Answer 4

Molotov (foreign minister) and beria (head of MVD)

Question 5

K’s rise to power: who did Khrushchev immediately begin appointing to important party posts when he became p secretary

Answer 5

his own proteges

Question 6

K’s rise to power: where did Kh build himself a strong support network despite underestimation from others

Answer 6

in partys administrative machinery

Question 7

K’s rise to power: who emerged as leader who was most anxious to depart from Stalinist policies

Answer 7

beria

Question 8

K’s rise to power: what did the popularity of berias pronouncements and power of his office cause alarm

Answer 8

at the top of party hierarchy

Question 9

K’s rise to power: who conspired against beria

Answer 9

Malenkov and other presidium members including Khr

Question 10

K’s rise to power: who did presidium members arrange berias arrest at hands of in June 1953

Answer 10

military

Question 11

K’s rise to power: what was beria accused of in the anti beria campaign

Answer 11

criminal anti party and anti state activites

Question 12

K’s rise to power: what was the fate of beria

Answer 12

he was secretly tried and executed on 24 December 1953

Question 13

K’s rise to power: what happened to berias supporters

Answer 13

they were purged

Question 14

K’s rise to power: what was the leadership divided on

Answer 14

foreign policy, industrial and agricultural policy and the role of the party

Question 15

K’s rise to power: what did Malenkov place above the party

Answer 15

government

Question 16

K’s rise to power: what did Malenkov attempt to launch with molotovs backing

Answer 16

to use his influence to launch a new course

Question 17

K’s rise to power: what did Malenkov want to change in his new course

Answer 17

collective farm policy, reduce peasant taxes and put more investment into consumer goods

Question 18

K’s rise to power: who did khruschev place party before

Answer 18

government

Question 19

K’s rise to power: what did khrushchevs proposals include

Answer 19

a less radical proposal for the parallel development of heavy and light industry and sold himself as an agricultural expert- launching virgin lands scheme

Question 20

K’s rise to power: what did the early success of the VLS help

Answer 20

to rally the party behind Khrushchev

Question 21

K’s rise to power: why was Malenkov forced to step down as chairman of the council of ministers in fb 1955

Answer 21

he found himself isolated

Question 22

K’s rise to power: what role did Malenkov sake after stepping down as chairman

Answer 22

minister for power stations

Question 23

K’s rise to power: who was Malenkov succeeded by as chairman of the council of ministers

Answer 23

bulganin

Question 24

K’s rise to power: until when did khr and Bulganin act as joint leaders

Answer 24

1958

Question 25

K’s rise to power: when was there an attempt to unseat Khrushchev

Answer 25

in 1957 when himself and Bulganin were on a visit to finland

Question 26

K’s rise to power: how did Khrushchev prevent himself being unseated 1957 despite majority vote in presidium

Answer 26

he insisted the matter be put to central committee

ensured those favourable were brought to Moscow to vote in his favour

Question 27

K’s rise to power: how did krushchev benefit from the support of Zhukov

Answer 27

he’d been brought back into power as deputy minister for defence and thus brought red army support

Question 28

K’s rise to power: who did Zhukov speak out against

Answer 28

Malenkov, Molotov and their supporter kaganovich

Question 29

K’s rise to power: what did the plotters become known as

Answer 29

the anti party group

Question 30

K’s rise to power: what happened to the plotters

Answer 30

duly outvoted by central committee and accused of conservatism and involvement in purges of 1930s

Question 31

K’s rise to power: where were plotters sent after being expelled from central committee

Answer 31

sent to jobs far from Moscow

Question 32

K’s rise to power: how were Zhukov and others rewarded for their support to Khrushchev

Answer 32

seats in the presidium

Question 33

K’s rise to power: why was Zhukov dismissed in October 1957

Answer 33

Khrushchev was not content to be reliant on others

Question 34

K’s rise to power: what was Zhukov accused of in the propaganda campaign against him

Answer 34

hindering party work in the army and creating his own personality cult

Question 35

K’s rise to power: what was Bulganin accused of in march 1958

Answer 35

encouraging anti party group

forced to step down and krushchev took over

Question 36

destalinisation: how had Khrushcehv began to reverse Stalinist policies before first party congress since stalins death

Answer 36

released those accused of doctors plot, beria police and gulag system attacked and cultural thaw was underway

Question 37

destalinisation: what did the congress offer an opportunity to explain

Answer 37

the change in direction

Question 38

destalinisation: who didn’t want reopening of past despite most of presidium welcoming dismantling of terror

Answer 38

those who had been involved in purges

Question 39

destalinisation: how was Khrushchev speaking out against stalin to be held

Answer 39

in secret and none of 1400 delegates were allowed to ask questions

Question 40

destalinisation: what did khruschev use when preparing his speech

Answer 40

material that had been assembled by a secial commission of the central committee into the abuses under stalin

Question 41

destalinisation: when did khrushcehv accuse stalin of in his speech

Answer 41

responsibility for purges, terror, torture, mass arrests executions and gulags

Question 42

destalinisation: how was the speech met

Answer 42

with restounding applause

Question 43

destalinisation: how were copies sent out despite it being in secret

Answer 43

copies sent to foreign parties and its cotent filtered down through party ranks in ussr

Question 44

destalinisation: what did gorbachev demand

Answer 44

that those responsible for Stalinist crimes be punished- Khrushchev avoided comment

Question 45

destalinisation: what did the speech pay limited attention to

Answer 45

purging of ordinary soviet citizens and accepted economic controls, strong leadership, single party and elimination of factions as legit

Question 46

destalinisation: what did speech try to justify

Answer 46

a good deal of continuity

Question 47

political and party change: what did both party and state gov institutions become under stalin

Answer 47

mere rubber stamping organisations dependent on one man

Question 48

political and party change: why did party and state gov institutions assume a renewed importance as centres for debate and decision making

Answer 48

as a result of power struggle

Question 49

political and party change: what happened to the police after berias arrest and execution

Answer 49

in 1934 they were under authority of party and gov

secret police reduced in size

Question 50

political and party change: what marked a move away from police influence in state matters

Answer 50

political amnesties and a partial revival of an independent judicial system

Question 51

political and party change: who gained most from berias fall

Answer 51

the party

Question 52

political and party change: what was Khrushchev returning to when he sought the support of the central committee in 1957

Answer 52

the traditional hierarchy of power, as advocated by lenin

Question 53

political and party change: what effect did it have that Khruschev reverted back to traditional hierarchy of power

Answer 53

helped restore position of party back to something like 1920s

Question 54

political and party change: what 2 other goals were sought by Khrushchev iin 1957

Answer 54

• democratisation- weakening bureaucracy more responsibility to people
• decentralisation- more initiatives to localities

Question 55

political and party change: what was the party split into in 1962 to fulfil Khrushchevs twin goals

Answer 55

urban and rural sections at all levels

Question 56

political and party change: what new rules were introduced in order to fulfil khrushchevs twin goals

Answer 56

limited how long party officials could serve

Question 57

political and party change: what was membership expanded from 1956-1964

Answer 57

7 million 1956

11 million 1964

Question 58

political and party change: what effect did widening of membership have on party

Answer 58

broadened party’s popular base as it brought more working class members

reduced power of higher level bureaucrats

Question 59

political and party change: what happened to local soviets and comrade courts as a result of khrushchevs twin goals

Answer 59

role of local soviets augmented and comrade courts to handle minor offences revived

Question 60

political and party change: what were non party members encouraged to do under khrushchevs twin goals

Answer 60

to take supervisory roles

some invited to party congresses

Question 61

political and party change: why did Khrushchev visit villages and towns

Answer 61

showed personal desire for first hand contact with people

Question 62

political and party change: what was pursued economically under khrushchevs twin goals

Answer 62

decentralisation

Question 63

political and party change: what was the autocratic terror state of stalin replaced by in this era

Answer 63

the central gov system that was similar to that of mid 1920s