2.3) De-stalinisation Flashcards
Who was Khrushchev?
- A zealous supporter of Stalin and helped with the purges
- 1956 made the secret speech to the 20th party congress
- Tried to improve living and working standards
- Not well respected by the west
- Did not want to loosen grip on satellite states
Who held positions of power after Stalin’s death?
- Malenkov became Chairman of the council of Ministers and head of govt.
- Beria was appointed Minister of Internal affairs. Accused of murdering Stalin and was shot in 1953
- Khrushchev became the Party Secretary
- Voroshilov was president of the USSR
How did Khrushchev win the power struggle after Stalin’s death?
- Malenvok and Khrushchev argued as Malenkov wanted to encourage consumerism and westernisation
- Khrushchev proposed the Virgin Land Campaign would solve wealth and stability problems
- By 1955 Malenkov was forced to resign as prime minister and was replaced by Krushchev’s friend
What were the reasons for Khrushchev launching de-stalinisation?
He was a firm believer of communism and thought that Stalinism wasn’t right. He wanted to move away from a regime of terror
Where and why did the denunciations against Stalin begin?
In 1956, 20th party congress the Secret Speech. Where Khrushchev introduced de-stalinisation
What were the criticisms made against Stalin in the ‘Secret Speech’?
- He had never been accepted by Lenin as a potential leader (Lenin’s testament)
- Stalin made a state that was never ready for conflict in 1941
- He had committed an unforgettable amount of crimes against his people
- Committed misdemeanours against outsiders
What did the Anti-Party Group do to try and remove Khrushchev?
Attempted to abolish the post of first secretary which was Khrushchev’s position, removing all his power (Molotov, Kagnovich, Malenkov)
Name all three of the key features of De-Stalinisation
- Release of political prisoners
- relaxed censorship (publication of works that criticised Stalin, EhrenBerg)
- erosion of the cult of personality (Stalingrad was renamed Volograd), got rid of Statues of Stalin, removed Stalin’s body from the grave/museum where Lenin’s body was
What were the consequences of De-stalinisation?
- There were strikes, riots, and protests for more freedom (especially from satellite states). Khrushchev didn’t use violence and order stayed through the MVD. Russian people don’t like a soft ruler
What does the speech include?
- Blames all of the abuse during the Stalin years on Stalin. And even blamed systemic problems onto Stalin
- Upset about the lack of democratic debate within the party
- Stalin’s war leadership was not as effective as people thought and was insufficient
- Attacked the groundless repression of communists (the purges)
What did the speech leave out?
- Collectivisation
- The oppression of non-communists (Jews, Poles)
- Didn’t deny the agreed upon enemies of state by Stalin e.g Lenin
How did many people react to the Secret Speech?
- Not as volatile as expected, stunned about the things that Stalin had done
- But in Georgia there were protests, riots and tanks and troops were sent in, killing hundreds
- Many in the party were against Khrushchev and his secret speech and would not accept that the things mentioned were true or made him not a good leader
Why might some see the Stalin years as ‘Golden Years’?
- Became a major power in the world
- Defeated Nazi Germany
What was evident that times had changed?
People were punished for talking about Stalin, expelled from the party, 1956 newspaper articles were published on what could and couldn’t be said.
