35 - Opponents Of Khrushchev And His Fall From Power Flashcards
What kind of freedom did the “thaw” allow? What kinds of “dissidents” emerged?
Artistic and intellectual freedom
“Cultural dissidents”
What 2 ideas did cultural dissidents want to promote?
Human rights and greater democracy
What kind of state did the Soviet Union remain as? What network was present?
Highly authoritarian state
Spies and informers
What was used to express political views that would be published abroad? What 2 ways could this be smuggled into culture?
Written word
Through the country or Samizdat
What did Samizdat entail? What did this practice become?
Rewriting literature to be spread through personal contacts
Underground press
What 2 things would be spread through the underground on Soviet politics and society?
Information
Opinions
What were several writers imprisoned for? What were thousands more writers condemned for?
Criticising the regime
Their “anti-social, parasitic way of life”
What scene was present “underground”? What were 3 genres that were played on tapes?
Music scene
Jazz
Rock ‘n’ roll
Western pop
What speech did many of Khrushchev’s colleagues never forgive him for? What did hard-line Stalinists, like Molotov, believe the speech undermined?
“Secret speech”
Unity and authority of the Party
What group of people tried to force Khrushchev from power in 1957? Who did they secure a majority from?
Hard-liners
Presidium
Who did Khrushchev appeal to over Presidium in 1957? What other 2 groups supported him?
Central Committee
Army and KGB
Who was sent a long way from Moscow after the 1957 leadership challenge to work insignificant jobs? What did they avoid?
Khrushchev’s opponents
Execution
When was Khrushchev’s 70th birthday? Who praised him and his achievements?
April 1964
Leonid Brezhnev
What did Brezhnev lead a few months after praising Khrushchev on his birthday? Who else was involved in this?
Opposition in the Presidium and CC
Former Khrushchev supporters
What was Khrushchev forced to do after Brezhnev’s opposition took off? What reason did the press give for this action?
Resign
“Age and ill health”
What did the press later denounce Khrushchev for?
“Hare-brained schemes, half-baked conclusions, hasty decisions”
Where was Khrushchev given a flat after he resigned? Where else did he gain a house?
Moscow
In the country
What other 2 perks was Khrushchev given after his resignation?
Car
Pension
What didn’t happen to Khrushchev after he stepped down? Who fell victim of this after Khrushchev gave him wide powers?
Purge
Son-in-law
What had Khrushchev aroused the resentment of by 1964? What “style” of ruling was he criticised for?
Many different groups
“One-man style”
What behaviour was Khrushchev criticised for? What did he fail to take?
Arrogance
Advice
What did the failure of the Virgin Lands scheme lead to shortfalls of? What 2 countries did grain have to be imported from?
Food supplies
US and Canada
What controls did Khrushchev decentralise? Who did this anger?
Economic controls
Moscow party leaders
What goods did Khrushchev promote? What did his opponents want emphasis on?
Consumer goods
Heavy industry
What did the military dislike about Khrushchev’s focus? What did he develop these weapons at the expense of?
He focused on nuclear missiles
Conventional weapons
What increasingly took place by workers? What price rise in 1962 especially caused this?
Protests and strikes
Food price rise
What policy was criticised under Khrushchev? Who did he give a lot of power to?
Foreign policy
Son-in-law
What does Historian John Gooding argue about “toppling a Soviet leader”?
“Toppling a Soviet leader was unprecedented”
