Chapter 5: Brezhnev As Leader Flashcards
What were the short term reason for Khrushchev removal of power ?
-His mishandling of the Cuban missile crisis and disorganising of soviet economy
- his administration reform that put the party against him
- the failure in agriculture
- the sino- soviet split
- his erratic and cantankerous behaviour regarded by the party as a tremendous embarrassment on the international stage
What were the long term reason for Khrushchev removal of power ?
- the idea of de-salinisation made many party member against him as there was a period of liberalisation
-forge in affairs of the sino-soviet split
Evidence of Khrushchev hared brained schemes, half bakes conclusions, hasty decision, unrealistic action etc ?
- his unrealistic aims of forgein peaceful co- existence when he couldn’t even co exist with his neighbouring states in china
- unrealistic action in the virgin land scheme an ambitious led him to believe he could cultivate grain in an infertile land
Why did Khrushchev character, style and method remove him from power ?
- his character is describes as hare-brained scheme making of half baked conclusion and hasty decision
- reluctant to take account of scientific achievement and practical experience
-attack upon his cult of personality used as to make Khrushchev vulnerable
-unlike Khrushchev, Stalin ha more authority over the party and maintain fear towards him - people viewed him as a man of the people but his perception changed after his impulsive decision making
- vulnerable due to his visibility of attendance
How did domestic policies remove Khrushchev from his power ?
-domestic polices failed
- attempt to streamline an decentralised many areas of party and government involved him in continuous struggle with the forced of soviet burreacacy
-greater freedom of expression giving to writer and artist in the post Stalin era “thaw” to be adding unnecessary danger, placing hazard intro traditionalist communist party
- virgin land scheme was one of the reform which brought most critism
How did foreign affairs affect Khrushchev removal of power ?
-his embarrassment movement in the Berlin and Cuban crisis
- didn’t follow his word and both ultimatum during Berlin crisis were never done due to different alternative
-long, embarrassing and unresolved conflict with china not being able to retain in the moral leadership of the USSR communist world
- made a war with Germany but failed to deliver the peace treaty
-backed down due the American determination
Hoe did Brezhnev ambitious removed Khrushchev from power ?
- advantage of Khrushchev absence
-collective leadership
What family did Brezhnev come from ?
- son of a medal worker and worked in steelworks in Ukraine
-served in war
Brezhnev role in CPSU?
- promoted by Khrushchev to deputy position in the central committee secretariat
- was Khrushchev protege meaning that if he went up in line so would him
When was Khrushchev remove from power ?
1964
What did Brezhnev take advantage of which allowed him to remove Khrushchev from power ?
Khrushchev absence in the party
What official reason was given for Khrushchev removal of power ?
Advanced age and poor health
Which of Khrushchev reform had hurt many party bureaucrats ?
His political reforms and aims to destalanisation
What did many feel was needed of their leader by 1964?
Discipline and stability
Who took on the role of a) party leader and b) premier ?
A) Brezhnev
B) Kosygin
What were Brezhnev character traits that made him a popular replacement for Khrushchev ?
-He was a realist and enforced discipline which was perfect for the role
- conservative, working class background
What change did Brezhnev make in the politburo and central committee ?
- he promoted his supporters to the politburo
-by 1981, 8 full time politburo members were Brezhnev proteges
-there was gerontocracy between 1960 and 1978
-appointed Yuri Andropov as head of KGB in 1967 who continued to control security service which was very conservative (stagnation)
What changes did Brezhnev do to the party ?
-give access to privileges reserves party for members who had reached a particular level of:better medical cara, dachas
-most full-time member were reassured by Brezhnev conservative approach
-lack on innovation in the party which mirrored the lack of innovation at the top
What did the USSR need when Brezhnev came to power?
Change in development of society while the parry craved discipline and realism
Who did Brezhnev share power with ?
Shared power with Kosygin and Podgornyi
What are the difference between Brezhnev and Khrushchev in terms of character and aims?
- Brezhnev was ruthless enough to betray Khrushchev to whom he owed his party career, displace and realist however was undermined by ambition
- while Khrushchev was more to an extent liberal mined and full of ambition which led to his downfall
How did the party try and prevent Brezhnev from following Khrushchev lead by undermining leadership colleagues ?
Brezhnev was initially appointed first secretary by the presidium as temporary party leader someone who was relatively weak in terms of support. This would prevent him from following Khrushchev lead in overruling leadership colleagues and would allow the party to return to collective leadership
What actions did Brezhnev take on becoming leader ?
- the ministries were resurrected and the sovnarkhozy reforms abandoned in 1965
- de-stalanisation and the thaw were reversed
- gifted party member and burrecrats privileges
How did the nomenklatura system work ?
Was first used in 1970 and was used to describe an elite class within the Soviet Union
Why do you think this system had become so far embedded ?
It grew under Stalin as their own social class but was heavily criticised as an exploiting of the workers due their control of the economy and the state
Why do you think that the ordinary Soviet citizen saw this system as being high hypocritical ?
- it was heavily relied on corruption and the controlled the economy and the state
- it reflected a monarchical hierarchy why was ironic as they whole ideology and bolshvixh revolution resurrected due to the abusement of power and inequality between the monarchy and the people
To what extent did you think this will be an obstacle to reform ?
- there was lots of corruption and frustration and resentment from burrecrats
- and no interest in reforming standard of living
What other forms of corruption existed ?
The black market where product that are hard to obtain are trade illegally usually for higher prices
