chapter twenty one Flashcards
when did presidium begin debate on sucession
october 1952
when did stalin die
march 1953
who took leadership (as chairman of council of ministers and general secretary) straight after stalin died
malenkov
what happened to malenkovs role as general secretary 1953
held position for one week before replaced with krushchev in attempt to provide a ‘collective leadership’ as opposed to such centralised control
when was beria arrested and excecuted
june-december 1953
when did krushchev launch his virgin lands scheme
1954
when was malenkov replaced by bulganin as chairman of council of ministers
february 1955
when did the anti-party group try to oust krushchev and what resulted
june 1957 - they fail and are purged
when was bulganin forced to resign
march 1958
how did krushchev use his control as party secretary
began appointing his own proteges to important party posts, built a strong support network within partys administrative machinery
why was beria an unpopular/controversial choice for leadership
the terror / nkvd association
wanted to depart from stalinist policies
his policies were popular
power of his office
examples of beria trying to depart from stalinist policies
advocated for release of all but the most dangerous political prisoners
took moderate line in foreign policy
denounced the mingrelian purge
sought to scale back some of stalins most costly construction projects
why was krushchevs speech done in a closed session/secret
because the presidium welcomed the dismantling of the stalinist terror but they were worried their own involvement in the purges would be brought up
therefore the presidium convinced krushchev, who was determined to speak out, to do so in closed session with only 1400 people and no questinos allowed
what was said in krushchevs speech (on the cult of personality and its consequences)
attacked stalin, accusing him of responisibility for teh purges, terror, torture, mass arrests, excecuations, and gulags
accused stalin of causing ‘tremendous harm to the cause of socialist progress’
quoted lenin to accuse stalin of bretraying lenins principlies, and called for the rehabilition of trotsky and questioned stalins war leadership
gave pardon to all the dead victims of the purge
blamed stalin fo rthe murder of kirv
change under krushchev
visited villages and towns, showing personal desire for first hand contact with the poeple
economic decentralisation was pursued, but not entirely succesful
prioritisation of agricultural and consumer goods
berias arrest + smear campaign
malenkov + other presidium members, including stalin, arranged berias arrest 1953
accused of criminal anti party in the press and anti state activities, tried and excecuted december 1953
his supporters were purged
malenkovs policies
placed government above party
reduce peasant taxes
more investment in consumer goods
krushchevs policies against malenkovs
less radical proposals (proposal for parallel developments of heavy and light industry)
sold himself as an agricultural expert
malenkovs fall from leader
found himself isolated and therefore forced to step down as chairman of the council of ministers
took relatively unimportant role of minister for power stations
who was malenkov replaced with
new chairman of the council of ministers became bulganin, who was a krushchev protege
how did krushchev use bulganin to get into power
krushchev and bulganin acted as joint leaders from 1955-1958
there was an attemot to unseat krushchev in 1957 but convinced central committee to vote against it
this attempt at kurshchevs leadership led to the anti party groups being outvoted and sent away from moscow
march 1958 bulganin accused of encouraging the anti party groups who had accused krushchev and was forced to step down
therefore krushchev took the the role of chairman and general secretary
destalinisation under krushchev
those accused of the doctors plot were released
the gulag system had been attacked
a cultural ‘thaw’ was underway
krushchevs ideology
democratisation
decentralisation
1962 party spit into urban and rural sections at all levels
limitation of how long party officials could serve
expansion of membership
