Khrushchev

Question 1

When was the Secret Speech?

Answer 1

25th February 1956

Question 2

When was Beria executed

Answer 2

December 1953

Question 3

What happened to Malenkov

Answer 3

Malenkov’s reputation was damaged in 1953, when the poor harvest was blamed on him.
However, he stayed PM until 1955

Question 4

What happened to Molotov

Answer 4

Remained in position until 1956, by which time, his allies (Malenkov; Beria) had been removed.
Then made Ambassador to Mongolia!

Question 5

How many prisoners were released?

Answer 5

In 1953 alone, 1 million prisoners were released from Gulags and overall, the amount of Gulag inmates were halved!

Question 6

How did Khrushchev control political enemies?

Answer 6

Trapped political dissidents in mental asylums (although the exact amount is not certain).

Question 7

Who supported de-Stalinisation

Answer 7

Breznhev

Question 8

How did Khrushchev control the Politburo

Answer 8

Replaced half of it by 1956!

Question 9

What did the New Party Programme promise

Answer 9

Communism complete by 1980

Question 10

Evidence that Khrushchev’s Seven Year Plan was not successful

Answer 10

1963 was the lowest growth rate in peacetime ever!

Question 11

When was Khrushchev’s Seven Year Plan

Answer 11

1959-1965

Question 12

Evidence of Space Race’s success?

Answer 12

1961: Yuri Gagarin first man in space!

Question 13

How much did Khrushchev reorganise?

Answer 13

1955: 11,000 enterprises transferred to republics (however this only served to increase bureaucracy and undermine central government)

Question 14

When was Virgin Land Scheme

Answer 14

1954

Question 15

Evidence of Virgin Land success

Answer 15

1956: half of 125m tonne harvest was from newly fertilised area.

Question 16

Evidence of Virgin Land failure

Answer 16

1963: smallest crop for years

Question 17

Evidence living standards increased

Answer 17

55% increase in meat consumption

Question 18

Evidence working conditions improved

Answer 18

1956: laws on absenteeism and worker discipline repealed.

Question 19

Evidence social life did not improve

Answer 19

Still some censorship
Although some, like the Thaw by Ehrenburg were released, Dr Zhivago couldn’t be published as it was deemed critical of USSR.

Question 20

When did Khrushchev visit US

Answer 20

1959. Met Eisenhower.

Question 21

What was an advancement of Soviet-American relations

Answer 21

Nuclear Test Ban 1963 (although China refused to participate).

Question 22

Why did the Berlin Wall need to be built

Answer 22

2 million refugees had migrated, so it was built in 1961.

Question 23

When was the East German uprising?

Answer 23

1953

Question 24

Causes of East German uprising

Answer 24

Collectivisation produced severe food shortages, which began in the winter and spring of 1953. Ulbricht advocated the continuation of this even after Stalin’s death. On June 16, a few hundred workers called for a general strike.

Question 25

Events of East German uprising

Answer 25

On 17th June 1953, massive strike broke out! Eisenhower supported the strike by supplying them with $15m worth of food. In response, the East German Government cut off rail and bus traffic to West Berlin, which further heightened tensions.

Question 26

What happened in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 26

Russia defended Cuba’s newly Socialist economy from 1960 by investing in sugar crop there (which alleviated the impact of the US’ Trade Embargo).
In 1962, Russia started building a missile base in Cuba to protect them from the US (after the US had tried to overthrow their government the previous year!).
After Russia shot down a U2 plane with increasing tensions between the countries in October 1962, the USA gave an ultimatum that USSR was to remove its missiles from Cuba and USA was to end Cuba`s quarantine and to give out a promise not to invade Cuba. Otherwise, they’d be faced with a nuclear war.
This brought the world to the very brink of nuclear war.

Question 27

When were Sino-Soviet relations at their worst?

Answer 27

1958: China wanted to attack Taiwan, the USSR refused to support them.

Question 28

When did Khrushchev humiliate himself globally?

Answer 28

1960: gave a speech which ended with him banging his shoe against the table - seen as incompetent!

Question 29

Unsuccessful attempt to remove Khrushchev?

Answer 29

May 1957`: plotted to remove him and replace him (plotted by Malenov, Bulganin and others).
Thankfully, he had the support of Zhukov who argued that the Central Committee (who was packed with Khrushchev’s supporters) had to vote on this.
Therefore, Khrushchev survived.

Question 30

How did Khrushchev fall?

Answer 30

October 1964: Khrushchev returned off holiday and was arrested by KGB. He was taken to the Kremlin where he was attacked by Brezhnev and others.
There, he was forced to resign.