Khrushchev Flashcards
Khrushchev [1956-64]
Gov/ cultural Pol
1956
• after k Secret Speech Poland demanded the removal of stalinist politicians from Poland
• demand supported by striking workers
k agrees
October 1956
Gomulka released from prison (oppose stalin) to become new leader of Poland
• due to this there was an ease in Russian control over Poland
• meaning overall Poland was much better under k than Stalin
Khrushchev [1956-64]
Eco Pol
Agg + strikes
• some strikes in 1956 with protests towards the stalinest politicians
▼ the output of industry in Poland a large industrial sector
• Gomulka leading Poland there was an ease of Russian control of Poland
which allowed for peasants to leave collective farms and set up independent small holdings
Khrushchev [1956-64]
Religion
Pol and Church
• the Catholic church allowed to teach religion in schools
Khrushchev [1956-1964]
Finnland
What did Khrushchev do?
Left Finland alone
didn’t bother them at all
Khrushchev [1956-64]
Cent asia [gov]
1957 Decree on the rehabilitation of deported peoples
Destalinisation
As a part of Destalinisation
one of the Stalinist policys Khrushchev tried to reverse was his deportation of political enemys to the barron harshness of cent asia
this 1957 Decree on the rehabilitation of deported peoples
allowed ppl deported from 1941-1945 to go home
some groups were excluded from this, incl:
– Volga Germans
– Meskhetians
Khrushchev [1956-1964]
Cent asia [eco]
VLS
• the Virgin Land Scheme 1954-1964
in 1950 96million acers of land in cent asia given over to production of wheat
by 64 = 165 mill acers
Urban ppl felt their food needs were adiquatley met
but Virgin land = flawed
Overused
no crop rotation
▼ soil fertility
× done to counter soil erosion
▼ fertiliser avalible
▲ maize production [fussy plant unlike wheat]
– Arid + cold region prone to wind storms = ▲ soil erosion
– cold = fires lit to warm crops
– towns built for farmers moving in
– Bad winter 1963 = grain production ▼ to 107 mill tonnes vs 140 mill from last yr = inport grain from USA and AUS
= Khrushchev downfall in 1964
• Indigeounus ppl of Khazakstan = × happy w/ peasnt immigrant taking land
+ disprove of methods (they were right
Khrushchev [1956-1964]
Ukr [Gov]
Crimea
• February 1954, Khrushchev and the USSR gave Ukraine the area of Crimea
as symbolic aniversery gesture of 300yrs since Treaty of Pereyaslav and the union of Ukr and Russ
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Cauc [gov/cul]
Unrest in Georgia 1956
• the 1956 Georgian students were upset with the policy of destalinalisation
– Stalin = from Georgia = source of Georgian pride
– so dismissing Stalin and his actions upset them despite × remembered stalin’s policies (too young)
= in Tblisi protest against destalinisation + riots for independence and young people with no recollection of The Purge occur
9th March 1956
Moscow solve issue with guns 100s
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Euro Yugo [gov]
Khrushchev and Yugo
• 1955 k visits Tito ▲ friendship + dev of yugo + k abandons cominform 1956 so ▲ relations more
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Euro HUN [gov]
Power strugle in Hungary
• under Stalin hungry governed by Rākasi
• new gov head = Imre Nagy
• Rākosi still has influence, e.g gets nagy removed 1955
• hungarians dislike stalinist politicians so K + Tito ( ▼stalinist = ▲ Yugo allys) replace Rākosi with Hungarian com party backing with Ernő gerő
• his appointment led to people wanting more changes like Yugoslavia
• led to uprising in October 1956
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Euro HUN [Gov]
1956 Hungarian uprising
Hungarian uprising October 1956
[23rd oct]
– protests in Budapest for accounting reforms
– K decides without Genő to send 30K troops, artillery, tanks to Hungary to stop protests
– new gov formed, Genó is replaced by nagy
[30 oct]
– K promised nagy + other euro countries ▲ freedom to negotiate levels of Soviet influence
– K also tell soldiers to go home
• Nagy take advantage of this:
– have communists share power with other political ideas
– try to leave the Warsaw pact
• also happening = Suez Crisis = chance of ▼ Russ influence in Middle East + Hungary happened too = look like soviet-power =▼
[4th Nov]
– K send military back to Hungary + naggy replaced with pro-Soviet jános kádár
• shows K taking back ideas of negotiating Soviet influence in Europe
• West sees K willing to do conflict so West don’t help hungry
• Mao from China supports this briefly healing the Sino-Soviet relations
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Euro GER [GOV/Eco/Cul]
Berlin wall saga
[1955]
• K note: demands West acknowledge East Germany
– if not East Germany gets ctrl of routes between West Berlin and West Germany so they have to recognize it
[Nov 1958]
• Ultimatum:
– recognise East Germany or the USSR making independent so it can invade West Berlin and Unite Germany
– USA has 6 mnth to respond
• USA says only if East Germany has free access to West Germany
– K withdrawals ultimatum 1959 [gov]
• brain drain occurs with hundreds of people fleeing to West Berlin each day = brain drain [eco/cul]
– = 1961 builds the Berlin Wall
• Khrushchev later tries to visit Germany to resolve the east / West issue but falls from power first [gov]
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
Jews under Khrushchev
• During 1950s and 1960s, Soviet Foreign policy tended to side with Arab states against Israel,
– although careful to identify as “anti-Israeli” rather than anti-Jewish.
• Khrushchev had suspicion of their loyalty to the Soviet Union.
– In an interview with Le Figuro, he described the Jews as ”incapable of collective effort and discipline…” (communism basis)
• In a letter to Elie Wiesel, he denied that there was a problem with anti-Semitism in Soviet Russia
– although he was criticized for this response by Bertrand Russell.
• Khrushchev did not denounce Stalin for his anti-Semitic policies.
Khrushchev [1954(6)-1964]
far east
Deteriorating sino-soviet relations
After the death of Stalin chairman Mao was mainly against k and his new USSR due to his denouncing of stalin’s policies
mao did support k during the Hungarian uprising
but he largely opposed acts and shows of weakness such as the Cuban missile crisis
There was some positives such as the trade deal in 1954
but the Secret Speech in 1956 dented the relations
so did K’s meeting with Eisenhower in 1959 which in retaliation ping pong diplomacy was deployed with USA
and China claim it was the leader of communism not the USSR
The 1963 nuclear test band Treaty which banned atmospheric or space testing of nukes made China very sad
