Khrushchev and Reaction to Stalinism, 1953-64

Question 1

When did Stalin die?

Answer 1

March 1953

Question 2

Who takes leadership as chairman of Council and General Secretary after Stalin’s death?

Answer 2

Malenkov

Question 3

Who replaces Malenkov as general secretary?

Answer 3

Krushchev

Question 4

What positions do Malenkov and Krushchev hold in their collective leadership?

Answer 4

Krushchev - General Secretary

Malenkov - Chairman of Council.

Question 5

When is Beria arrested?

Answer 5

June 1953

Question 6

When is Beria executed?

Answer 6

December 1953

Question 7

When does Krushchev launch the Virgin Lands scheme?

Answer 7

1954

Question 8

Who replaced Malenkov as chairman of council in Fev 1955?

Answer 8

Bulganin

Question 9

When is Bulganin forced to resign?

Answer 9

March 1958

Question 10

Who did Stalin appoint as deputy Prime Minister in 1946?

Answer 10

Malenkov

Question 11

When did Krushchev enter the Politburo?

Answer 11

1939

Question 12

Who was Beria?

Answer 12

Yezhov’s replacement as head of the NKVD

Question 13

When did Beria become deputy Prime Minister?

Answer 13

1941

Question 14

When did Beria become a Politburo member?

Answer 14

1946

Question 15

How did Krushchev take Malenkov’s position?

Answer 15

Malenkov’s rivals managed to force him to step down allowing Krushchev to become Party Secretary and Malenkov hold council of ministers instead.

Question 16

Which of the new leaders appeared most eager to depart from Stalinist policies?

Answer 16

Beria

Question 17

What did Beria advocate?

Answer 17

the release of dangerous political prisoners, denouncement of Mingrelian purges & to scale back on some of Stalin’s costly construction projects.

Question 18

What caused other leaders to be alarmed at Beria’s pronouncements?

Answer 18

The popularity of them and the power of his office.

Question 19

How did Malenkov, Krushchev and other Presidium members eliminate Beria?

Answer 19

They conspired against him, arranging his arrest in June 1053.

Question 20

What was Beria accused of in the press during his arrest?

Answer 20

criminal anti-party and anti-state activities.

Question 21

When was Beria’s secret trial and execution?

Answer 21

24th December 1953

Question 22

Which of the Presidium members placed the government above the party?

Answer 22

Malenkov

Question 23

Which of the Presidium members placed party above the government?

Answer 23

Krushchev

Question 24

What did Malenkov and Molotov attempt to launch?

Answer 24

a ‘new course,’ which would change the collective farming policy, reduce peasant taxes and put more investment into consumer goods.

Question 25

What did Krushchev propose?

Answer 25

The Virgin Lands scheme, labeling himself as an agricultural expert.

Question 26

How did Krushchev’s Virgin Lands scheme help him gather support?

Answer 26

The early success of the scheme got people behind Krushchev.

Question 27

When and why did Malenkov step down?

Answer 27

February 1955, Malenkov found himself isolated and forced to step down.

Question 28

What role did Malenkov take once he had stepped down?

Answer 28

Minister for Power Stations.

Question 29

Who succeeded Malenkov in 1955 once he stepped down?

Answer 29

Bulganin

Question 30

Until what year did Bulganin and Krushchev act as joint leaders?

Answer 30

1958

Question 31

When was the attempt to unseat Krushchev?

Answer 31

1957

Question 32

What happened in 1957 in order to almost ‘unseat’ Krushchev?

Answer 32

A majority in the Presidium voted for his dismissal but Krushchev insisted it be put to the Central Committee.

Question 33

How did Krushchev avoid being unseated in 1957?

Answer 33

He ensured his supporters were brought to Moscow to vote in his favour.

Question 34

What happened to the plotters against Krushchev in 1957?

Answer 34

They were labelled as the ‘anti-party group’ and were outvoted by the central committee.
They were then accused of being involved in the purges of 1930s and were expelled.

Question 35

Why did the joint power between Krushchev and Bulganin come to an end in 1958?

Answer 35

Krushchev accused Bulganin of being involved with the ‘anti-party group.’

Question 36

When was the first Party Congress held after Stalin’s death?

Answer 36

25th February 1956

Question 37

B 1956, how had Krushchev already began reversing Stalin’s policies?

Answer 37

Those involved in the Doctor’s plot were released, the police and Gulag system had been attacked etc.

Question 38

Which party members opposed the dismantling of Stalinist Terror?

Answer 38

those involved in carrying out the acts.

Question 39

How did those opposing dismantling Stalinist Terror suppress Krushchev’s early efforts?

Answer 39

by encouraging him to speak only in a ‘closed session.’

Question 40

What was the name of Krushchev’s speech spoken at the secret meeting?

Answer 40

On the Cult of Personality and its Consequences.

Question 41

What accusations were made against Stalin in Krushchev’s speech at the secret meeting?

Answer 41

Stalin’s personal involvement in the Terror and that Stalin betrayed Lenin’s principles, “causing tremendous harm to the cause of socialist progress.”

Question 42

How were the police affected by Krushchev’s rise to power?

Answer 42

They were once again under the authority of the Party and government.
The Secret Police apparatus was reduced in size.

Question 43

What two goals did Krushchev have that could perhaps be seen to undermine the party’s ideology?

Answer 43

Democratisation & Decentralisation

Question 44

How was the party split in 1962?

Answer 44

into Urban and Rural sections