Khrushchev and Reaction to Stalinism, 1953 - 64 Flashcards
What was collective leadership?
Not one person leading, people had different roles eg Molotov was foreign minister, Beria head of MVD and Khrushchev was Party Secretary
How did Khrushchev build up a strong leadership?
Appointed people to Party posts who supported him
What did Beria do?
Wanted to depart from Stalinist policies - release prisoners, moderate line foreign policy and his popularity was alarming
How did they get rid of Beria?
Malenkov, Khrushchev and others conspired against him. Arrested along with an anti-Beria campaign. executed Dec. 1953.
How did Khrushchev get rid of Malenkov?
Malenkov wanted to change collective farming policy and invest more in consumer goods. Khrushchev gave his own proposals which were less radical. Left Malenkov isolated and he was forced to step down (Feb. 1955).
How did Khrushchev begin to reverse Stalin’s policies?
Released those accused in the Doctors Plot.
When and What was the Secret Speech?
- Blamed Stalin for purges, Terror, executions and gulags. Was an attack on Stalin. Criticised his wartime leadership. Never questioned the system or communism.
What was Destalinisation?
Reversing Stalinist policies
What was the main aspect of Destalinisation?
Dismantling Stalin’s terror system
What was democratisation?
Weakening the traditional bureaucracy. Power to the people.
What was decentralisation?
More initiative to localities.
What did Political and Party change allow for?
Debate and decision.
What were some of the Political policies brought in?
- 1957, local economic councils created
- 1958, sackings so Khrushchev is in control
- 1962, Party split into urban and rural sections
- Rules limited how long Party officials could serve
- Party membership expanded
What were the political successes?
- Did not imprison of liquidate rivals - had them demoted
- Terror of the Stalinist era had disappeared
What were the political failures?
- local leaders did not have a national perspective
- decisions made by those who were less experienced
- less job security
- privilege removed
What were some of the Industrial Developments?
- Party decentralised, 105 economic regions created
- The Seven Year Plan, 1959
- Railway lines electrified and greatly expanded
- Air transport expanded
- 1957, USSR launched first Satellite, Sputnik
- 1961, Yuri Gagarin
What did the Seven Year Plans Include?
Emphasis on improving living standards. Expansion of chemical industry. Prefabricated housing. Production of consumer goods. More exploitation of Russia’s resources and building of power stations.
What were the industrial successes?
- Seven Year Plans, impressive gains
- Focus on consumer goods
- Investment in defence and heavy industry
- Expansion in chemical industry and exploitation of natural resources
- Higher standard living
- Space programe and Sputnik
- Railway network network
What were the industrial failures?
- Seven Year Plan, resources sent to the wrong places, same high targets
- Shortage of consumer goods
- Poor quality of goods
- Growth rate fell to lowest levels in 1964
What were the agricultural developments?
- Price paid for agricultural goods was raised
- State procurement quotas were reduced
- Taxes were reduced
- Quotas on peasants private plots
- Increase in the use of farm machinery and the abolishment of Machine Tractor Stations (1958)
- Collective farms merged to form State farms with fixed wages
- 1953, The Virgin Land Schemes
- Launched campaigns for new crops
What were the Virgin Land Schemes?
Plan to cultivate lands in Siberia and northern Kazakhstan which hadn’t been ploughed before. The first scheme was successful.
What were the agricultural successes?
- Increased Party representation in rural areas
- Virgin Land Schemes initially successful
- State paid more for grain deliveries and quotas reduced
- Received a fixed wage under the State system
What were the agricultural failures?
- 1958, Virgin Land Scheme failed
- Shortage of food so had to import from USA
- Inefficient planning of living and working conditions so many moved back home
- Abolition of Machine Tractor Stations was rushed and farmers didn’t have time to accumulate the necessary equipment.
How were living standards improved socially?
- Destalinisation - no terror.
- Consumer goods more available.
- New housing initaitve, prefabrication
- Changes to taxation, 1958 - abolished childless ta
- Pension improved
- Work hours reduced and increase in wages
- More widely available education
What was the ‘thaw’?
Greater cultural freedom
What happened under the ‘thaw’?
- Restrictions on foreign literature and broadcasts reduced
- Citizens allowed to travel
- Greater contact with the West
- Rock n Roll and Jazz introduced
What repressive changes did Khrushchev make socially?
- Disliked modern literature and art
- Revived a socialist campaign against Churches
- 1961, forbidden for parents to teach children religion
- Mass closure of monasteries and convents
- Pilgrimages banned
- No moves towards independence for nationalities
What did the new criminal code introduced in 1958 state?
Civilians were no longer to be tried by emergency or military courts
What were the social successes?
- Access to a wide range of foreign material
- Taxations reduced and pensions improved
- Hours of work reduced
- Increase in wages of the lowest paid
- Improved education and medicine
What were the social failures?
- Comrade courts encouraged blackmail and bribery
- Privileged had access to certain commodities
- The KGB were still active and arrested people, fear
- Khrushchev was highly critical of some cultural styles such as abstract art
- Groups still persecuted
