Khrushchev and Reaction to Stalinism, 1953-64 Flashcards
When did Stalin die?
March 1953
Who takes leadership as chairman of Council and General Secretary after Stalin’s death?
Malenkov
Who replaces Malenkov as general secretary?
Krushchev
What positions do Malenkov and Krushchev hold in their collective leadership?
Krushchev - General Secretary
Malenkov - Chairman of Council.
When is Beria arrested?
June 1953
When is Beria executed?
December 1953
When does Krushchev launch the Virgin Lands scheme?
1954
Who replaced Malenkov as chairman of council in Fev 1955?
Bulganin
When is Bulganin forced to resign?
March 1958
Who did Stalin appoint as deputy Prime Minister in 1946?
Malenkov
When did Krushchev enter the Politburo?
1939
Who was Beria?
Yezhov’s replacement as head of the NKVD
When did Beria become deputy Prime Minister?
1941
When did Beria become a Politburo member?
1946
How did Krushchev take Malenkov’s position?
Malenkov’s rivals managed to force him to step down allowing Krushchev to become Party Secretary and Malenkov hold council of ministers instead.
Which of the new leaders appeared most eager to depart from Stalinist policies?
Beria
What did Beria advocate?
the release of dangerous political prisoners, denouncement of Mingrelian purges & to scale back on some of Stalin’s costly construction projects.
What caused other leaders to be alarmed at Beria’s pronouncements?
The popularity of them and the power of his office.
How did Malenkov, Krushchev and other Presidium members eliminate Beria?
They conspired against him, arranging his arrest in June 1053.
What was Beria accused of in the press during his arrest?
criminal anti-party and anti-state activities.
When was Beria’s secret trial and execution?
24th December 1953
Which of the Presidium members placed the government above the party?
Malenkov
Which of the Presidium members placed party above the government?
Krushchev
What did Malenkov and Molotov attempt to launch?
a ‘new course,’ which would change the collective farming policy, reduce peasant taxes and put more investment into consumer goods.
What did Krushchev propose?
The Virgin Lands scheme, labeling himself as an agricultural expert.
How did Krushchev’s Virgin Lands scheme help him gather support?
The early success of the scheme got people behind Krushchev.
When and why did Malenkov step down?
February 1955, Malenkov found himself isolated and forced to step down.
What role did Malenkov take once he had stepped down?
Minister for Power Stations.
Who succeeded Malenkov in 1955 once he stepped down?
Bulganin
Until what year did Bulganin and Krushchev act as joint leaders?
1958
When was the attempt to unseat Krushchev?
1957
What happened in 1957 in order to almost ‘unseat’ Krushchev?
A majority in the Presidium voted for his dismissal but Krushchev insisted it be put to the Central Committee.
How did Krushchev avoid being unseated in 1957?
He ensured his supporters were brought to Moscow to vote in his favour.
What happened to the plotters against Krushchev in 1957?
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.
Why did the joint power between Krushchev and Bulganin come to an end in 1958?
Krushchev accused Bulganin of being involved with the ‘anti-party group.’
When was the first Party Congress held after Stalin’s death?
25th February 1956
B 1956, how had Krushchev already began reversing Stalin’s policies?
Those involved in the Doctor’s plot were released, the police and Gulag system had been attacked etc.
Which party members opposed the dismantling of Stalinist Terror?
those involved in carrying out the acts.
How did those opposing dismantling Stalinist Terror suppress Krushchev’s early efforts?
by encouraging him to speak only in a ‘closed session.’
What was the name of Krushchev’s speech spoken at the secret meeting?
On the Cult of Personality and its Consequences.
What accusations were made against Stalin in Krushchev’s speech at the secret meeting?
Stalin’s personal involvement in the Terror and that Stalin betrayed Lenin’s principles, “causing tremendous harm to the cause of socialist progress.”
How were the police affected by Krushchev’s rise to power?
They were once again under the authority of the Party and government.
The Secret Police apparatus was reduced in size.
What two goals did Krushchev have that could perhaps be seen to undermine the party’s ideology?
Democratisation & Decentralisation
How was the party split in 1962?
into Urban and Rural sections
