khrushchev depth study Flashcards
1
Q
how did khrushchev seize power after stalin’s death?
A
- malenkov was forced to resign as others feared his growing power
- collective leadership with khrushchev as party secretary with other members like molotov (foreign minister) and beria (head of mvd)
- khrushchev was able to start appointing supporters to important jobs within the party
- decline of beria
- divisions within the collective leadership
- decline of malenkov (lack of support = forced to resign in 1955)
2
Q
why did beria decline? (there is no other way to word it 😭)
A
- expressed strong anti-stalinist sentiments
- releasing political prisoners
- denouncing purges
- reducing construction projects
- popular with russians
- concerned those in the collective leadership
- accused of anti-state activities
- secretly tried and executed
3
Q
what were the divisions within the collective leadership?
A
- malenkov and molotov wanted to change collectivisation, reduce taxes and focus more on consumer goods
- khrushchev wanted less change but did want to focus on light industries and promoted himself as an agricultural expert and launched virgin lands scheme in 1954 (helped him emerge as leader)
4
Q
what was the anti-party group?
A
- 1957
- a coup to remove khrushchev (especially after secret speech)
- included malenkov, molotov and kaganovich
- khrushchev argued only central committee could remove him
- with support of zhukov = he defeated anti-party group and members removed (i.e. sent to new positions far away from moscow like malenkov)
- supporters were rewarded for loyalty
5
Q
how did khrushchev gain individual control?
A
- zhukov dismissed in 1957 (accused of creating a cult centred on him and khrushchev feared his control on the army)
- bulganin forced to resign as prime minister in 1958 (suspected of sympathizing with those in anti-party group)
- then able to gain sole control as both party secretary and prime minister
6
Q
how was destalinisation carried out by the collective leadership and khrushchev?
A
- removal of beria, police powers and gulag system = “thaw” of repression
- secret speech (on the cult of personality and it’s consequences) = criticised stalin for purges, terror. gulags, poor preparation for ww2 and that he was disliked by lenin
- overall was accepted well and many pleased to distance communism from stalin’s actions
- no secret and copied reached foreign countries
- didn’t denounce economic controls, strong leadership or control over citizens (wanted to continue them)
7
Q
what changes were made to the party and politics by khrushchev?
A
- greater democracy and participation
- democratisation: membership expanded 7 million in 1956 to 11 million in 1964, with non-party members having more of a role
- decentralisation: party split into urban and rural sections, local soviets role increased and new courts fro minor offences, khrushchev visited local towns, economic organisation moved from moscow to local authorities
- secret police became less important and police brought under control of party
- political crimes became less oppressed by secret police with some prisoners being freed
- rise of communist party (increased when khrushchev used them to deal with anti-party group)
8
Q
what changes did khrushchev make to help economy after ww2?
A
- comecon created to help economic organisation between satellite states
- increasing involvement in cold war added financial problems = 2 five year plans
- 1946-50: aimed to catch up with the usa and rebuild heavy industry and transport
- 1951-55: continued with heavy industry until malenkov took over in 1953 = focus moved to consumer goods, housing and services (less spent on military and heavy industry)
9
Q
what industry problems did khrushchev try to correct?
A
- ministers in moscow disorganised and set different targets (no cohesion and not enough administrators to organise economy)
- no incentive for workers/managers to produce more (if targets exceeded = increased next year)
- output assessed by weight = produce such as iron, steel etc valued more (but public wanted textiles, furniture etc produced more)
10
Q
what were the changes made to industry by khrushchev? (FIX THIS QUESTION)
A
- 60 moscow ministers abolished and replaced with creation of 105 economic regions (all with own economic council to organise and supervise)
- helped khrushchev as he had support in local areas = giving them more power helped to move power away from moscow
- 1959 seven year plan (show that although there had been some decentralisation, there was still considerable amount of central planning) which was then replaced by 7th five year plan in 1961
11
Q
what were the industrial changes made by khrushchev?
A
- expansion of chemical industry (plastics, artificial fibres
- housing = new flats built of prefabricated materials
- more consumer goods produced/available
(shows focus on private home life and domesticity to ease the workload of women) - luxuries (makeup, perfume, fashionable clothing etc
- modernisation of power (natural gas, oil, coal, power stations)
- railways run on electricity and expansion of the network
- aeroflot company subsidized by state = cheap air travel = helped trade throughout russia
- space = 1957 first satellite (sputnik) and a dof was put into space and 1961 = yuri gagarin = first man in space
12
Q
what problems still existed for industry under khrushchev?
A
- decentralisation made system too complicated and bureaucratic
- heavy spending on armaments and space race = meant not enough investment and focus on improving standards of living though consumer goods
- 1958 = growth of economy was 10% per year, but 7.5% in 1964
13
Q
what were the agricultural problems under stalin?
A
ww2 = many crops, animals and farms being destroyed
14
Q
what agricultural changes did khrushchev make?
A
- gave more money to peasants for grain and other produce
- less produce had to be given to state
- taxes reduced
- collectives allowed to set own targets and greater independence on how they use their land
- modernisation to increase production (farms connected to electricity, use of chemical fertilisers, machinery and tractors
- new crops like maize (could be used for humans and animals)
- agrocities: large collective farming towns but they weren’t very successful
15
Q
what was the virgin land scheme?
A
- aim to increase production in uncultivated areas (west siberia and north kazakhstan)
- 1953 = initial success and then developed out. propaganda encouraged farmers to move to these areas with komsomol (youth group) helped build roads, fences, ditches etc
- 1956 = 36 million hectares had been ploughed for wheat
16
Q
how successful were khrushchev’s agricultural policies?
A
- increase in production
- cereals = 82 million tons in 1952 to 132 million tons in 1961-64
- meat = 5.2 million tons in 1952 to 9.1 million tons in 1961-64
- milk = 36 million tons in 1952 to 63 million tons in 1961-64
17
Q
what were the problems with khrushchev’s agricultural changes?
A
- farmers still spent more time on private plots, rather then communal farming
- prices seen as too low
- most farmers couldn’t work or repair technology and tractors effectively
- virgin land scheme: poor climate and soil wasn’t cultivated/rotated enough = infertile
- too much focus on maize and not enough milk or wheat was produced
18
Q
what problems within society still existed under stalin?
A
- peasants earned 20% less then industrial workers
- shortages of food, housing and consumer goods
- long hours (often 12 hour per day)
- high targets often set
- women expected to work in industrial factories as well as domestic issues
19
Q
how far did societal conditions improve under khrushchev?
A
- greater focus and availability of consumer goods with foreign imports also allowed
- housing crisis partially improved (new prefabricated houses and modern houses built)
- conscription abolished, tax foe bachelors and childless couples removed, increase in pensions
- 40 hour weeks, higher wages for lowest paid, more power for trade unions
- higher standard of education, greater access to doctors and welfare, improved local and cross country transport
20
Q
what societal problems still existed under khrushchev?
A
- still unequal = better health care, holidays access to luxuries for those higher up politically with most working class not being able to afford cars
- consumer goods were often basic and low quality
- living standards were still below the west
21
Q
what were the changes/relaxation to cultural and social life under khrushchev?
A
- reading foreign literature and radio broadcasts allowed with also some travel abroad
- media/russian tv showcased russian talent abroad
- “intourist” created to encourage tourism to russia so other countries could see advancements especially in technology
- world festival of youth in 1957 = 34,000 people from 131 countries visited moscow (russian youth attracted to western style)
22
Q
what are some examples of publications allowed under khrushchev?
A
- “the thaw” by ehrenberg (about a woman who leaves tyrannical husband)
- “one day in the life of ivan denisovich” by solzhenitsyn (about life in the gulag)
- both criticised life under stalin but not communism
23
Q
what were churches like under khrushchev?
A
- continued to be repressed with atheism being promoted
- children couldn’t attend church services or be taught about christianity
- mass closure of monasteries: 22,000 in 1959 to 8000 in 1965 with many becoming public buildings like museum
- pilgrimages banned
24
Q
how were ethnic minorities treated under khrushchev?
A
- he disliked the idea of greater independence and promoted idea of a single common language
- refused to allow jews to have their schools and claimed they were to focused on intellectual ideas and not enough industry
- refused hews to move to israel
25
Q
what social opposition did khrushchev face?
A
new group of “cultural dissidents” emerged (used art of criticise human rights and democracy)
26
Q
how were publications used as opposition against khrushchev?
A
- some writers published abroad (e.g pasternak), with printing sometimes being done at night and being secretly given out, which was dangerous and illegal
- underground societies: “the youngest society of geniuses” = student group that published the journal “the sphinxes” with poetry and prose
27
Q
how was poetry used as opposition against khrushchev?
A
- poetry readings in squares in moscow by students and intelligentsia
- some were arrested in 1961 for subversive political behaviour (content of poetry too critical to regime)
- some sent to prison
28
Q
how were magazines used as opposition against khrushchev?
A
- magazine publishers and editors also punished for subversive behaviour
- e.g ginsburg sent to labour camp for complaints about rights and democracy. publications included “boomerang” and “phoenix”
- 1961 = 130,000 identified and many arrested for having “anti-social, parasitic way of life” = forbidden to work for state
29
Q
how was music used as opposition against khrushchev?
A
- illegal recordings of music made and passed around (forbidden western music like jazz, rock and roll, pop and soul music)
30
Q
how was art used as opposition against khrushchev?
A
- “non conformist art” created and sold privately and secretly (vassiliev and kabakov = children’s illustrators but also produced art in underground movement)
- khrushchev argued with manezh art exhibition in 1962 regarding function of art
- ballet = bolshoi and kirov ballet companies gained worldwide recognition and fame for tourists. nureyev spied on by kgb for modern, non-conformist style, he defected from russia in 196, after leaving on a ballet tour
31
Q
what political opposition did khrushchev face?
A
- from communist party in 1950s from conservative members (e.g malenkov and molotov) who thought it was too liberal and disliked destalinisation (e.g anti-party group in 1957)
- removed apparent allies (e.g. bulganin and zhukov) for fear of popularity and potential for opposition
32
Q
how was punishment for political opposition different under khrushchev compared to stalin?
A
- more lenient = e.g. molotov became ambassador of mongolia and kaganovich became directer of potash works
- less imprisoned and more released for political crimes: e.g 1956 = 9 million released or declared not guilty, by 1960 = 2 million returned to gulags
- but this meant more spoke out against khrushchev and campaigned for greater democracy
- some disliked leniency (violent demonstrations in georgia in 1956 over destalinisation)
- ordinary people didn’t oppose outwardly and appeared to accept their situation
33
Q
what were khrushchev’s successes during the cold war?
A
- austrian state treaty 1955 = showed support for austria to gain independence in return for neutrality and co-operation with west
- hungarian uprising 1956 = many in russia pleased with firm stance at defeating rebels using armed forces
- berlin wall 1961 = many in russia impressed by strong action (khrushchev previously demanded west remove themselves completely from berlin and kennedy refused)
- cuban missile crisis 1962 = praised his stance on negotiations with kennedy and greement for usa to remove nuclear weapons from turkey
- “hotline” telephone was set up after cmc to make communication easier
34
Q
what were the problems and criticisms khrushchev faced as a result of the cold war?
A
- some thought “peaceful coexistence” was against communist principles and didn’t encourage spread of communism
- china believed this (russia withdrawing support for china’s atomic bomb in 1959 and siding with india in war)
- hungarian uprising = some claim khrushchev’s leniency encouraged it and harsh treatment of rebels damaged reputations of communism (seen as violent and oppressive)
- cuban missile crisis = criticised for nearly starting nuclear war but also weak for agreeing to remove nuclear weapons from cuba
- actions appeared inconsistent (aggressive and peaceful) and by 1964 relations overall unstable
- relations with china deteriorated (potential ally) mao disliked secret speech and believed it led to greater calls for move away from communism in eastern europe
35
Q
what key events led to khrushchev’s fall from power?
A
- april 1964 = given the “hero of the soviet union” award but shortly after was removed in a coup
- october 1964 = whilst in holiday in georgia, he was ordered to return to a meeting with presidium by brezhnev
- faced with many points of criticism regarding leadership = signed letter of resignation the next day
- public told he resigned due to age and ill health through pravda and radio
36
Q
how did khrushchev’s personality lead to his downfall?
A
- created a “one man rule” through removing ministers in 1950s = creating his own “cult of personality”
- eccentric behavious (banging his shoe on table at un general assembly)
37
Q
how did decentralisation lead to khrushchev’s downfall?
A
- creation of 105 economic councils and power to local party = central party members lost power
- more frequent elections for central committee = uncertainty and felt under threat
38
Q
how did khrushchev’s agricultural changes lead to his downfall?
A
- failure of virgin land scheme
- lack of food supply and crops, especially in 1963
- needed to import grain from usa and canada = created a decline of living standards and reflected badly on his new agricultural ideas
39
Q
how did khrushchev’s industrial changes lead to his downfall?
A
- some conservatives disliked focus on consumer goods
- often shortage of consumer goods to meet demands
40
Q
how did khrushchev’s military changes lead to his downfall?
A
- disliked that less money was being spent on weapons
- thought too much was being spent on nuclear weapons
41
Q
how did khrushchev’s foreign policies lead to his downfall?
A
- criticised over relations with usa with cuban missile crisis
- poor negotiations
- creating threat of nuclear war
- deal to remove bases from cuba
- deteriorating relations with china and disagreements with mao over nuclear weapons and test ban treaty
