Khrushchev GOVERNMENT Flashcards
WHAT DID REFORMS UNDER KHRUSHCHEV INVOLVE?
- remove the worst of the stalinist system
- reduce terror
- reduce power of officials via decentralisation
Khrushchevs rule had two main policies
- destalinisation
- decentralisation
What leadership was put in place after Stalin died in 1953?
Collective leadership with members of the presidium
Who were the main players in the presidium?
- Malenkov
- Beria
- Khrushchev
Malenkov’s role
Premier of the Soviet Union (prime minister)
Beria’s role:
Head of the secret police (NKVD)
What did Beria immediately do to improve his shot at leadership?
- reduced terror significantly
- in March he released 1 million prisoners from the gulags
- announced the Doctor’s plot was made up by Stalin
What was Beria accused of? What was his fate?
Being a British spy, he was shot without a fair trial?
How did Khrushchev and Malenkov justify murder of Beria?
- they feared his power in controlling terror
- they felt it was necessary to restore socialist legality
Socialist legality
Stated the actions of the government and party had to abide by the law - not outside the law as it had done for Stalin.
Particularly aimed at the secret police to lower the number of quota arrests.
What happened at the 1956 Twentieth party congress?
Khrushchev debuted his SECRET SPEECH
What did the secret speech accuse Stalin of?
- forming a cult of personality
- shed light on the awful over-use of terror
- and revealed his dire economic mistakes
What did Khrushchev omit from his secret speech?
Politburo members had risen through the ranks due to Stalins corruption and willingly implementing his policies - he also sewed the seeds for criticism of Malenkov
What was Khrushchev careful to do during destalinisation?
Criticism was focused on STALIN, not the communist party itself - didn’t want to bash Lenin in the process
Features of destalinisation
- regular presidium and central committee meetings resumed
- more power to regional levels - decentralisation of decision making
- secret police lost control of the labour camps and 2 million prisoners were released before 1960
- officials did not face criticism when they did not meet targets
What was the main difference from Khrushchev to Stalin
There was never a return to terror after Khrushchev, seriously reformed the secret police into the KGB:
- people had more freedom to criticise (not too much though)
- two million prisoners released!! Though it was a slow process…
Did the population liked these new implementations?
Yes - they were welcomed but fear was still prevalent (less so but still)
- heavy punishments still for corruption and harsh critics - exile or psychiatric hospital
When was the anti-party coup?
1957
Why did the anti-party coup happen?
- bureaucrats did not like Khrushchevs decentralisation of decision making
- central ministry power transferred to regional councils
What was the anti-party coup?
Opposition to Khrushchev led by Molotov and Malenkov:
- they persuaded the presidium to vote on the removal of Khrushchev
How did Khrushchev outmanoeuvre the anti-part coup?
Said the Central committee appointed him so only the central committee could dismiss him.
Clever because as 1st Secretary (general secretary) the majority of his power base were people he appointed to the central committee
What happened to Malenkov and molotov after the AP coup?
Not arrested or murdered (like Stalin)
They were given less useful roles: ambassador of Mongolia/incharge of electricity
When was Khrushchevs power enhanced?
1958 - became prime minister AND first secretary - head of government and party!
Further reforms of the party: 22nd party congress 1961
- Stalins body removed from Lenin’s mausoleum
- MAJOR local party secretary purge!
- divided industrial and agricultural departments (decrease an individual power)
- imposed 3 year tenures if all state jobs
Why was there growing unpopularity against Khrushchev?
- economic mistakes - horrific harvest in 1963
- humiliation of Cuban missile crisis back-down
- erratic and humiliating bahaviour
When and why did the central committee decide to remove Khrushchev?
- stop more reforms coming that would dilute their power further
- 1964 vote in CC to dismiss him
What does Khrushchev leaving his posts show?
Miles different to Stalin
Didn’t use violence to retain his power AND went peacefully - Stalin would not have done this:
‘Stalin would have had them shot’
