Khrushchev's path to sole leadership Flashcards
How did Khrushchev deal with Beria?
-1953- troops blocked Beria’s apartment to stop MVD stoppping his arrest.
-Blamed for stalinist atrocities
-‘tried’ and shot in the head.
Why did Khrushchev believe he had the authority to neutralise Beria?
-red army use
-belief war record gave him special authority- only one in great ‘struggle’
What did Malenkov anounce and why did this backfire?
-better relations with outside world
-raise in soviet standards at expense of investment in heavy industry.
-No match for Khrushchev in terms of personality or authority as head of the party.
What was Malenkov blamed for?
-1953 blamed for poor harvests (grain shortages)
-Khrushchev went around hearing out personal greivances in the countryside+ undermine his position.
-resigned.
What did Malenkov do following his forced resignation in 1953?
-joined a plot to overthrow Khrushchev
-sent to Kazakhstan to serve as a manager of hydro-electric powerstation.
What proves ironic about Khrushchev’s rise to power?
-He took many policies formulated by Malenkov despite his dismissal from the party.
What did Khrushchev do in 1956 and how did this undermine their position?
-massive attack on stalist policies-staggered party officials.
-discruntled ministers lost positions.
-Molotov, Kangovich + Malenkov had all benefitted from Stalinist terror.
What happened in 1957 in Finland?
-opposition plan to remove
-destalinisation too far+ responsible for anti-soviet revolts in Poland + Hungary.
How did Khrushchev survive the attempt to remove him in 1957 Finland?
-refused to accept Politburo decision until full vote of the central commitee.
-got his own supporters flown in from different parts of the USSR.
How was Khrushchev able to undermine the position of Zhukov?
-accused him of creating a ‘cult of the indiviudal for himself’ forcing him to resign.
What did Khrushchev do to to Bulganin in 1958?
-got him to confess involvement in the anti-party group.
-resigned as premier + lost spot on central commitee (taken by Khrushchev himself).
Why was Khrushchev in some ways always weaker than Stalin?
-remained answerable to the Politburo and central commitee in a way that Stalin had not been.
What was Molotov’s fate during Khrushchev’s leadership?
-dismissal from all positions + expulsion from party in 1961.
What became of Kayanovich?
-joined unsucessful attempt to remove Khrushchev
-removed of all major posts + expelled from the party.
How is Khrushchev’s path to leadership different to Stalins?
-limited use of terror- most just stripped of governmental positions other than Laverenti Beria.
